Academic Writing

1. Evaluating Manuscript For
Journal Publication
by
T.M. Indra Mahlia
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Universiti Tenaga Nasional
43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia
Email: indra@uniten.edu.my

2. Slide No. 2
Type of journal paper
 Full article/paper
 Communication
 Technical note/Note
 Data bank
 Viewpoint
 Review
 Letter
 etc

3. Slide No. 3
Title
Does the title represent the content?
• Is it correct?
• Is it clear?
• Is it complete?
• Is it concise?
Example:
Exergy analysis for day lighting,
electric lighting and space cooling
systems for a room space in a tropical
climate

4. Slide No. 4
Authorship
Anyone who had an important role, requiring
creativity, professional judgement or both to:
• Original idea for the research
• The conception and design of the study.
• The analysis and interpretation of the
study.
• Drafting or revising the manuscript
critically.
• Approving the final version for publication.
Note:
• Remember, the name will be used forever.

5. Slide No. 5
Affiliation
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Universitas Indonesia, 16424 Depok,
Jawa Barat, Indonesia

6. Slide No. 6
Abstract
• Background of the research
• Objectives of the research
• Methodology (experimental setup and
methods of assessing )
• Brief of important results
• Key conclusions
• Avoid acronym
Re-Check:
• Is the abstract correct?
• Is it clear?
• Is it concise?

7. Slide No. 7
Keywords
• Copy some keywords from the title
• Usually 3 – 6 depends on the journals
• Must represent your work
Example:
Title: Exergy analysis for day lighting,
electric lighting and space cooling systems
for a room space in a tropical climate
Keywords: Exergy analysis; Day lighting;
Electric lighting; Air conditioner

8. Slide No. 8
Nomenclatures
 Have you include all of the
nomenclatures used?
 Check all unit for nomenclatures.
 Are you using consistent unit?
Please check.
 If less than 6, need no
nomenclatures, just write in the text.
 Use standard nomenclatures
Example:
F : Force (N)
a : Acceleration (m/s2)

9. Slide No. 9
Introduction
 Start from the broad context
 Tell the reader what is already known
 Tell what is not yet known or what the problems are.
 Tell what you have decided to do.
 Write your objective(s) at the end of Introduction.
Example;
 To clearly present the energy use for daylighting,
electric lighting, and space cooling systems as a series
of exergy input, output and consumption
 To elucidate how a day lighting system consumes
solar exergy, and how an electric lighting and
conventional space cooling system consume exergy
originally from fossil fuel.

10. Slide No. 10
Methodology
 Tell the reader how you get the data.
 Tell the reader how you get the tables.
 Tell the reader how you get the graphs.
 Does every result have a method?
 Is the sequence of the paragraphs and
equations logical?
 All equations need references.
 Are the subheadings appropriate?
 Can this method be repeated by other?
 Do we need a flowchart?

11. Slide No. 11
Results and discussion
RESULTS
 Try to put it in graphs and tables form.
 Are there any repetitions? If YES, delete or
change it.
 Look back at your objective(s) and compare
with your graphs and tables, are they what
you want?

12. Slide No. 12
Criteria for determining type of graph to use
Comparison to be made Type of graph Message
___________________________________________________________________
Of components Pie Size of each part as a
percentage of a whole
Of items Bar Relative amounts of different
variables
Over time Column Changes in amount
Line Trends
Frequency Histogram Numbers of items that fall into
Polygon line a series of progressive
numerical ratings
Correlation Scatter plot Relation between two variables
Results and discussion
Choice of graphs

13. Slide No. 13
Results and discussion
Pie graph: Natural gas production share in
Indonesia
Comparison of components

14. Slide No. 14
Results and discussion
Bar graph: annual exergy consumption
To compare values across categories

15. Slide No. 15
Colum graph: Respondent understanding for each type of labels
66
53
131
28
42
119
42.42%
79.25%
90.84%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
Type A Type B Type C
Percentage
of
respondet
Number
of
respondent
To compare values across categories
Results and discussion

16. Slide No. 16
Colum line graph: percentage fuel mix electricity
generation in Malaysia
To compare contribution of each value to a total
across categories
Results and discussion

17. Slide No. 17
Correlation between two variables
Baseline
Design
0+Improve
fin
design
1+Improve
tube
design
2+Add
of
refrigerant
tube
(2
extra
rows)
3+Use
variable
speed
compressor
4+Increase
in
frontal
coil
area
(30%)
5+Improve
compressor
efficiency
(15%)
6+Use
of
R-410a
1600
1800
2000
2200
2400
2600
2800
3000
6.50 7.50 8.50 9.50 10.50 11.50 12.50 13.50 14.50
Appliance
Prices
(RM)
EER (Btu/Wh)
Scatter graph: EER and price improvement of an AC
Results and discussion

18. Slide No. 18
Results and discussion
Correlation between three variables
16405
14964
14003
12454
11502
10978
10541 10526
0.00
0.04
0.07
0.30
0.50
0.67
0.85
1.23
0.00
0.20
0.40
0.60
0.80
1.00
1.20
1.40
1.60
10000
11000
12000
13000
14000
15000
16000
17000
18000
7.32 8.13 8.78 10.18 11.40 12.31 13.30 13.96
Payback
Period
(Yrs)
Life
Cycle
Cost
(RM)
EER (Btu/Wh)
LCC
PAY
Scatter graph: correlation between EER, LCC and PP of an AC

19. Slide No. 19
DISCUSSION
 Look back your objective(s) and compare to
graphs and tables you get.
 Compare with other published material.
 Discuss in particular any differences in results.
 Explain your findings.
 Discuss the implications of your finding.
 Explain limitations and biases.
 Explain strengths and weaknesses in relation to
other studies.
 Explain how your results fit into the broad field
you described in the introduction.
 Discuss unanswered questions and potential
future work.
Results and discussion

20. Slide No. 20
Conclusions
 The conclusion consists of the answer
to the objectives.
 How many objective?
 The number of your conclusion must
be similar to the number your
objectives or more.
 Mention about the implication of the
study.
 It is not another summary of your
results.

21. Slide No. 21
Acknowledgments
 Have you acknowledged all of the
relevant parties that have contributed
to your research?
Example;
 The authors would like to thank the Ministry of
Higher Education of Malaysia and The
University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
for the financial support under PJP Grant No:
RG41-09AET and DR. H.S.C. Metselaar for
proof reading of the manuscript.

22. Slide No. 22
References
 Use EndNote if possible
 Cite some important papers
 Cite recent papers
 Cite some of your or your supervisor
work
 Follow journal guidelines (There are
different ways to write reference for
journal, proceeding, report and etc).
 If the reference used a language other
than English, it should be stated.
 Check using TURNITIN and submit.

23. Submission
 Tables, graphs etc sould be placed in the appropriate place
(after references).
 First, list of Tables, then list of Figures.
 Tables and figures
 Cite some of your or your supervisor work
 Follow journal guidelines (There are different ways to write
reference for journal, proceeding, report and etc).
 If the reference used a language other than English, it should
be stated.
 Check using TURNITIN and submit.

24. Slide No. 24
Wisdom of Two Scientists
 IMAGINATION is more important than
KNOWLEDGE –
A. Einstein
 It is not the biggest, not the strongest,
but the one most responsive to
CHANGE that will SURVIVE –
C. Darwin

25. Slide No. 25
Thank You
Q & A