writing scientific papers
Writing is an essential part of research. Clear scientific writing reflects clear scientific thinking.
A well-written paper does not merely report results — it explains motivation, methodology, limitations, and significance in a way that allows others to understand and reproduce your work.
Below are resources and practical advice to help you develop strong scientific writing skills.
General Advice on Writing
Notes by Professor David Sherrill
https://vergil.chemistry.gatech.edu/resources#Scientific-Writing
This note is concise, practical, and written specifically for computational chemists. Do not just read them once — revisit them while drafting your own manuscript.
Whitesides’ Group: “Writing a Paper”
DOI: 10.1002/adma.200400767
This classic article provides high-level guidance on structuring a scientific paper:
- Tell a clear story.
- Make the logical progression obvious.
- Respect the reader’s time.
- Separate results from interpretation carefully.
If you internalize the principles in this article, your writing will improve dramatically.
Learning LaTeX - Overleaf LaTeX Tutorials
https://www.overleaf.com/learn/latex/Learn_LaTeX_in_30_minutes
A practical way to learn LaTeX is to start from real journal templates (ACS, AIP, PCCP, etc.) on Overleaf and modify them.
You should learn:
- Basic document structure
- Equations and alignment environments
- Cross-referencing and labels
- Bibliography management (BibTeX or BibLaTeX)
- Figure and table placement
- Packages commonly used in chemistry manuscripts
LaTeX is not optional. It is the standard tool for professional scientific writing.
Creating Better Figures - “Ten Simple Rules for Better Figures”
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1003833
This article discusses principles such as:
- Clarity over decoration
- Consistent typography
- Appropriate color usage
- Informative captions
- Reproducibility
You should also examine the plotting code provided by the authors and reflect on how figures are constructed programmatically.
A good figure should:
- Be understandable without reading the full paper.
- Clearly communicate the key message.
- Avoid unnecessary graphical elements.
In computational chemistry, figures often include:
- Energy plots
- Convergence curves
- Potential energy surfaces
- Orbital visualizations
- Error analysis across methods
Please design them carefully.
How to Practice Scientific Writing
Reading advice is not enough. Writing improves only through practice.
Here is how you should train yourself:
- Rewrite paragraphs from well-written papers in your own words.
- Summarize a paper in one page.
- Write short technical reports for your computational results.
- Draft internal group reports even if they are not for publication.
- Ask for feedback and revise.
Expect to revise your manuscript multiple times. Strong papers are rewritten, not written once.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Writing long sentences with unclear logical structure.
- Mixing results with speculation.
- Overusing jargon without explanation.
- Presenting equations without defining symbols.
- Including figures that do not support a clear message.
- Ignoring reproducibility details (basis sets, thresholds, convergence criteria, etc.).
Precision and clarity are more important than sounding sophisticated.
Final Remarks
Scientific writing is part of your training as a researcher.
If you cannot explain your method clearly, you likely do not understand it deeply enough.
Write regularly. Revise carefully. Read good papers critically. Practice consistently.
Like programming and mathematics, writing is a skill developed through deliberate effort.
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