Writing a Scientific Research Article

Writing a Scientific Research

Article

Language

•

_{Academic language}

•

_{A poorly written article with}

grammatical errors may not be

accepted

•

_{The entire manuscript should flow}

naturally between sentences,

paragraphs, and sections.

Abstract

• _{100 – 200 words (look up the guidelines)}

– _{4 – 5 sentences}

• _{Key words}

• ₁st sentence - Background, general question

• ₂nd sentence – Research Question/Hypothesis

• ₃rd sentence – Model and data

• ₄th sentence – Results

– _{Find the general story of the results}

• ₅th sentence –

Conclusion/Implications/Recommendations

Introduction/Background

• _{First 2 pages}

– _{Global Statement: There is an important issue}

addressed

– _{Specific Statement: Frame the issue} • _{Significance (Contribution)}

– _{Why is the topic important and interesting?}

• _{What do you how to achieve}

• _{Short summary of existing literature}

• _{Some mentioning of methods and maybe}

Literature review

•

_{Find a way to synthesize prior}

knowledge

–

_{Turn it into a story to support/inform}

your own research

–

_{Comprehensive yet targeted to your}

study

•

_{Contribution of your study}

Objectives

•

_Objectives

–

_{What do you want to accomplish with}

this study?

–

_{Be specific and refined to narrow the}

emphasis

•

_{Hypotheses to test}

Theoretical Model/Considerations

• _{Theoretical framework (descriptive theory)}

– _Examples:

• Principal-Agent theory

• Asymmetric information

• Utility/Risk Return

• Risk Aversion

• _{Formulation of the model}

– _{Constrained maximization} – _{Minimum problem}

• _Developments

– _{First Order Conditions}

Empirical Model

•

_{Operationalize the theoretical model by}

choosing specification, functional form,

variable measures, etc.

•

_{Specify the empirical model}

•

_{Define variables for your study}

– _{Justify their appropriateness}

• _{Theoretically or}

• _{Based on previous literature}

– _{Provide expected relationship for each}

Data

•

_{Description of data}

–

_{Type and source of data}

• _Secondary • _Primary

–

_{Description of the sample}

–

_{Description of the variables}

Method Types

•

_Econometric

•

_Simulation

Methods

• Identify the statistical model(s) used and explain it sufficiently

– Linkage with the statistical model

– Linkage with previous uses in the literature

• Indicate tests that need to be performed to get to the final statistical model

• Specify all the steps taken in the modeling process

Results

• _{Restate the problem and model}

• _{Report results from testing of assumptions (if}

any)

• _{Provide main story}

– _{Significance and key relationship from hypothesis test} – _{Significance and relationship of other variables}

(demographics…)

• _{Compare and contrast}

– _{With previous literature, Previous expectations,}

Theory

Results (cont)

•

_{Explain in words what was discovered in}

the research.

•

_{Clear, thorough, and in a logical sequence.}

•

_{Tell everything you know about the}

results; don’t just report the coefficient

estimates and their significance.

Conclusion/Policy Implications

• _{Same structure as the abstract but with more}

emphasis on the results (longer than the abstract)

• _{Provide specific recommendations based on the}

finding for the study

– _{For whom is it useful?}

• _{Provide Implications for policy, businesses, consumers,}

etc. that are linked to the results.

– _{How do they vary from previous research?}

• _{Do the findings support or contradict previous}

research? Theories?

References

•

_{100% correspondence between text}

and reference list

•

_{Give proper credit to those before you}

•

_{Plagiarism and copying are strictly}

forbidden

•

_{Give proper credit to those before you.}

•

_{Reference style will be specified by the}