Writing for research

Research preparation is done. The next stage is to start writing! "Writing for research" is the second stage of your research journey. Learn the fundamentals of manuscript preparation and how to write them, including how to structure your article and write a great abstract. 

In "Fundamentals of manuscript preparation", we've created a comprehensive series of modules to guide you through this crucial manuscript preparation stage. You will learn how to prepare your manuscript, create visual abstracts, structure your article correctly, and effectively manage your references.

Our "Writing skills" modules contain helpful advice to support successful publication. You will learn what the common pitfalls are in academic writing, the 10 most frequent mistakes in manuscripts, tips to combat ambiguity, inconsistency, and improper referencing, and how to tackle the crucial issue of plagiarism ethically.

How you format your research paper depends on your field of study and there are specific tools that are commonly used in research writing. The LaTex typewriting system, for example, is a useful tool for researchers who incorporate tables, figures, and formulae as regular manuscript features. Under the "Technical writing skills" topic, we’ll walk you through our beginners’ guide to writing a manuscript in LaTeX, tips on how to write for an interdisciplinary audience, and so much more!

Happy writing!

Modules in Writing for research

19 m
Fundamentals of manuscript preparation

Generative AI in the Publishing Community

The rise of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies has led to new policies for researchers, offering transparency and guidance.
11 m
Fundamentals of manuscript preparation

Author policies on the use of Generative AI

In part 2 of our “Generative AI: New policies, opportunities, and risks” recorded webinar, Daniel Stuckey, Senior Publishing Ethics Expert, explores the increasing number of ethical cases that deal
23 m
Fundamentals of manuscript preparation

Generative AI: Q&A

Could AI reduce the time from manuscript submission to publication? Does your author policy refer to AI as it is used in many fields in the research process, for example, to process data?
1 h
Fundamentals of manuscript preparation

Generative AI: New policies, opportunities, and risks

The rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-assisted technologies has triggered new polici
18 m
Fundamentals of manuscript preparation

The why and how of data visualization

Data visualization greatly benefits research analysis and storytelling. But do you know how to pick the right plot to visualize your research data?
13 m
Fundamentals of manuscript preparation

Data visualization and choosing the right plot

There are ways to plot and visualize your data e.g., bar charts, line charts, scatterplots, histograms, bubble charts, and many more.
7 m
Fundamentals of manuscript preparation

Three contexts for data visualisation

Which chart type to use and what is appropriate for each use case in your research depends on the context and not just the data.
15 m
Fundamentals of manuscript preparation

The evolution of data visualization

Part 4 of “Thinking numbers in pictures: Data visualization for research articles” illustrates how data visualization has been evolving over the last 20 years.
17 m
Fundamentals of manuscript preparation

From article to art: Creating visual abstracts - Parts 1 & 2: A Guide to Visual Abstracts

What is a visual abstract and why should you use visual abstracts in your research? How can you create a visual abstract and what message from your research should you select?
20 m
Fundamentals of manuscript preparation

From article to art: Creating visual abstracts - Part 3: Designing

Part 3 of our "From article to art: Creating visual abstracts" module focuses on Design tips to make visual abstracts accessible and engaging.
13 m
Fundamentals of manuscript preparation

From article to art: Creating visual abstracts - Part 4: Sketching the appropriate visual elements

In Part 4 of our "From article to art: Creating visual abstracts" module, Mark Belan will guide you in selecting your visual components and portraying the outcome precisely, as well as preparing a
40 m
Fundamentals of manuscript preparation

Structuring your article correctly

In this in-depth guide to structuring an article, we shine a spotlight on each of the article elements in turn.
32 m
Fundamentals of manuscript preparation

Guide to reference managers: How to effectively manage your references

Learn how reference managers can make your research life simpler while helping you make the most of your data.
40 m
Fundamentals of manuscript preparation

How to prepare your manuscript

This introduction to the publishing process contains helpful insights for those preparing to submit a manuscript for the first time.
40 m
Fundamentals of manuscript preparation

How to write an abstract and improve your article

An abstract can make or break an article. Our guide contains the know-how you need to ensure yours is a success.
1 h
Writing skills

How to prepare a proposal for a review article

At many journals, the process for submitting a review article is much different from the process for a research article: rather than uploading your research manuscript and clicking Submit, it might
30 m
Writing skills

Writing a persuasive cover letter for your manuscript

Submitting your manuscript without a cover letter or an incomplete one can impact the outcome of your submission.
1 h
Writing skills

How to turn your thesis into an article

The process of writing a manuscript is considerably different from the work undertaken for academic degree requirements.
45 m
Writing skills

5 Diseases ailing research – and how to cure them

Learn how you can avoid or be cured of the 5 diseases affecting academic writing and research.
40 m
Writing skills

Using proper manuscript language

Why poor manuscript language can prevent your research getting the recognition it deserves – and what you can do about it.
52 m
Writing skills

10 tips for writing a truly terrible journal article

These top tips on how NOT to write a research article will help you avoid some common pitfalls.
10 m
Technical writing skills

How to write and review a methods article

In this module, Arunabha Bose, a scientific editor from MethodsX discusses how to submit an article to MethodsX and how to review a manuscript.
1 h
Technical writing skills

How to design effective figures for review articles

A great research article or review is about more than listing research results: it is about telling a story through the data or giving your readers some insight they could not get from reading the
1 h
Technical writing skills

How to write for an interdisciplinary audience

As a researcher, you may have a story to tell that contributes not just to members of your own specific field of study, but that is of interest to a wider international interdisciplinary audienc
1 h
Technical writing skills

An editor’s guide to writing a review article

Writing a compelling review article is about more than picking an interesting topic and gathering the latest references.
1 h
Technical writing skills

How to write case reports

Case reports provide valuable information by throwing light on rare and unusual clinical presentations, symptoms or diseases.
1 h
Technical writing skills

Systematic reviews 101

Systematic reviews are used to rigorously analyze and aggregate current research to answer a question based on making best use of existing evidence rather than commissioning new primary studies.
40 m
Technical writing skills

Beginners’ guide to writing a manuscript in LaTeX

Everything you need to know about using LaTeX to ensure your formula-heavy manuscript has a professional polish.