Manuscript Preparation

What are research methods? Research methods are the techniques and procedures used to collect and analyze data in order to answer research questions and test a research hypothesis. There are several different types of research methods, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Common Types of Research Methods Surveys: Surveys are a type of research […]

When conducting research for an academic paper, it is important to understand the differences between primary and secondary sources.  Primary sources are original, firsthand accounts of an event or phenomenon, while secondary sources are any materials that are not primary sources, such as books or articles that analyze or interpret primary sources. This article will […]

What are figure legends in research papers? Pick up any journal and take a look at one of the articles. Without reading the main text, examine one of the figures and ask yourself, “What can I conclude from this image?” Are you able to answer this question? Based on the figure, can you guess what […]

Preparing Your Study, Review, or Article for Publication in Medical Journals The majority of social, behavioral, biological, and clinical journals follow the conventional structured abstract form with the following four major headings (or variations of these headings): OBJECTIVE(Purpose; Aim; Goal): Tells reader the purpose of your research and the questions it intends to answer METHODS(Setting; […]

Research proposals that are written by graduate students or academic researchers typically follow a similar format consisting of headings and sections that explain the purpose of the research, specify the scope and scale of the study, and argue for its importance in contributing to the scientific literature. Knowing how to write a research proposal checklist is crucial […]

It might not seem very relevant to the story and outcome of your study, but how you visually present your experimental or statistical results can play an important role during the review and publication process of your article. A presentation that is in line with the overall logical flow of your story helps you guide […]

What is the manuscript format for journal submission? Most journals require authors to format their paper according to very specific guidelines at initial submission (although the “Your Paper Your Way” concept has found its way into many scientific journals since its introduction in 2011). This often includes rules for font type, margin size, and number […]

Movies are a valid source of information for research papers, but you might not have heard about how to cite movies in your classes on citation practices. In this article, you will learn how to correctly reference different types of movies in all the common formatting styles. The elements that should always be included are […]

Specific rules for citing visual media (paintings, infographics, maps, etc.) in papers and formal presentations are often not included in the basic how-to guides, but they do exist and vary depending on the style guide you have to follow. Here we explain what information you need to cite and how—see below for examples in APA, […]

You are probably familiar with (or know where to look up) in-text and reference list citation rules for books, online articles, and websites, but that’s not always enough these days—how do you use a YouTube video as a source and correctly cite it? Here, we show you how to do that in all the common […]

Writing a strong doctoral dissertation or thesisis a daunting task for any student due to the difficulty of academic writing. Students face the challenge of organizing and maintaining large amounts of text across hundreds of pages. For master’s and PhD doctoral students, writing a thesis or dissertation represents the capstone to their academic career. For […]

Research requires us to scrutinize information and assess its credibility. Accordingly, when we think about various phenomena, we examine empirical data and craft detailed explanations justifying our interpretations. An essential component of constructing our research narratives is thus providing supporting evidence and examples. The type of proof we provide can either bolster our claims or […]