Write your paper

Step 1 Lay the groundwork for a time-effective paper-writing adventure
7 sub-steps
1.1 Get your authorship position on your paper settled from the outset
1.2 Go for the highest possible impact, but check what impact means in your specific field
1.3 Use industry-standard referencing tools as you write your paper
1.4 Find procrastination busters that work for you and keep you moving forwards
1.5 Put yourself in your peer reviewers’ shoes as you write your paper: it will help you get it published
1.6 Save time by picturing your paper’s structure as an hourglass
1.7 Format your paper’s scaffold in ready for submission to your chosen journal
Step 2 Define, draft and refine your paper’s take-home message
12 sub-steps
2.1 Understand what is a take-home message for a paper
2.2 Read some example take-home messages from published papers
2.3 Understand why you need your paper to have a take-home message before you start writing your paper
2.4 Think about what data to include in your paper, and in what format and order
2.5 Define your paper’s take-home message by answering these 5 simple questions
2.6 Draft your paper’s take-home message
2.7 Put your draft take-home message through the Friends and rels test
2.8 Save time by getting feedback from key supervisors/co-authors at this early stage
2.9 Implement ideas for eliciting fast feedback from your co-authors
2.10 Refine your take-home message by whittling it to 150 words or less
2.11 Avoid common errors with your refined take-home message
2.12 Get feedback on your take-home message
Step 3 Make your writing flow like water
9 sub-steps | 6 Quizzes
3.1 Master Technique F1 (Say what you’re gonna say before you say it)
3.1.Q Do this quick quiz to master Technique F1
3.2 Ace Technique F2 (Move from general information to specific information)
3.2.Q Do this 2-question quiz to help you ace Technique F2
3.3 Conquer Technique F3 (Put ‘old’ concepts before ‘new’ concepts)
3.3.Q Quiz yourself to conquer Technique F3
3.4 Triumph over Technique F4 (Link to preceding text within the first 9 words of a sentence)
3.4.Q Take a moment to triumph over Technique F4
3.5 Grasp Technique F5 (Include subject and verb in the first 9 words of a sentence)
3.5.Q Quiz your grasp of Technique F5
3.6 Apply Techniques F3, F4 and F5 to improve flow between linked paragraphs
3.7 Learn this song to help remember the 5 writing techniques that promote flow
3.8 Be wary of the word ‘including’, and variants thereof
3.9 Become an awesome apostrophe aficionado
3.9.Q Hone your apostrophe aficionado status with this satisfying quiz
Step 4 Write your paper’s Materials / Methods section
4 sub-steps
4.1 The REAL purpose of a paper’s Materials / Methods section
4.2 Top tips to remember when writing your paper’s Materials / Methods section
4.3 Don’t be afraid to add a bit of story-telling as you write the Materials / Methods section
4.4 Submit your Materials / Methods section to us for feedback (optional – additional charges apply)
Step 5 Prepare crystal clear display items and legendary legends
7 sub-steps | 1 Quiz
5.1 When to start finalising your paper’s display items (e.g., figures and tables) and legends
5.2 Use display items to ‘paint’ key findings
5.3 Common mistakes to avoid in your paper’s display items
5.4 Tips for making tables that will save you a lot of time in the long run
5.5 Write your legend titles like little stories instead of noun phrases (if your field allows)
5.5.Q Quiz your ability to discern story-telling titles from noun phrase titles
5.6 Key information to include in legends
5.7 Ways to save time in writing legends
Step 6 Write your paper’s Results section
5 sub-steps | 1 Quiz
6.1 Don’t get lost in detail: highlight the overall patterns in your results
6.2 The 3 types of statement found in Results sections of published papers
6.2.Q Quiz your knowledge on the 3 types of information found in Results sections
6.3 Decide what tense to use when writing about the results in your paper
6.4 DOs and DON’Ts to watch out for as you write your Results section
6.5 Submit your Results section (with display items and legends) to us for feedback (optional – additional charges apply)
Step 7 Craft a compelling Introduction in an hour then polish your Introduction
6 sub-steps | 1 Quiz
7.1 Your Introduction section can make or break your paper, so it’s worth crafting until it’s right
7.2 The 4 to 5 essential elements to include in your Introduction, backed by linguistic research
7.2.Q Quiz your knowledge of the 4 to 5 essential elements to include in your Introduction
7.3 How to ensure your Introduction outline aligns with your take-home message
7.4 Submit your outline of the Introduction to us for feedback (optional – additional charges apply)
7.5 Check list of things to watch out for as you polish your Introduction section
7.6 Submit your Introduction section to us for feedback (optional – additional charges apply)
Step 8 Don’t despair over your Discussion
4 sub-steps | 1 Quiz
8.1 The 6 information types that linguistic research has uncovered in published Discussions
8.1.Q Quiz your Discussion section dissection skills
8.2 An example template for Discussion sections
8.3 Common Discussion blunders to avoid
8.4 Submit your Discussion section to us for feedback (optional – additional charges apply)
Step 9 Write your paper’s Title and Abstract
3 sub-steps
9.1 Encapsulate your most important conclusions or activities into a catchy title
9.2 Write your Abstract using insights from applied linguistic research
9.3 Submit your Title and Abstract to us for feedback (optional – additional charges apply)
Step 10 Finish up your paper and send it to your Co-Authors for review
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2.8 Save time by getting feedback from key supervisors/co-authors at this early stage

Write your paper Step 2 Define, draft and refine your paper’s take-home message 2.8 Save time by getting feedback from key supervisors/co-authors at this early stage

Many new researchers hesitate to seek feedback from their key supervisors/co-authors on their paper at this early stage of its development (defining, drafting and then refining the take-home message). While such hesitation could stem from any number of reasons, the outcome is the same: writing the paper risks taking longer than it needs to take.

Just imagine: you spend two weeks of your life writing the first complete draft of your paper. You’ve had to put many other obligations and interests on hold to write this draft paper. When you finally do the ‘big reveal’ and ask your key supervisors/co-authors for feedback on your paper, they may tell you it’s a good paper and that – with some fine-tuning – it’s good to go to the next stage of the publication pipeline. However, if you haven’t had feedback from your key supervisors/co-authors on your take-home message, it’s likely that they’ll have much more substantial feedback on your paper’s first complete draft. They may strongly suggest (and have good reason to do so) that you change the content, format and/or order of the data presented in the paper. They may strongly suggest that you change the ’emphasis’ on the paper (a.k.a. – the take-home message). They may point out that your conclusions are not supported by the data. In any case, the changes that you then need to make to your paper are going to take a substantial amount of your additional time, possibly involving deletion of paragraph after paragraph of your carefully-crafted text. Sometimes, the changes can be so complex that it’s actually faster and easier to delete the whole paper and start again.

Two brains are better than one. Your key co-authors will have ideas about the paper that will help you to make it clear and compelling. As co-authors, they also have the right to know what direction the paper is headed, and to be able to choose that direction with you from the outset.

Bring your key co-authors on board as you define, draft and refine your paper’s take-home message, and you’ll save time in the long-run.

Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash

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