The Writing Process: Drafting | AJE

Crafting a written manuscript to effectively communicate your research may have seemed daunting at first. Now that you've completed the planning and prewriting stages, though, the drafting process feels much more manageable and intuitive. 

 As you write, it's important to keep the guidelines for your target journal readily accessible and refer to them frequently as you work through each section. It’s also helpful to make a copy of your outline and begin transforming the bullet points into full sentences to ensure that no key details are overlooked. 

 Try streamlining the writing process by breaking it down into manageable chunks that can be tackled individually and then integrated later. This approach not only improves the efficiency of your time spent writing but also forestalls burnout by providing achievable goals. 

 Let's explore additional strategies for drafting a research manuscript that skillfully communicates your findings to a broader audience while also increasing the likelihood of acceptance by your target journal. 

Plan of Attack 

 When drafting your manuscript, it's important to note that the sequence in which you write the sections differs from their order in the final piece. The typical layout for your manuscript looks like this:  

• Title, Abstract, and Keywords 
• IMRaD: Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion 
• Conclusion 
• Acknowledgements and References 
• Supporting Materials 

We advise taking a different approach during the writing process, however, by suggesting this logical order: 

Materials and Methods

Because it deals with what is known, not asked or speculated, this section is often considered the easiest part of your manuscript to write. 

• Be transparent to enable reproducibility. 
• Do not repeat, but reference established methods. 
• Include control experiments and statistics for repeatability. 
• List methods in the order they will appear in the Results section. 
• Avoid adding comments, results, or discussion. 

Results and Discussion

These sections work together to present the findings of your study, interpret their significance, and place them within the broader context of existing knowledge in the field.  

• Present findings without interpretation or speculation. 
• Follow a logical order based on research questions or hypotheses. 
• Report statistical tests and results clearly. 
• Avoid unnecessary details or repetition. 
• Explain the significance of findings in relation to the research question. 
• Be transparent about study limitations. 
• Discuss practical applications and future research directions. 

Conclusion

Serving as the final impression of your research, the Conclusion should leave readers with a clear understanding of the study's findings, significance, and implications. 

• Concisely summarize the main results of the study. 
• Remind readers of the original research objectives or hypotheses addressed in the study. 
• Briefly interpret the findings in the context of the research question or hypothesis. 
• Discuss the broader implications of the findings. 
• Acknowledge any limitations of the study that may affect the interpretation or generalizability. 
• Suggest potential avenues for future research based on the findings of the current study. 
• Conclude the section with some final remarks that tie everything together. 

Introduction

This opening statement introduces your study, provides context, highlights its significance, and sets the stage for the subsequent sections of the manuscript. 

• Provide background information to contextualize your study. 
• Explain the specific knowledge gap or problem the study aims to address. 
• State the main research questions, objectives, and hypotheses. 
• Define the boundaries of your research, including the population, variables, and methodology. 
• Highlight the potential impact of the study on the field, society, or policy. 

References

By providing readers with a comprehensive list of all the sources cited in your manuscript, this section improves credibility and reproducibility. 

• Follow the specific citation style recommended by your target journal. 
• Double-check each reference to ensure accuracy in author names, titles, publication years, and other details. 
• Use citation management software to organize references and generate the section automatically. 
• Properly cite all sources to avoid plagiarism. 
• Limit self-citations to only relevant and necessary instances. 

Abstract and Title

These elements act as the primary, and sometimes sole, entry points for readers to gauge the significance of your study. 

• Be brief but descriptive by using keywords that highlight the main focus of your study. 
• Use straightforward language to grab the readers’ attention. 
• Provide an unbiased representation of the study’s objectives, methods, and results. 
• Include all essential elements while aiming for brevity and following your target journal's requirements. 
• Include relevant keywords or phrases that capture the main topics of the study. 

Resources

For more tips, check out these articles and white papers through AJE’s Author Resource Center: 

• Setting the Scene: Best Practices for Writing Materials and Methods 
• Reaping the Rewards: Best Practices for Writing a Results Section 
• How to Write the Discussion Section of a Research Paper 
• Implications or Recommendations in Research: What’s the Difference? 
• Getting a Strong Start: Best Practices for Writing an Introduction 
• Make a Great First Impression: 6 Tips for Writing a Good Abstract 
• Choosing a Catchy Title for Your Scientific Manuscript 
• Maintaining Consistency in Academic Writing and Research Manuscripts: A Free Checklist 
• AJE Tips for Publication Success- includes tips for writing the various sections of your manuscript and navigating the publishing process. 

 Final Thoughts 

Drafting your scientific manuscript is both essential and challenging. To make your research accessible and comprehensible to a vast audience, you must commit time and effort towards creating a quality piece. 

While working through this process, remember to plan carefully and structure your approach. Also, keep your target journal's guidelines close at hand and integrate them consistently. 

To improve efficiency and reduce burnout, break the manuscript down into manageable parts. Our recommendation to draft sections in a different order from their final presentation in the manuscript helps to not only simplify the process but also makes it less overwhelming. 

With dedication and strategic planning, you will produce a manuscript that is compelling and successful at communicating your research to the world. Use these tips and resources to get started, stay on track, and complete a quality manuscript that you can be proud of.