Writing Tips #8

Three key properties of a quality article

 

Writing Tips #7

  A recipe of good writing

 

1. Logically organize the material

Logical organization closely related to your own understanding of the subject or the content of your paper. Even before the first letter is penned down a writer already has in mind the message that the paper will deliver. What is the main story that you want to tell people? How would you put it across so people can understand and use it? These are the questions that will give you the way on how your paper will be written.

2. Use good grammar

As a non-English writer, this grammar part is always the hardest. But not worry, “just do it” will be the best motto. Good or bad is secondary as the skill will develop along the way. It takes a long time to perfect your grammar but as long as the error isn’t that glaring the message will get across. The thing to worry is when the grammatical mistakes are all over the place and has intimidated the content of your paper.

3. Check spelling

With a spelling-checking software this can be overcome immediately. Please don’t be lazy to check and change accordingly. Misspelled words are like zits on a beautiful face, they ruin the look of your paper.

4. Use short sentences and paragraphs

Short sentences and paragraphs will reduce the language errors in your paper. You will go straight to the point by explaining the important part and avoid any unnecessary elements. The long and winding sentences are the result of translating the idea in Malay (or any non-English language) into English. Therefore, it is important to think in English and right away put that into writing.

5. Don’t use big words

‘Big words’ refers to those words that are difficult to understand or rarely used in scientific context. Words specific to our research area are sometimes difficult to understand but they are necessary; so its use is inevitable. So avoid using the unnecessarily difficult words as they will put another barrier before the reader. An excellent tool is to use thesaurus and pick the simple and easy to understand words instead.


Enjoy your writing folks!

50 Tips On Writing Great Research Papers[Tip #6]

Writing Tip #6 :

Right ambience+Right people+right attitude = great articles

·      Find quiet, distraction-free place

·       Solid blocks of time (regular one hour every day)

·       Find the best time to write ( early morning/late night)

·      Whole day of intense work

·      Get partners/mentors

·     Good partner will motivate

·    Bad one distracts

·    Start a blog

·      Make your writing activities enjoyable

50 Tips On Writing Great Research Papers(Tips #5)

Writing Tip #5 : Avoid writer’s block!

Please avoid the following “symptoms” that contribute to writer’s block:

1.Low energy

  2.Apprehension

         3.Lack of knowledge of how, what to do

       4.Perfectionism

              5.Evaluation anxiety

             6.Procrastination

          7.impatience

 

My advice  : Follow this blog closely....I follow!

50 Tips On Writing Great Research Papers(Tip #4)

Writing Tip #4 : Write first, revise later

 

Don’t try to generate text and revise it all at once; these require different skills and focus. Those who try to write excellent text at first draft invariably write nothing or very little. After your first draft, put it away for a few days then come back to it and revise. Revise, revise, revise and keep revising your article --- you will have a great article in the end.

Even for this small piece of writing( this Writing Tips postings), I did it over a period of time as well. Going through the same process as I mentioned in the last few posts and will reiterate in the future posts. The same thing---you write and then revise,revise and revise. As non-English writers we have to admit our limitation with the language. You can never be perfect but through a proper process the errors will be minimized, that’s all.

It’s also a good practice to let someone read your article before you send it out to a journal or a conference. Pick someone who is familiar with the subject, who can understand the terms and the process , to read your article.

50 Tips On Writing Great Research Papers (Tip #3)

Use an outline to organize your ideas and writing

When you first start a writing project, make an outline of the major headings. List the key ideas to be covered under each heading. Organize your thinking logic and the logic of your arguments at this level, before you put it into a complete , grammatically correct and elegant sentences.

Separate out the three tasks of: 

(1) figuring out what you want to say – something like brainstorming where you jot down whatever comes to mind. Ideas come and go so make sure you put it down the moment they come to mind. Having a pen and a notebook  handy is a must for an academic. Don’t wait until later or until your ipad has been fully recharged to secure the great ideas.

(2) planning the order and logic of your arguments – putting the ideas into proper perspectives in terms of order and logic needs a lonely time at the desk. A work of a writer is usually lonesome; you can’t do it over at the mamak stall or somewhere like that. If you can’t do it in this manner then make yourself do it. Academicians practice this behaviour during their PhD-days when the pressure was constantly on your back you would sit yourself down and write.

 (3) crafting the exact language in which you will express your ideas- having ideas is only half of the journey (maybe less than that) and it won’t be good until someone can read it and use it for something. And that means you have to put your ideas in writing. Good writing would make the ideas more appealing and interesting. This is what these writing tips are all about.

Good luck and happy writing.