How to write a scientific paper

Abstract

Scientific writing has its well-established structure and it is accepted by the academic community. Proper compliance with these implicit rules makes it easier to publish and interpret the research results. The adequate structure of a scientific paper ranges from the proper choice of title to the correct selection of references. The proper writing of the abstract allows to capture the attention of the reader, so it must be carefully written. The introduction should put into context the body of knowledge about the research being reported and argue the need for it. Methods should describe all research processes to allow replication of what has been done in any setting. Results should be presented objectively, limiting to highlight important findings. Discussion allows contrast of the new findings with what was previously known and how these results can be incorporated into the body of knowledge. All these aspects are discussed following the IMRD format (Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion) and will allow the reader to become familiar with the method of writing a scientific article.