Scientific articles: All you need to know
- What is a scientific article?
- Who needs research papers and why?
- 5 most common types of scientific articles
- What is the difference between a research paper and a review paper?
- Are 'a journal article' and 'a research article' the same?
- What is the structure of a journal scientific article?
- What to do with figures and tables?
- Tips for writing scientific journal articles
- Where can I find scientific journal articles for free?
- How to find published articles indexed in Scopus and Web of Science?
- Final thoughts
What is a scientific article?
A scientific article, also known as a scientific or research paper, is a form of academic writing that seeks to be objective in identifying and solving scientific questions and problems or adding new knowledge. The important thing to bear in mind is that the manuscript should be original and unique. Besides, there are some criteria that a scientific article has to satisfy. Let’s take a quick look at each of them before delving into each point:
- be peer-reviewed
- be repeatable
- contain complete information
- be published in a reputable journal
A research work must contain all these elements to be qualified as a scientific paper. It’s not enough for a paper to be published. Conference reports, abstracts, white papers, and other forms of gray literature are often published but that does not make them scientific articles.
Let’s take an in-depth look at each of the criteria that constitute a research paper.
- be peer-reviewed
The credibility and validity of scientific articles have to be verified anonymously through the peer-review process. This involves randomly chosen, but qualified researchers or academics in the same field of expertise that your paper is going to be published in. Their experience is necessary to ensure that your literature knowledge and your skills in the applied methodology are good enough to support valid outcomes in your research.
- be repeatable
Researchers need to spend a significant amount of time and effort ensuring that the methodology applied in their experiment is credible and can easily be repeated by anyone who wishes to test or verify the process. If your process cannot be repeated to get the same outcomes, then your research is not valid.
- contain complete information
Complete information in scientific articles is important. Presenting an original research or new knowledge is a matter of integrity. It should include sufficient information to be tested and evaluated. This means, for example, asking the following questions:
- Is the literature review deep enough to justify the basis of the experiment?
- Are the methods rigorous enough to justify outcomes?
- Is the logic behind the interpretation of results valid?
Without complete information, your scientific report will lack credibility.
- be published in a reputable journal
The final step of a scientific paper is publication. Unless it has been published in a reputable and peer-reviewed scientific journal, it cannot be described as a research article.
Who needs research papers and why?
Scientific articles are important to people for many reasons. First and foremost, scientific research is a public good. If properly done, it represents the production of new knowledge. It may have significant benefits for modern industry and the general public in terms of both health and technological advancement.
As a matter of fact, the number of research papers published by a country is often used as a proxy for scientific advancement or progress. The chart below shows the number of studies published by the top 10 most prolific countries:
- Scientists wishing to make breakthroughs. Science at its best is about the creation of new knowledge that leads to advances in science, health, and modern technology. For these scientific breakthroughs to happen, there needs to be constant communication and sometimes competition among researchers. Scientific articles help them build on each other’s work to create new knowledge and innovations.
- PhD students. A PhD thesis often involves the publication of several scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals. PhD students can only graduate and earn their degree after publishing the required number of research papers.
- Professors who are to get promoted. Many universities only allow professors to rise through the ranks after they have published excellent research in prestigious peer-reviewed journals. Although this process is often abused, it is seen as a way of allowing the most competent researchers to gain prestige and influence in higher education institutions.
- Researchers looking for funding. Scientific research may require funding and the competition is tough. Organizations that provide this funding often come up with rigid criteria to justify giving funding and to narrow the pool of researchers who apply for it. The more papers you have published in top-tier journals, the more likely you are to receive funding.
5 most common types of scientific articles
Scientific articles come in a variety of formats. Here, we will touch upon the most popular and typically published ones. We recommend you to refer to the journal website for the classification and description of each article type in order to avoid any mistakes.
- Original research article can be also referred to as original articles / research articles / research / articles. This depends on the journal policy. These articles are the primary sources of discoveries and innovations. They have the classic IMRaD structure: introduction, methods, results, and discussion.
- introduction includes the background and scope of the problem;
- methods describe the methodology and materials involved in collecting data and conducting the experiment;
- results include the main outcomes;
- discussion demonstrates the importance of your findings.
Further we will guide you on the structure and content of this article type as the most demanded and associated with the phrase “a scientific article”.
- Review article is a survey paper that reviews the latest and most relevant literature on a specific topic. They usually provide an analysis and comparison of the existing knowledge, identify gaps or problems and then provide recommendations for future research. It should be noted that in general review articles do not present any new data but interpret the primary sources of novel ideas. There several sub-types of review articles and some of them are presented below:
- Critical review (critical evaluation of the article quality and contribution made to the field)
- Literature review (comprehensive examination of the current literature and analysis in chronological, thematic or conceptual framework)
- Meta-analysis review (statistically combined results and their comparison to improve the precision of an effect estimate)
- Case study relies on a case analysis. This type of study examines a place, event, phenomenon, or other subject to highlight key points. They do not include medical cases unless specified by a journal.
- Case reports are typically published by medical journals. They usually describe an unusual and new patient case (preferably single but some journals may accept a comparison of several cases).
- Commentaries and letters to editors usually provide brief comments on topical public issues or respond (comment on) to articles recently published in the journal.
What is the difference between a research paper and a review paper?
As you may have already guessed, a research paper and a review paper are not the same. Let us have a look at their crucial differences.
Please keep in mind that not all journals publish review articles. It is always clearly stated on the website. You may also happen to meet journals which only publish review manuscripts and other types are not included in their policy.
Are ‘a journal article’ and ‘a research article’ the same?
There is some confusion about what is meant by a journal article and a research article. A journal article often refers to any article published by a journal. It is a general term for a wide range of scientific papers. As for a research article, people often use this term in the same meaning as a journal article and make no differences despite the fact that it is usually considered as one of the article types, namely, original research article.
As a rule, if it is not required to make a specific difference between the types of academic papers, you may use either ‘journal’ or ‘research’ article; it will not be a mistake and everyone will understand you.
What is the structure of a journal scientific article?
A journal scientific article typically follows the IMRaD format. This widely spread structure stands for Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion. Researchers use IMRaD because it is easy to follow and read as well as youк study becomes more organized and convincing.
The style of journal papers is usually formal and governed by strict formatting standards. In fact, the format may vary depending on a journal that is why it is highly recommended to use journal guidelines in order to comply with the requirements.
Additional sections from journals include an abstract, keywords, literature review, conclusions, acknowledgements, ethical statements, and references.
Title – It includes a brief and concise title of the article, then authors’ details can be indicated.
Abstract – A complete and clear overview of your research between 250-300 words. It should include the background, aims, materials and methods, results and conclusion of your study.
Keywords – A specific word (phrases) related to your research which will make it easier and faster to find it. They are essential for correct indexing.
Introduction – This explains why you performed the research in the context of the available knowledge and what you aim to achieve.
Methods – This section gives details of how you conducted your experiments. It also gives a justification for the chosen methods.
Results – This section summarizes the main findings. It can include tables and figures. Avoid discussing the results here if discussion section is a separate heading in your paper.
Discussion – Here you explain your results in comparison to the existing literature without repeating the results section.
Conclusion – Inform the reader how your outcomes advance and contribute to the field and what future research directions it has
References – The list of sources that need to be acknowledged.
Authors often find it easier to write the sections in a different order to develop their thoughts and ideas gradually.
- Literature review (maybe included in the introduction if allowed by a journal): literature background is highly important for finding gaps to cover and show your profound knowledge and expertise
- Introduction: Now in the context of the literature, you can write your introduction to lead in your reader to the study
- Methods: Cleary identify your materials and methods to reproduce your experiments.
- Results: Here you only indicate your findings. Do not discuss them in this section.
- Discussion: This section requires analysis, thought, and a thorough understanding of the literature in comparison to your results without repeating the results section.
- Conclusion: This section can be optional as the content can be included in the discussion section. You should inform the reader how your outcomes advance and contribute to the field and what future research directions it has.
- Abstract: This is an overview of your paper; therefore, the content of each section should be summarized in 1-2 sentences. It can be structured or unstructured, typically of no more than 250-300 words.
- Title: It needs to be concise as well as informative (12-15 words).
- Keywords: they are essential for correct indexing. Use specific word (phrases) related to your research which will make it easier and faster to find it. You may refer to the published articles in your area for ideas.
- Acknowledgements: This section is to thank anyone involved in the research (advice, mentoring, equipment sharing, sometimes funding).
- References: Check the authors’ guidelines for the formatting style.
What to do with figures and tables?
Any scientific article contains plenty amount of data which can be and should be visualized. Authors should always think about how to do it in an appealing way. In fact, your visual data should not repeat the text. They usually contain new information which then is described and interpreted.
Tables
Tables have several elements, including the legend, column titles, and body. It is important to structure tables so that readers can easily understand them. Tables that are disorganized and confusing will make the reader lose interest in your work.
Here are some tips:
- The title should be brief (1-2 lines).
- If you have any notes, indicate them below the table.
- Do not place a picture of a table; it should always be editable.
- Use the spreadsheets of Microsoft Office Word, Excel or other professional programs (if required).
- If your table is large (more than 2 pages), add it as a supplementary material or appendix.
- Placement of tables can vary depending on the journal styles (within the text, on separate pages after the whole text, uploaded as separate files to the system).
- Do not forget to mention your tables in the text.
- Indicate the source of the table (your compilation or cite the reference).
- Please always refer to the authors’ guidelines which contain information regarding any artwork.
Figures
As known, figures can be presented in many forms: various charts, pictures, photos, maps, etc. The use of any infographics always engages the reader and creates a good impression. If you want to make a qualitative artwork, follow these tips:
- Make your artwork editable (if possible).
- Use high resolution figures.
- Place a brief caption (1-2 lines) under the figure.
- Indicate the source of the figure (your compilation or cite the reference).
- If editable format cannot be presented in the text, attach it as a supplementary material or appendix.
- Create figures in the same style; it is always much more appealing.
- Do not forget to cite your figures in the text.
- Placement of figures can vary depending on the journal styles (within the text, on separate pages after the whole text, uploaded as separate files to the system).
- Please always refer to the authors’ guidelines which contain information regarding any artwork.
A visual content in journal articles is essential for the its readability. These elements should be considered as part of good research writing especially when the data is too complex or massive.
Tips for writing scientific journal articles
Here are a few tips to consider when writing a research paper:
- Brainstorm the ideas you have
- Try to choose a topic that interests you. Aan article is easier to write when you are interested in the topic.
- Remember all grammar rules. This makes the editing process easier.
- Consider writing for readers with less background than your target audience. This should help improve your clarity.
- Make sure you keep bibliographic information on all your research notes so you can be sure your referencing is accurate.
- When you’ve finished writing, read it through and ask your peer for advice.
- Use reputable resources for an accurate information.
- Make sure to use relevant and latest literature.
- Use correct academic language. If necessary, ask for a professional proofreading and editing.
How to be published in top-tier journals by avoiding these 3 brutal mistakes:
- Monotonous Sentence Structure
Avoid use of repetitive patterns. Mix them up to make your writing diverse and interesting to read: simple and complex structures with subordinate clauses of different types; word phrases for cohesion; parenthesis.
- Unnecessarily Complex Language
Complex structures and words do not actually show your high language level. On the contrary, it makes your text bulky which does not appeal to be read. Focus on clarity but not complexity and avoid confusion.
- ‘Water’ content
Make your text clearly structured, emphasize the parts that deserve the readers’ attention, remove all unnecessary information which does not refer to your topic.
Where can I find scientific journal articles for free?
First of all, the reasons for searching free (open-access) scientific articles can be different:
- Need for a free sample to see the formatting. Some journals can have no templates or they may be a little bit ambiguous. Therefore, you have to refer to the published articles to see how the manuscript should look like.
- Wish to overview the existing knowledge and make a strong literature review or introduction.
These reasons justify the choice of the source which contains articles available for everyone.
When you need to get the template for your manuscript, you can do the following:
- Look for an open-access article which is published.
- Find a free sample on the website (this page is often labelled as a ‘free sample’)
- Contact the journal editorial team for clarifications
- Make formatting according to the required guidelines and correct if requested by the journal
When you are gathering the reference list to use, for example, in the research background section, and therefore, you need to get acquainted with the content of the article, we recommend the following:
- Some journals have two options for publishing and you can choose whether to make an article available for everyone (fee-based) or publish it under subscription. If the journal does not have this very article for free, a) contact your scientific department and request institutional details for the subscription access (if available); b) contact the author of the research paper and ask for a permission to get their article.
- Use special databases or repositories that provide a full access to the published papers.
There are many bibliographic storages available for any researcher. They contain freely accessible scientific journal articles which you can easily reach out. The most popular and actively used repositories include:
- CORE (COnnecting REpositories) provides a comprehensive bibliographic database of the world’s scholarly literature, collecting and indexing research from repositories and journals. It is, to our knowledge, also the world’s largest collection of full text open access research papers. CORE currently contains 240 million open access articles collected data providers around the world.
- ScienceOpen contains more than 94 million article records which you can easily filter and find what you need. Although you do need to register to view the full text of the articles, registration is free.
- DOAJ is a unique and extensive index of diverse open access journals from around the world, driven by a growing community, committed to ensuring quality content is freely available online for everyone.
- PubMed Central (PMC) is a free full-text archive of biomedical and life sciences journal literature at the U.S. National Institutes of Health’s National Library of Medicine. Ten million articles are archived in PMC.
- arXiv is a free distribution service and an open-access archive for nearly 2.4 million scholarly articles in the fields of physics, mathematics, computer science, quantitative biology, quantitative finance, statistics, electrical engineering and systems science, and economics.
- ResearchGate is a professional network for researchers which help them connect and make it easy to share and access scientific output, knowledge, and expertise. This network give you access to over 160 million publications and opportunity to connect with 25 million researchers.
How to find published articles indexed in Scopus and Web of Science?
When your article is published in top-tier journals covered in Scopus and Web of Science, these databases start the process of indexation.
If you wish to know exactly that your manuscript is successfully indexed in Scopus and Web of Science, we have prepared a short guide on how to do it even if you do not have a full access.
Scopus
- Go to the Scopus Preview page via the link: https://www.scopus.com/sources.uri
- Tap the Author Search
- Type you last and first name in English (you may optionally add your affiliation or find your record with the ORCID)
- Press the Search button.
- Then you will see the list of authors who may have the same details. Find yourself and press the line.
- This page will show various information about your publication activity. Look through the recently published article to see if your manuscript is currently indexed.
Web of Science
- Go to the Web of Science page via the link:
https://www.webofscience.com/wos/author/search
- If you have a full access, you see several variants on how find the indexed title. If not, you can use only author search.
- Tap the option that suits you most.
Sometimes it happens that you cannot find your article by typing you last and first name. In this case you can use other options (documents or cited references) to find your article either entering its title or one of the references you cited.
- If you use the author search, you see the list of all researchers. Find yourself and click.
- Look through the list of published articles and see if your recent article is already indexed.
These indexes are repositories of the most important and up-to-date research published on a wide variety of topics. Knowing how to use them efficiently is important for your research career.
Final thoughts
Scientific breakthroughs can only be achieved by building on a steady stream of rigorous study that is published and that can easily be accessed by other researchers. Therefore, you should focus on being up-to-date. This means knowing how to create a strong scientific structure worthy of top-tier journals, navigate Scopus and Web of Science, present information in the most appealing way, avoid typical mistakes and get inspired by the works of your peers.
Any type of journal articles provides the audience with invaluable insights and contribution to all areas of human activity. New findings, analyses and discussions foster and advance science and professional communication skills which unite the academic community.
Frequently Asked Questions
1 – What charges should I pay?
The cost varies significantly. The journal can have APC (article processing charges), submission fees or other additional fees which are usually presented on the website. Some journals do not require to pay any charges as they are totally free and open access. Other journals have several options for publishing your study (open access, subscription, etc.). Refer to the guidelines to know whether you have to pay any fee.
2 – What is the length of a scientific paper?
The length of a journal paper depends on its type, research area and journal policy. Typically, the original research article should be about 5 000 – 7 000 words; reviews are of 6 000 – 10 000 words; case studies and reports can be between 500 – 1 500 words.
3 – How to submit an article?
Most journals have special submission systems where you register an account and upload the necessary files. If there is no submission portal, an email for submission should be given on the website. If you have any difficulties, you may use our article submission service.
4 – What will happen to my article after submission?
Firstly, your article is under an initial editorial screening which means that the editor or a member of an editorial board ensures the compliance of your article with the aims and scopes, formatting requirements, ethical guidelines and language quality. Then the selection of peer reviewers takes place. When they are secured, your study is scrutinized by the experts in your research area. When the evaluation process is over, the editor with the reference to the reviewers’ report makes a decision regarding your scientific article. If the decision is to reject, you may look for another journal for submission. If you received the reviewers’ comments, make all necessary revisions and send for another round of evaluation. Then get a final decision and for the final proof if the article is accepted.
5 – What types of a peer review exist?
Single-blind review: reviewers know the authors’ identity; authors do not know reviewers;
Double-blind review: reviewers and authors are unaware of each other’s identity;
Open peer review: reviewers and authors are informed of each other’s identity.
6 – How long does the reviewing process take?
The reviewing process can take up to 6-12 months for providing rigorous and qualitative evaluation of the research. Several journals have a fast review option for an additional fee. For further details, please contact the selected journal.
7 – May I submit an article not in English?
If a journal is multilingual, of course you may but see which languages are accepted. However, most journals publish articles only in English.
8 – Should tables and figures be editable?
Tables should always be editable. As for the figures, make them editable if possible.
9 – How many tables and figures may I include?
If there are no specific requirements on the journal website, try to include no more than 15 materials so as not to make your article visually voluminous.
10 – May I submit my article to different journals at the same time?
No, it is always discouraged by journals and considered to be unethical. Some journals may even ban you for several years from submitting your articles.