How to write a research paper?

[Nanotyrannus35]

First off, I'm not sure exactly where this topic should go, in either questions and answers or documents, so I hope I put it in the right place. I've recently become interested in writing papers about paleontology. I'm still a kid but I just wanted to write this, but I'm not completely sure what to do.  Does anybody have any tips for writing and publishing research papers? I'm writing about the Kem Kem Beds and the theropod teeth. I haven't got very far yet, but here it is. Thanks for any help. 

The Mysterious Theropods of the Kem Kem Beds: Analysis and Identification of Isolated Theropod Teeth from the Kem Kem Beds

                      

 

Abstract

In the Kem-Kem Beds of Morocco, there is a large array of non-avian theropod dinosaurian fauna, including Carcharodontosaurids, Spinosaurids, Abelisaurids, and possible Noasaurids. Since there has not been very much cranial and jaw material found, it is nearly impossible to attribute these teeth to a specific or even a general level. Therefore, teeth are mainly identified to a family level, and at times are called simply Tooth Morphs. This paper is going to go into detail about each of the tooth morphotypes. This will also be able to aid in field identification of these theropod teeth.

Others have done work on this subject, and I will be referencing their works throughout my paper. These others include, but are not limited to, Ritcher et. al. (2012), Frank Francino (2020), and Ibrahim et. al. (2014).

 

Systematics

Identification of Spinosaurid Teeth

Isolated spinosaurid teeth are the most common theropod teeth that are found in the Kem Kem Beds. There are two spinosaurids described from the Kem Kem Formation, Spinosaurus aegyptiacus Stromer (1915), and Sigilmassasaurus Russell (1996). As such, it is not possible to distinguish between these two animals in isolated teeth. Spinosaurid teeth are long and thin. They have ridges along the tooth, parallel to the carina. The carinae are non-serrated, but sometimes can  have beaded edges.(See figure to the left Photo courtesy of Frank Francino.) Spinosaurid teeth have circular bases, and are often larger than three inches. The photo below shows a spinosaurid tooth from my collection that has all of the distinctive features of a spinosaurid tooth.

 

 

[Fossildude19]

https://www.scribbr.com/category/research-paper/

[Nanotyrannus35]

32 minutes ago, Fossildude19 said:

https://www.scribbr.com/category/research-paper/

Thanks! That really helps. Do you think there's any way I could improve the title? I think that it sounds interesting, but it's a bit wordy.

[Kane]

Remove any adjectives from the title such as "mysterious." Unless the focus is on that, the title ought to carry a maximum amount of information using an economy of words. Often, adjectives are superfluous.

 

In terms of general advice, I tell my students that one of the best ways they can learn how to write academic papers is to read a lot of them, and then practice. Emulation is a good approach as you develop a sense for structure and style of prose. 

[SteveE]

Consider using Grammarly; explore reference manager software; and when you are ready to write get out a blank piece of paper and write a paragraph that describes your target audience and their existing level of knowledge.    If you plan to submit to professional journals write for that first group.  If you plan to self publish, or submit to lay magazines or put it out on social media then write a second paragraph describing a population audience “ One level down“ from that first bunch.    A fantastic way to cultivate professional objectivity is to edit Wikipedia but the key magic is to ignore the troublemakers and the bullies and find other editors who are willing to help you.  You can send me a private message here if you would like help with the Wikipedia world because I know a lot about it

Edited March 16, 2022 by SteveE

[JesseKoz]

This is an interesting read. I commend you on your desire to begin writing research papers, especially starting at a young age. I'm sure going through this process will be a great way to hone your skills for exploring scientific ideas. And as Kane said the act of emulation can be a fantastic learning tool.

 

I'm coming from a background in IT with an amateur interest in paleontology and someone who likes to read research papers every now and then. So, give my opinion a lot less weight than some of the more knowledgeable members.

 

I agree with the title suggestion from Kane. If you go through the titles of the articles in the link below you'll see that they all follow this idea.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/cretaceous-research/articles-in-press

 

Along with Fossildude19's link. This is a handy guide to formatting in APA, MLA and Chicago formatting, including word templates.

https://www.scribbr.com/research-paper/research-paper-format/

 

Lastly, this suggestion is something I currently don't do myself. But, after hearing it suggested by multiple people I admire from different scientific disciplines, I've been thinking about starting it. That is, buying some nice leather bound journals and writing down my ideas, diagrams, sketches and collate my knowledge on subjects with references. This might be something you already do, in which case bravo. If it isn't, this is kind of a step back from your current project, but I feel the format would give you more room for formulating your ideas in an environment better suited for exploration. A research paper needs to bring a new contribution to the topic, and this is no easy task. Formulating your ideas and asking the right questions will be key, and the journal could help with this.

 

I know it might seem old fashioned, and it sure is more convenient just having a google docs or word document, but the act of physically writing down your ideas has a certain power to it.

[DPS Ammonite]

Consider joining a local paleontological society such as the UTAH FRIENDS OF PALEONTOLOGY. They have 5 chapters; hopefully one is near you. Societies often publish papers, and articles in newsletters. Someone might be willing to mentor you.

https://utahpaleo.org

 

Good luck and have fun.

[doushantuo]

 

for what it's worth: most journals have recommendations,stilewise.

I remember an old exhortation by Tjeerd van Andel: avoid question marks in your title!!

 

 

edit:

a bit of personal opinion:

You use "analysis" in the title.

Basically,science IS analysis.

SO: you're basically telling your prospective readership :what follows is nothing new

words to use in a potentially paleobiologically significant contribution(NOT meant ironically,BTW):

multivariate

quantitative

nomenclatural confusion

state of the art

morphometrical

 

edit: strive for a clear presentation of your figures,and tell your "audience" when you've omitted something from a figure for purposes of clarity.

edit two: you quote one reference as "ritcher ,which should read "Richter"

Edited March 16, 2022 by doushantuo

[doushantuo]

AndD on a more philosophical note: do you want to be compendial or nomothetic .

are you offering fundamentally new insights and paradigms,or are you synthesizing existing knowledge into something of an encyclopedic nature? 

but i almost forgot: I love the fact that you're trying this.

Let me know when you need help

edit: just don't know how much of it i can provide

Edited March 16, 2022 by doushantuo

[FranzBernhard]

@Boesse has a blog somewhere, describing how he is writing his papers. Very educational and peppered with good humor, but I can not find it.

Franz Bernhard

[Troodon]

Great what you are doing.   

Let me add that photos in this topic are very important, they need to be large and clear and sometimes specimens in your collection are not adequate to show the features you are trying to pass along.    So don't hesitate to ask others to use what they have posted or use images from publications like Ritcher or Hendrickx and don't forget to cite the one you use, like you have.   Also, when you describe a feature don't assume your reader knows what you are referring too it needs to be highlighted in a photo.   Like the ridges you mention in your example, you should have closeup photos of what you are describing.   Your photo does not adequately show them.   Put yourself in the shoes of a reader who knows very little and is trying to understand what you are describing.   Hendricks et al. paper on "The distribution of dental features in non-avian theropod dinosaurs: Taxonomic potential, degree of homoplasy, and major evolutionary trends" is a good example to follow.

 

It's also very important to know or research the subject matter you are describing.   Let's again take the ridges in Spinosaurid teeth.    You state that they have ridges along the tooth parallel to the carina.  Well, there are three morphologies, excluding serrates, in Spinosaurid teeth:  those that have ridges on both sides, those that have them only one side and those that have none.    So don't hesitate to ask others with more experience in your research before you put it on paper.

 

Unfortunately, our understanding of the Theropod teeth from the Kem Kem Group is limited, like you mention so there is not that much published to lean on.   Check out this topic if you have not seen it on Morph of the KK group it may help you

 

Theropod Teeth Morphology - Kem Kem Basin - General Fossil Discussion - The Fossil Forum

[Nanotyrannus35]

12 hours ago, Kane said:

Remove any adjectives from the title such as "mysterious." Unless the focus is on that, the title ought to carry a maximum amount of information using an economy of words. Often, adjectives are superfluous.

 

In terms of general advice, I tell my students that one of the best ways they can learn how to write academic papers is to read a lot of them, and then practice. Emulation is a good approach as you develop a sense for structure and style of prose. 

Would "An Identification and Analysis of Isolated Theropod Teeth from The Kem Kem Beds" be a better title?

[Kane]

That does sound better. Also, from a quick read of your abstract, remember to remove personal pronouns from academic writing. That may be an antiquated (and personal) stylistic preference, of course, but often this sets up for the kind of empty "throat-clearing" statements that bloat word count and make the paper read like a speech. For example, I forbid my students from using openers such as "to begin" and "in conclusion."  

 

In your abstract, you mention referencing other scholarly works, which would be a given and so should not actually be stated as that would be apparent in the literature review or from the citations you make throughout the paper. When tempted to state what is standard and obvious, think of it in extreme and absurd terms: "This paper will use both vowels and consonants to express ideas in a hopefully coherent form known as words."

 

In your first paragraph, a quick tweak: Isolated spinosaurid teeth are the most common theropod teeth that are found in the Kem Kem Beds

 

Editing is all about hating yourself, one word at a time.  

[BirdsAreDinosaurs]

Great initiative! Also a study area that would definitely benefit from more research.

 

The first and most important thing you need when you want to write a research paper is something (an insight, a new method or an overview or...) that moves the subject forward. So ask yourself what your work will add to existing literature. Also, your methods need to be very sound. When you analyze teeth, I am quite sure certain qualitative and quantitative measurements and analyses simply cannot be omitted. Make sure you know what these measurements and analyses are and do them on the best specimens you can get your hands on. Perhaps ask other people if you can work with teeth from their collection. You also need to be very sure where teeth were collected, which could be problematic in case you did not collect the teeth yourself (which is likely).

Of course you need to know the topic very well. Read as much about it as you can, study many teeth yourself and ask for advice, or better even perhaps, ask others to collaborate on the paper.

About your writing: make sure you don't state the obvious, like referencing existing literature. I would personally not worry too much about the exact title of the paper at this point, as long as you have a clear vision of what you want to write about.

Be patient, don't set your goals too high and enjoy the learning process!

Edited March 16, 2022 by BirdsAreDinosaurs

[Nanotyrannus35]

3 minutes ago, BirdsAreDinosaurs said:

Also, your methods need to be very sound. When you analyze teeth, I am quite sure certain qualitative and quantitative measurements and analyses simply cannot be omitted. Make sure you know what these measurements and analyses are and do them on the best specimens you can get your hands on

I had been thinking of getting serration density measurements of many samples of carcharodontosaurid, abelisaurid, and theropod indet. teeth, and making scatter plots to find out the average serration density of each tooth type.

[doushantuo]

"Systematics of isolated theropodan(Dinosauria) dental material from North Africa"

some of you may like(*):

 

PLEASE TAKE NOTE: THE PAPER POSTED BELOW IS AN extremely important paper,and readable

Aa i have hinted at before: anyone working with isolated theropod teeth should read this,if necessary under threats to life and limb

 

by yours truly

edit: Modern Geology is ,for many years now,a defunct publication,this is RARE!!!

 

 

ntiteblermodegeoltal1991.pdf

Edited March 16, 2022 by doushantuo

[Nanotyrannus35]

1 minute ago, doushantuo said:

"Systematics of isolated theropodan(Dinosauria) dental material from North Africa"

Thanks! That one is a good one! Would it be theropodian though?

[jpc]

There is a lot of good info here.  I will add a few thoughts... (fessing up that I did not read all the other posts and links, so some may be repetitive).  If your title says 'Analysis', you will need to analyze a bunch of teeth.  Ideally you will get to compare a pile of isolated teeth to teeth in a verified specimen of the named theropod.  That could be tough since you would have to travel, but the next best is to compare your sample with published papers.  You will also develop a great big pile of papers you have read, such as the Farlow et al paper mentioned above.  Keep track of where you are finding info in that leather bound notebook someone else suggested.  ( A typical yellow geology field notebook will also do, as will a black and white classic composition notebook).  Such as "Farlow et al quantify ways to measure teeth."  I have done a few papers and I remember early on thinking "I will remember that thing A was said by authors B and C in paper D on page E".  Alas, I wasted tons of of time re-finding Thing A in papers  D, F, G , H  etc.  Don't know how you feel about it, but you will need to do some math to do this particular paleo problem.  (Notice the graphs in the Farrlow et al paper).  If you have any dreams of being published, the specimens you use will  have to be reposited in a verified repository; terms like "from my collection" will not fly.  Preferably something like 'Tate v9598', which tells the reader exactly where to find the specimens you measured so that the study can be reproduced in the future.    

[doushantuo]

I'd also incorporate data from Spain, Portugal, France in your taxonomy, btw.

And, given Cretaceous paleogeography, South America.

My views on how to approach a subject are slightly idiosyncratic

SO: if one wants to be thorough,read:

or:

 

 

 

Edited March 16, 2022 by doushantuo

[doushantuo]

for photographs;do not forget to mention the angle of incident lighting

as regards morphological descriptors :

use terms like:

dextral,sinistral

ventrad,ventral

dorsal ,dorsad

use unambigous shape and quantity descriptors 

as regards geometrical parameters:

remember you're dealing with objects which exhibit curvature,which means(if one wants to be finicky) linear parameters

do not apply

 

as regards possible innovative approaches:

mention tribological(*) analyses of teeth

(the analysis of attritional/wear patterns)

 

 

Edited March 16, 2022 by doushantuo

[BirdsAreDinosaurs]

1 hour ago, Nanotyrannus35 said:

I had been thinking of getting serration density measurements of many samples of carcharodontosaurid, abelisaurid, and theropod indet. teeth, and making scatter plots to find out the average serration density of each tooth type.

That sounds like a good start. In the papers you mention you find many more useful measurements, as you without a doubt already know. Think well about what (not) to include and keep in mind that reviewers might (or more probably, will) ask you why you did not include this or that measurement.

[Nanotyrannus35]

7 hours ago, doushantuo said:

are you offering fundamentally new insights and paradigms,or are you synthesizing existing knowledge into something of an encyclopedic nature? 

I think mainly the encyclopedia thing, but I am going to find serration densities of multiple types of teeth.

[doushantuo]

A word of advice, use histograms (when possible) for lucidity of presentation.

[SteveE]

14 hours ago, JesseKoz said:

That is, buying some nice leather bound journals and writing down my ideas.....

 

I have no idea about your life situation, of course, but this is of potential interest to young single nerds cultivating "The Look", kinda like doctors who never use their stethoscope still put it around their neck......  especially useful when entering venues with other single nerds!

[doushantuo]

Not all nerds are single.

Some are double, or manifold.