Post 151. Writing Journal Articles: Part 1. December 2, 2024
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Pic of the Week
Palm tree on the FIU campus.
Tip of the Week
I am writing a series of journal article writing tips based on Paul Silvia’s “Chapter 6: Writing Journal Articles,” in How To Write A Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing.
This week, I touch upon some general points.
(1) Writing is a must.
“Doing research is fun; writing about the research is not…Despite this, we must write journal articles because science communicates through its journals” (Silvia, 2007, p. 77).
If you are an academic, write your research! If you don’t, it will never go out into the world. If you are passionate about your results, then share them with others to make an impact.
(2) Write to an audience.
Do you know who your audience is? Every field has an audience and it’s usually rather specific. Knowing your audience will inform you of what you need to explain or not explain in your articles.
What is assumed knowledge? What is not?
The answers to these questions may differ depending even on journals within your field. And, if you write in a journal outside of your field, you’ll have a rather different audience and will need to understand assumed and non-assumed knowledge, too.
(3) Write clearly.
I like how Silvia (2007) puts it:
“…write your paper with a smooth, professional tone. Your goal is to sound like a normal person with something worthwhile to say—don’t be too serious or too casual” (p. 81).
Don’t use big words and jargon to just sound impressive. But also be formal and objective in your tone. In essence, be professional, be clear, and remember that…if you are passionate about your work, you WANT it to be accessible and clear for your audience.
Reference: Silvia, P. (2007). How to Write A Lot: A Practical Guide to Academic Writing. American Psychological Association.
In Closing…
Are you writing a journal article? If so, are any of these tips helpful?
I’d love to know! If you are able, please leave a comment. If not, please email me at inforealacademics@gmail.com
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