Guidelines for Writing

Scientific Papers in English

Paul T. Robinson
Department of Earth Sciences
Dalhousie University, Canada
 Preparation

• A good paper starts long before you sit

down in front of your computer to begin
writing.
 Planning the Project
• Decide on the problem to be investigated
• Choose the appropriate region
• Collect samples carefully
• Prepare samples for analysis
• Check analytical results carefully
– Precision and reporting data
– Loss on ignition and alteration
– Are the results reasonable based on available
information?
 Preparation
• For students the problem and the region
are usually selected by the Professor

• When you are planning your own projects,

first select the problem and then the
region.
 Preparation
• Collecting and preparing samples

• Extremely important step

• Must know the stratigraphic and structural

relationships of the samples collected
 Reporting data
• Precision = reproducibility. Average of
many analyses of the same sample

• Accuracy = degree to which the results are

correct – average of many analyses of a
known standard

• True precision and accuracy involves

repeated sample preparation, not just
repeated measurements.
 Reporting of Data
• X-ray fluorescence
Major oxides =1-2% error
data given at 2 decimal points e.g. 12.45
wt%. 2% of 15 wt% = 0.3

Trace elements = 5-10%

REE given at 2 decimal points 1.45 ppm
Other elements at 1 or 0 decimal points
e.g., 6.1 ppm or 36 ppm
36.3 ppm @ 5% error = 1.8 ppm so 36.3 is
meaningless
 An example
Cr 31.2 40.7 46.7 57.6 53.9 56.0 38.4
Ni 22.0 16.2 17.2 23.6 20.2 22.9 24.8
Rb 68.1 140.0 129.0 107.0 107.0 92.6 81.6
Sr 565.0 767.0 830.0 984.0 994.0 1100.0 1830.0
Y 19.6 19.1 16.9 16.7 16.4 16.8 19.8
Zr 163.0 170.0 145.0 154.0 154.0 155.0 187.0
Nb 10.1 13.4 10.7 10.4 10.5 10.4 16.6
Ba 2140 1620 1860 1970 1970 2310 2600
La 37.8 33.9 31.9 32.0 31.3 32.4 46.1
Ce 68.4 62.8 58.7 57.7 58.6 62.5 82.9
Pr 8.0 7.2 6.7 6.7 6.7 7.1 9.3
Nd 29.7 26.4 25.7 24.9 25.4 27.0 35.2
Sm 5.19 5.28 4.97 4.85 4.91 5.30 6.53
 Reporting of Data
• The same applies to age dates e.g.
189.5±6Ma = 189 Ma

Also remember that a rock with an age of 189±6Ma

means as age between 183 and 195 Ma. So, another
rock dated at 175±9 Ma is statistically the same age,
within the stated error.

Check all numerical data to make sure it is

reported within the appropriate error range.
 Evaluate the Data
Machines are ‘black boxes’. Do not simply
accept the numbers you are given.
Do the geochemical analyses total 100 wt% -
99.5-100.5 is usually considered acceptable. If
analytical totals are lower than 99 wt%,
something may be missing – e.g. H2O, SO2,
BaO, etc. Microprobe data.
Do the age dates agree with what is known for
the region?
 Evaluate the data
• SiO2 54.25 Here is what appears to be
a good analysis. Good
• TiO2 1.62 total; low LOI
• Al2O3 15.76 What is wrong with this analysis?
• Fe2O3 10.13
The Na2O/K2O ratio is > 30
• MnO 0.15
This is a spilite – an altered
• CaO 10.12 basalt in which the plagioclase is
• Na2O 7.26 replaced by albite
• K2O 0.24
• LOI 2.13 Total = 99.53 wt%
 Evaluate the data
• Use appropriate diagrams to plot your data
and think about what it means.
Harker diagrams for major and trace
elements
Chondrite-normalized diagrams for REE
Mantle-normalized spider diagrams for
trace elements
Bi-variant diagrams for elements and
ratios
Variation Diagrams

B
5

S hoshonite S eries
4

K 2O (wt%)
e
3 a l in
al k
a l c-
KC
gh
2 Hi
er i es
a li ne S
al k
C al c -
1
s
te S e rie
T h o l ei i
0
50 60 70
SiO 2 (wt%)
 Select Journal for Publication
• Each Journal is different, although Elsevier
journals mostly follow a common format.
• Read some articles in the journal that you
choose and check the style of writing and
how the references are given.
• Some journals are flexible about length
and style other are very rigid.
 Using English
• English is one of the easiest language to learn
for speaking, although pronunciation may be
difficult. The grammar is simple:

– Nouns are not case sensitive

– Most verbs are regular
– Sentence structure is very flexible

Most native English speakers are not very proficient,

so if you make a mistake, they won’t even know it!!
 Writing in English
• Writing English is much more difficult, and
most university graduates in North America
do not write well.
• Students are no longer taught basic
grammar.
• English has very few rigid rules so it is
difficult to teach people how to write.
• Whether something is right or wrong often
depends on how it sounds when you read it.
 Helpful resources
• Purdue OWL – http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
• An excellent source for English grammar and
writing guidelines.
• Get a good on-line dictionary
• Get an English dictionary for MS-Word and use
it to check spelling in your manuscript.
• The grammar checker in MS-Word can be
useful, but it can also be wrong, so don’t rely on
it.
 Writing Scientific Manuscripts

• Scientific writing should be simple and

direct, quite unlike that in novels or
essays. What is called ‘declarative’
writing, without many independent or
dependent clauses.
 Writing a clear sentence

• A sentence must have at least one noun,

one verb, and various adjectives, adverbs,
articles and prepositions. However, these
can be arranged in many different ways,
so you have a great deal of flexibility.
 Writing a clear sentence

• Rule #1. NEVER write a sentence more

than 3 lines long, and preferably no more
than 2. If you have a long sentence, look
at it carefully – it can always be rewritten
into two or more short sentences.
 An bad example
• Although the role of slab melts in mineralization is
argued (e.g. Oyarzun et al., 2001; Richards and
Kerrich, 2007; Richards, 2009), the magmatism
associated with many porphyry and epithermal copper
deposits in the world (Andes, southwest Pacific, and
China, etc.) bears adakitic signatures (e.g. Bourdon et
al., 2002b; Mungall, 2002; Gonzalez-Partida et al.,
2003; Reich et al., 2003; Hollings et al., 2005; Wang et
al., 2006a, 2006b), which indicates a genetic link
between adakitic magmatism and porphyry copper
deposits.
 Lets take out the references
• Although the role of slab melts in mineralization
is argued, the magmatism associated with
many porphyry and epithermal copper deposits
in the world (Andes, southwest Pacific, and
China, etc.) bears adakitic signatures, which
indicates a genetic link between adakitic
magmatism and porphyry copper deposits.

• Still too long and complex

 Revised sentence
• The role of slab melts in mineralization is
not well established. However, the
common association between adakitic
magmatism and many porphyry and
epithermal copper deposits (e.g., Andes,
southwest Pacific, and China) suggests a
genetic link.
Too many references can make a
sentence unreadable
 Writing sentences
• On the other hand, if you have many short
sentences, look for ways to combine them.

• Basalts are abundant in the Chinese Altai. Most

are light gray, vesicular rocks with a tholeiitc
composition.

• Light gray, vesicular basalts with a tholeiitic

composition are abundant in the Chinese Altai.
 Writing a paragraph
• A paragraph is a group of sentences related to
the same major topic – basically a paragraph
should have one major idea
• Each paragraph should start with a
Topic Sentence
This sentence identifies the major subject
of the paragraph and all following
sentences should be related in some way
 Writing a paragraph
• A good paragraph has the following
features:

• Topic sentence – one basic idea

• Unity – each paragraph has a single focus
• Coherence – all elements are related
• Adequate development – discussion of the
basic idea.
 A reasonably good paragraph
The Yidun terrane, which lies between the Qiangtang block
and Songpan-Ganzi terrane (Fig. 1), has been commonly
considered to be a Triassic volcanic arc produced by
subduction of the Ganzi-Litang oceanic lithosphere.
Numerous arc-related granitic intrusions in this terrane form
a north-south-trending belt about 500 km long (Fig. 1).
Several small, porphyritic intrusions in the southern segment
of the terrane contain important porphyry copper deposits
(Zeng et al., 1999, 2003, 2004), but large batholiths
elsewhere in the Yidan terrane are barren. The differences in
mineralization within this belt are poorly understood, however,
the existence of porphyry copper deposits in Shangri-La
suggests a link between the magmatic and tectonic history of
this region.
 A not-so-good paragraph
• After detailed field geological surveys and indoor
studies, we discovered that medium-fine grained
syenogranite, the second period, is two-mica
granite, presenting as lenses in the pluton mostly.
Its zircon U-Pb age is 1880±32Ma (unpublished
data), which represent it is the product of
Paleoproterozoic magmatizm. As the main
compositions of Jingju intrusive pluton, the
zircon U-Pb age of quartz monzonite is
233.7±1.8Ma (unpublished data) and that of
syenogranite is 214.9±2.1Ma. And the ages are
consistent with field relations.
 Revised version
• After detailed field and petrographic study,
we discovered that the so-called medium-
to fine-grained syenogranite of unit 2 is
actually a two-mica granite, with a zircon
U-Pb age of 1880±32Ma (unpublished
data). This is clearly an older unit,
unrelated to the main body of the pluton,
as represented by the quartz monzonite
(233.7±1.8Ma, unpublished data) and the
syenogranite (214.9±2.1Ma).
 The use of articles in English
• This is a problem common for most
Chinese writers – I am told that the
Chinese language doesn’t have articles,
which makes it difficult to use them in
English.

• Definite Article – the,

• Indefinite Articles – a, an
 The use of articles
• Definite Article. This is used when
referring to a specific thing or specific
feature.

Examples:
The tree next door turns red every autumn.
Trees in Canada turn red every autumn
 The use of articles
South China block is composed of Yangtze
block and Cathysian block

The South China block is composed of the

Yangtze and Cathysian blocks

Several blocks make up the North China

Craton
 The Use of Articles
• Indefinite Articles – A and An
Use ‘A’ if the following word starts with a
consonant and ‘An’ if it starts with a vowel
A rock crops out next to the road.
Can we have an egg for breakfast?
Exceptions
He made an honest error
He fell off a high cliff
He found a used boat.
She joined an uprising
 The Use of Articles
• A tree grows in my yard
• The tree in my neighbor’s yard is large
• Trees are very common in Beijing

• An oak tree grows in my yard

• I saw an owl in the tree.
• Exception
• Yesterday, I read an history of China
 The use of verbs
• Most scientific writing uses active verbs,
so you don’t have to worry much about
verb tenses.
• Make sure that the verb matches the
noun. Most people know this rule, but
they may not properly identify the noun to
which the verb refers.
 The use of verbs
• Use direct verbs whenever possible.

Based on our analyses, the age of the

rock is demonstrated to be Jurassic

Our analyses demonstrate that the rock is

Jurassic in age.

This makes the sentence clearer and

easier to read.
 The use of verbs
• Irregular verbs – these are a pain in every
language – you just have to learn them. In
English many irregular verbs have the
same form for past and for past participle.

• e.g., Find, Found, Found

• Read, Read, Read
• Lead, Led, Led
 Use of Adjectives
• Adjectives modify nouns and normally
precede them.
• In using adjectives, one must remember that
there are two types of nouns – those that are
countable and those that are not countable
• Countable nouns can be either singular or
plural, “car/cars”; tree/”trees”
• Uncountable nouns have no plural form, “air,
water, smog, food, money”
 Use of Adjectives
• Normally an adjective can be applied to either
type of noun, but there are exceptions:
Uncountable Nouns Countable Nouns
Little Few
Much Many
Some/any Some/any
Enough Enough
A lot of/lots of
 The use of Adverbs
• Adverbs normally modify verbs but can
also modify adjectives and other adverbs.
• Normally not a big problem in scientific
writing. Most adverbs end in ‘ly’
• He speaks very rapidly - adverb
• He is a rapid speaker – adjective
• Well versus Good
• She is a good player. She played well.
 The use of prepositions
• Total chaos exist in the use of prepositions

• At, on, of, over, under, above, below,

beneath, underneath, near, between,
opposite, upon, in, within, among, since,
for, by, to, from, during, about, etc.
 Use of prepositions - time
• On is used with days. I leave on Monday.
• At is used for time of day. At 6 PM, At noon
• In is used for other times.
• I am tired in the morning, This book was
published in 2010. The trees turn green in
spring
 Use of prepositions –extended time

• Since - I haven’t seen him since yesterday

• For – I am going to Beijing for two weeks
• During – I like to ski during the winter
• From – to He worked like a dog from morning
to night trying to learn English.
 Use of prepositions - place

• In the room, in the countryside

• Inside the box, inside the cave
• On the table, on the top of the mountain
• At the margin of the Yangtze block.
 Some common problems

• Repeating the same thing over and over

• Misusing some common words
• Misusing symbols and abbreviations
 Repeating Words or Phrases
• Geochemical analyses of major elements, trace elements and rare earth
elements of Jingju syenogranites are listed in Table 2. The results show that
the SiO2 contents in Jingju syenogranite, except for a lower figure of sample
SY56 (62.05%), concentrate between 69.23%~71.49%. The rocks are alkali-
rich, with contents of Na2O+K2O up to 9.09%~12.36%, which is obviously
higher than the total alkali contents of Indosinian granites (240~204Ma)
reported in South China. In the TAS (alkali-silica) classification diagram of
igneous rocks, Jingju syenogranite fall into the fields of syenite, quartz
monzonite and granite (Fig. 4). Jingju syenogranites are K-rich, with the K2O
contents (6.78%~7.94%) much higher than that of other Indosinian granites
in South China, most of which are lower than 6.42%. While a sample of
biotite granite in Fucheng, South Jiangxi, has a K2O content of 7.55% [69].
In the SiO2-K2O diagram, Jingju syenogranites fall into the range of
Shoshonitic series (Fig.5). The rock is rich in aluminum, with an Al2O3
contents between 13.20%~16.81%, A/CNK=0.88~1.10 and A/NK=1.06~1.27.
In the A/CNK-A/NK plot, Jingju syenogranites fall into the range of meta-
aluminous and peraluminous. There is an obvious negative correlation
between the contents of K2O, MgO and P2O5 vs. the content of SiO2, while
there is lack of correlation for other major elements.
 Revised paragraph

Geochemical analyses of major elements, trace elements and rare earth

elements of the Jingju syenogranites are listed in Table 2. Three of the four
analysed samples are uniform in composition with SiO2 contents between
69.23-71.49 wt%; one sample has a lower value of 62.05 wt%. All of the
rocks are alkali-rich, with Na2O+K2O ranging from 9.09-12.36 wt%, and
K2O from 6.78-7.94 wt%). They are considerably more alkaline and K-rich
than Indosinian granites in South China, most of which have K2O <6.4 wt%,
although one sample of biotite granite in South Jiangxi, has a K2O content of
7.55%. In the TAS (alkali-silica) classification diagram, the samples plot in
the fields of syenite, quartz monzonite and granite whereas in the SiO2-K2O
diagram, they plot in the shoshonitic field. All of the rocks are rich in
aluminum, with Al2O3 contents between 13.20-16.81 wt%. Their A/CNK
values range from 0.88-1.10 and A/NK values from 1.06-1.27. In the A/CNK-
A/NK diagram, the rocks plot in the meta-aluminous to peraluminous fields.
There is a clear negative correlation between K2O, MgO and P2O5 contents
and SiO2, but no obvious trends are observed for the other oxides
 Misuse of certain words
• While the rocks generally crop out high on
the mountain, some are exposed in road
cuts.
• While is a time term – e.g. while I was
waiting, I saw my friend.
• In this case, you should use ‘although’
 Misuse of words
• The rocks of the Jinin Formation crop out
in the valley, while those of the Jinbo
Formation crop out in the mountains.

• While is still the wrong word – in this case,

one should use ‘whereas’
 Misuse of words
• As the rocks of the Jinin Formation are
covered with vegetation, they are difficult
to examine.

• As is another time term – as I was

watching the movie
• Here you should use ‘Because’
 Misuse of words
• Outcrop is a noun; the outcrop is red
• Crop out is a verb; the rocks crop out
along the river

• Data is a plural noun, datum is the

singular. One should say ‘Data are
available, not is available
 Use of approximations
• The Sierra Nevada batholith has an age of
approximately (about) 100 Ma.
• The age of the Sierra Nevada batholith is
about 100 Ma; ca. 100 Ma; ~100 Ma

• The age of the Sierra Nevada batholith

ranges from 95-100 Ma (not 95~100 Ma)
 Use of abbreviations
• ca. = about or approximately
• e.g. = for example
• i.e. = that is
• ~ = approximately
 Meaning of Ma
• Ma = millions of years before the present
• Do not say the batholith is 100 Ma old
• The batholith has an age of 100 Ma
• m.y. = million years
• The batholith is 100 m.y. old
• These two rocks are separated in age by
100 m.y.
 Use of hyphens
• Again, a lot of confusion exists about hyphens
and different journals have different practices.
You can use a hyphen:
• in place of a semi-colon
• to separate two words ‘supra-subduction’
• Combine adjectives into one adjective.
– The granite has an age of 83 Ma
– The 83-Ma granite; A 2.7-km-thick layer of gabbro
 Figures and Tables
• Do not put the figures and tables in the
text. The printer will place these at the
appropriate location.
• Create a separate list of figures, label at
the bottom with the author’s name and
figure number.
• Make a list of the figure captions and place
at the end of the text, after the references.
 Figures and Tables

• Figures should be clear and easy to read.

They should not include too much text and
the text should a large enough font to be
legible when the figure is reduce.
 Figures and Tables
• All maps should have latitude and
longitude with N,S and E,W as
appropriate.
• All maps should have a north arrow and a
scale.
• All geologic maps should have a legend,
identifying the rock types.
 95 O E 100 O E 10 5 O E
Alt yn

S ongp
F aul
t

CHINA
Tibetan

a n- Ga n
Yangtze
H iI Plateau
O M aA
m Block
30 N lLaAy
Ya A
R
ed
-r
e

I nN
r iv
ut u er

dDo
os

z e f o ld
Fa

O-
Ya r l u B u

C
ng- Z an g lt

hHi
INDIA
India

nI Na
A
M

Ti old

s y s te m
A
LA

b e Sy da l ay
F

ge
S

R id
IA

Ma

t-Y s t

Su
as t

nd
li H

et y E

a
un em

t re
ka
Sadiya

nc
N in
-M

na

h
l ls

an

Gaoli gong faul t

n
e Hi
at e
Pl
r
tu ga
i a a
su Na Yangtze Block

su t u r
I nd hi
m
Kohima Dali
Ko

e
Myitkyina
NW
Kunming

lt
O
25 N ex -

u
te n

n fa
si o
n
r gi

Re
u lt
a

d
rn m

fa

R
y

iv e
Wuntho al a

rf
nd
st e

Ruili

au
Ma
C en tra l L ow lan ds

i l i-
i lls - Ar a g a n Yo ma e a

lt
Sagai ns f a ult Ru Indo-Ch ina
Fold System
rma

Mandalay n

Nuj iang su ture

Fault
na m
Bu

n
u te Tectonic suture
e t - Y ys Quaternary
b S
Ti ol d
Na ga H

volcanic field
F
80 0 80 km
20 O N

Zhou et al., Fig. 1

 Figures and Tables
• Tables should clear and easy to read. For
geochemical data the elements should be
listed vertically, not horizontally.
• Each table should have a caption above it
– not a separate list of captions as for
figures.
• All abbreviations used should be listed
below the table.
 How to write a good Abstract
• Abstracts are very important
• It is what gets people to read your
manuscript
• This is all that reviewers see before
accepting a manuscript for review
• Most scientists put very limited effort into
producing an abstract
 A good abstract
• An abstract should summarize briefly the
main findings of your work
• Usually limited to 200-300 words, so you
must be brief
• Most abstracts do not include references
(Nature is an exception)
 Never start an abstract like this
Carboniferous granodiorites and their mafic
microgranular enclaves (MME) from the
Chinese Altai, NW China

Major and trace elements, whole-rock Sr-Nd

isotopes, zircon U-Pb and Lu-Hf isotopic
compositions are determined for the host
granodoirites and their mafic microgranular
enclaves (MME) from the Tuokesalei area in the
northwestern Chinese Altai.
 A much better abstract
New textural and mineralogical constraints on the
origin of the Hongge Fe-Ti-V oxide deposit, SW
China
The Hongge magmatic Fe-Ti-V oxide deposit in
the Panxi region, SW China, is hosted in a
layered mafic-ultramafic intrusion. The 2.7-km-
thick intrusion is composed of Lower, Middle
and Upper zones. Fe-Ti oxide ore-rich layers
are mainly hosted in the Middle zone and the
lower part of the Upper zone.
 References

• Each journal has its own style of reporting

references. Check a recent copy of the
journal you select and follow the reference
format carefully.
• Fortunately, a number of journals have
now adopted a common format, which
makes things easier.

•
 References
• You must check carefully to ensure that all
the references cited in the text (including
those in tables and figure captions) are
included in the reference list and vice
versa
• You must also check each reference in the
list to make sure it is cited correctly.
Sloppy reference lists do not impress
reviewers or editors.
 Editing and revision
• It is very difficult to revise your own writing.
Much easier to spot errors in other
people’s work.
• After writing a section, set it aside for a
week. The problems are then easier to
identify and correct.
 An example
• In this paragraph is a demonstration of
good style in the writing of a report.

This sentence is grammatically correct but

is very awkward.

This paragraph demonstrates good style

in report writing
 Practice makes perfect
• The best way to learn good writing is to read
well-written papers and compare them to your
work.
• If you can get someone to revise your
manuscript, studied the revised version carefully
to see how it differs from the original.
• Also keep practicing. We are not born knowing
how to write – we must learn, and we learn by
practice and repetition.
 A final word
• In the modern age, huge amounts of data
and text are available from journals and
books, but even more are available on
line.
• Some students have become careless
about using others people’s writing and
data without acknowledging the source.
• This is plagiarism – one of the worst sins a
scientist can commit. DON’T DO IT