This lecture was presented at the School of International Education, Wuhan University, China. The seminar will include the following 10 simple rules that can help in formulating an effective research work and more suggestions, tips, and software to help you in your research. Rule 1: Get familiar with the assignment. Rule 2: Pick a topic (guidelines, how to be an expert) Rule 3: Do Research (How to read a paper, reliable resources) Rule 4: Organize research (bibliography, helpful software) Rule 5: Form a paper/thesis (argument, Thesis statement) Rule 6: Create an outline (guidelines, examples, requirements) Rule 7: Write (tips, software, avoid plagiarism) Rule 8: Edit the content (make a perfect paper) Rule 9: Choose a convenient journal (SCI, SCIE, SSCI,..etc., Web of Science-JCR, Automatic suggestions) Rule 10: Submit your manuscript/thesis (Guidelines for authors, How to suggest reviewers,..etc) Finally, helpful tips (writing a response to reviewers, a scientist social networking, build collaboration)

1. Ten simple rules for
writing a research work
Sharing Experience
Dr. Mohamed Freeshah
December, 12, 2021
Wuhan University – SIE and WISU 1

2. https://dblp.org/statistics/publicationsperyear.html 2
How many Publications per Year?

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10 Rules for writing a research work
1. Get familiar with the Assignment.
2. Pick a topic.
3. Do Research.
4. Organize Research.
5. Form a paper/thesis statement.

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10 Rules for writing a research work (2)
6. Create an Outline.
7. Write.
8. Edit the Content.
9. Choose the Right Journal.
10. Submit your manuscript / thesis.

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Rule 1: Get Familiar with the Assignment

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1. Get Familiar with the Assignment.
• What your professor is asking for ?
• Carefully read the instructions.
• Highlight and take notes on the assignment.
• How you will be graded on it?

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Rule 2: Pick a Topic

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2. Pick a Topic
• It’s time to decide what to write about.
• Write about something you’re interested in.
• Use the guidelines given by your supervisor.
• You will be an expert by the end, but you don’t have to
know everything right now.

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Rule 3: Do Research

10. • This step is pretty flexible.
• stay focused and move pretty quickly.
• key things to do:
1) Skimming.
2) Find reliable resources.
3) Question the Facts.
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3. Do Research

11. • Don’t read the whole paper.
• How to identify key points without reading every word?
• Criticize and find the gap area
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3. Do Research (Skimming)
https://web.stanford.edu/class/ee384m/Handouts/HowtoReadPaper.pdf

12. • You can use Wikipedia to get familiar with a topic
• But, find reliable resources to use in paper.
• keywords to search an academic database, ask expert.
Note: General Websites as a starting point in research,
but you should not cited them as primary sources.
3. Do Research (Find reliable resources)

13. • You can find an article that says anything you want.
Example:
a cooker try to feed G. Washington poisoned tomatoes.
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3. Do Research (Question the Facts)

14. • You can find an article that says anything you want.
Example:
a cooker try to feed G. Washington poisoned tomatoes.
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3. Do Research (Question the Facts)

15. • You can find articles mention it’s true; however, when
you dig deeper, it’s not.
• If one article stating that something is true, that does
not necessarily mean it is a proven fact.
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3. Do Research (Question the Facts)

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Rule 4: Organize Your Research

17. • Getting organized.
• Start taking notes
• Sort of bibliography
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4. Organize Your Research

18. • Getting organized.
• Start taking notes
• Sort of bibliography
• Use Software
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4. Organize Your Research

19. Everything
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20. Mendeley
• It is a free reference manager (www.mendeley.com)
• Read, organize and cite all of your research from one library
• It has a web interface and a desktop application
• Register on the webpage or from the desktop application
Benefits
• Adding document automatically or manually
• Linking mendeley to MS word
• Changing reference style in mendeley
• Searching an article in mendeley
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21. Main Components of Mendeley software
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22. Adding new document to mendeley (Manually)

23. Linking your word document and word processor

24. Changing reference style in Mendeley
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25. Searching for an article in Mendeley
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Rule 5: Form a paper/ thesis statement

27. • Write your own opinion and argument.
• What is your “Thesis statement” ?
It’s about university policies on freshman living on campus.
• Note: this is just a starting point. Don’t stop here!
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5. Form a paper/ thesis statement.

28. Thesis statement
It’s about university policies on freshman living on campus.
• Go deeper
Many universities require freshmen students to live on campus for
their first year, which keeps students out of trouble, helps students
get better grades, and increases their likelihood of staying in school.
• Can you see the differences between them?
• Check the "Thesis Statement" with supervisor.
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5. Form a paper/ thesis statement (2)

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Rule 6: Create an Outline

30. • Be sure to follow the example
• Check guidelines, or requirements
• What you are trying to explain?
• What structure allows you to do that?
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6. Create an Outline
Abstract
Intro.
Methods
Results
Discussion
Data & AOI
Conclusion

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Rule 7: Write a draft

32. • Don’t worry about finding the perfect words, grammar
• Just need to write (perfect paper during editing)
• Use word list, synonyms, Grammarly
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7. Write a draft

33. Avoid plagiarism
• Use your own ideas
• Paraphrase from your sources
• Cite the original author.
• Checking the Plagiarism
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7. Write a draft (2)

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Rule 8: Edit the Content

35. • Congratulate yourself.
• Now make your paper as perfect as possible
• Structure, organization, wording, grammar, and length.
• Include missing pieces to meet assignment
• Read back again to be sure it all makes sense.
• Give it to a friend, mentor, or teacher
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8. Edit the Content

36. • Congratulate yourself.
• Now make your paper as perfect as possible
• Structure, organization, wording, grammar, and length.
• Include missing pieces to meet assignment
• Read back again to be sure it all makes sense.
• Give it to a friend, mentor, or teacher
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8. Edit the Content

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Rule 9: Choose the Right Journal

38. • Web of Science-JCR (SCI, SCIE, SSCI (15212 Journals))
• Ask some questions and try to find answers?
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9. Choose the Right Journal

39. • Find a journal for your article or write article for specific Journal?
• Is it international?
• Is it peer reviewed? How long does it take?
• Is it in Science Citation Index (SCI) data base?
• Is it available online and/or in printed form?
• Who is Editor in Chief?
• Who is on Editorial Board?
• Who is publisher of the Journal?
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9. Choose the Right Journal (2)

40. • Is it published by a Learned Society?
• What is the Journal’s Impact Factor?
• How often is the Journal published?
• What is the Aim/ scope of the Journal? Does your paper fit?
• What type of papers does the Journal publish?
• Some Journals have page charges, or charge for colored figures.
• Where is the Journal Indexed? (e.g. SCOPUS, EI,..?)
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9. Choose the Right Journal (3)

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9. Choose the Right Journal (4)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUNQzx4PmMM

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Rule 10: Submit your manuscript / thesis

43. • Aim and scope
• Guidelines for authors
• How to suggest reviewers?
• Review items (thesis).
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10. Submit your manuscript / thesis.

44. Paper
normative
Review item
Basic knowledge
and scientific
research ability
Innovation and
paper value
Topic selection
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10. Submit your manuscript / thesis (2)

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Helpful Tips and Recommendation

46. • Build your network
• Start collaboration
• Attend Webinars, Workshops, Conferences
46
Helpful Tips

47. • Build your network
• Start collaboration
• Attend Webinars, Workshops, Conferences
• A scientist social networking
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Helpful Tips

48. • Stay up-to-date
• You are not working a lone
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Helpful Tips

49. •
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Helpful Tips (Stay up-to-date)

50. •
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Helpful Tips (Stay up-to-date)

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Recommendation
How to response to reviewers?
10 simple rules for writing a response to reviewers
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5638205/

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Thanks to
SIE
Professor. 张小红，
Zhang Xiaohong

53. Q & A
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‫شكرا‬ Q & A