13 tips for writing a great academic article or paper.

1. First, let us start before any writing has occurred.

a) Think about whether the effort is justified.
b) Is the topic new and novel in the field?
c) Is the article about a particularly timely topic in your area?
d) Don’t just write an article because you can; rather look to make a
difference.
2. Second, think about where you want to submit the manuscript.
a) Be a loyal reader of any journal you intend to submit to; do not just pick one
out of an online search.
b) Know the mission of the publication. This will allow you to focus your
writing on that journal.
3. Third, follow the instruction or guidelines for authors for that journal very
closely, particularly in regard to length and format.
Now, let us look at mechanics.
4. Follow closely the appropriate style manual. Whether the AMA, APA, Chicago
style guides, or others, you will benefit by understanding these guidelines in your
field.
5. Short and concise is always better.
a) This applies to the entire manuscript but also to sentence length and
paragraph length as well. No one ever said, “I wish that paper was longer.”
Ruthlessly delete all extraneous materials.
6. Follow accepted practices in regard to grammar and style.
a) If you do not know the expected practices find someone that does.
b) Also, read the articles in the journals you are submitting to so you can
understand the tone of these articles.
Now, let us look at the content presentation.
7. Seventh, when the paper is written, review the abstract very, very closely.
a) Many people will read only the abstract and it needs to be flawless.
b) Make sure it conforms to the abstract format in your intended publication.
8. Eight, consider the article title very carefully.
a) Avoid a boring title which is really just a label.
b) Consider something thought provoking or maybe even provocative, but do
not stray so far that it is corny or sensational.
9. Ninth, make sure any tables, charts, images, or graphics are essential and created
in a quality fashion.
a) Does each item standalone by itself?
Lastly, let us consider the review of the manuscript before submission.
10. My tenth tip is to read the final manuscript aloud several times. This helps for
clarity and language.
11. Eleventh, aside from having the content reviewed by your peers before
submission, have others outside your field read the paper as well. Listen closely
to any suggestions they have.
12. Twelfth, avoid any hint of plagiarism.
a) Always cite your sources.
b) Never take any passage or ideas from others.
c) An error here can affect your career or reputation.
13. Finally, I know many people that watch these videos are non-English language
speakers that may be submitting to an English language journal.
a) If so, I suggest having a native English language colleague or speaker read
and help craft the paper before submission. This will likely increase the
quality of the final product and therefore increase the likelihood of
acceptance.
b) If you do not know anyone to help with this, there are many editorial services
that will now assist for a fee. Or email me for suggestions of editors that can
help with this.
c) At the end of the day, there is no secret to success. Attention to detail and a
careful review of the language will hopefully improve your work.

How to write an abstract for a journal article.

1. An abstract provides a reader with a very brief representation of the information
contained in a research paper, a journal article, or other academic communication.
It helps the reader determine if the article or paper is of interest or relevant to
them.
2. There are several types including structured abstracts, informative abstracts,
descriptive abstracts, and others.
3. The length of an abstract may vary from 100 to 200 words or perhaps longer.
a) Many times, the maximum length or format is dictated by the publication, or
b) group being submitted to, or by a
c) preferred style guide such as APA, MLA, or Chicago Style Manual.
4. An abstract typically contains four parts: the research focus or the problem being
addressed; the research methods being used; the results or findings of the
research; and the conclusions.
Here are the steps to writing an abstract:
1. first, write the entire article or paper.
2. choose the main or key points of the paper. This will help you focus on the key
takeaways.
3. Look specifically to create a one sentence purpose or thesis statement to what is
being examined or researched. Next, state succinctly what methods were
employed.
4. Give the findings or results of the work, with a brief conclusion which should
concisely recap the results.
5. FYI references, tables, figures usually are not included in an abstract. These few
sentences will come together to form the abstract for your paper; its presentation
dependent upon which format you are using.
6. Do not use text directly from the paper.
7. An abstract is derivative, not cut and paste from the paper. Here are some
pointers: -Concise is best.
8. If it can be below the maximum word count, then so be it.
9. -Don’t duplicate the opening paragraphs of the paper; these serve different
functions.
10. -Avoid jargon. Use language your readers would expect.
11. -Make sure essential key words are present so search engines or abstracting and
indexing services will understand better what your paper is about.
12. -Write in the present tense.
13. -Don’t hold back on the findings to tease the reader.
14. Put them out there for the world to see. -Proofread, proofread, proofread.
15. -Also, show the abstract to colleagues, inside and outside the profession, for
feedback.
16. -And finally, an article abstract is likely to appear in many databases or other
places since it is fair use.
17. Make sure it stands alone. And remember reading an abstract is not the equivalent
of having read the full article.