How to write a research paper - Part 3

Results and Discussion

Generally results and discussion are written together in a research paper. Before start writing the results and discussion section prepare all the figure, tables, and charts associated with your research work. Here you have to mention about the output of your research work in detail with proper explanation. If your research work is theoretical then present it accordingly. During presenting your research output you must compare this with previous research publications. If you got similar type of output as already published that also have to be mentioned. Comparison of research outputs with existing literature is a good way of presenting your work. There may be subsection under results and discussion as I have shown in Figure 9.

If results and discussion section contains any figures, tables or equations that must be presented in appropriate format of the journal. How to present figure, table and equation in your article that I have shown in Figure 10, 11 and 12 respectively for a particular journal (here the journal name is Fuel) format. Each figure and table must contain captions with appropriate number. Similarly equations should also contain equation number. Depending on the order the figure number, table number, equation number or chart number are decided. Each figure, table, chart or equation must be referred within in the text in appropriate place.

Figure 9. A sample of a research paper showing results and discussion with its subsection.

 

Figure 10. A sample of a research paper showing figure, figure caption and figure number.

Figure 11. A sample of a research paper showing table, table caption and table number.

Figure 12. A sample of a research paper showing equation and equation number.

Conclusions

It is a summary of your research output that you have already presented in materials & methods and results & discussion section. Main points of the research output must be included in the conclusions. Conclusions help the readers to focus on the most importance point on your research paper. Mention the significance of your research findings. Conclusions should also contain about the specific application of your research output. Lastly you can share your thought on your research output and indicate if there is any further research scope in this area.

Figure 13. A sample of a research paper showing conclusions.

Acknowledgments

Here authors must acknowledge the funding agency who gave grant or fellowship in implementing their project. Authors can also acknowledge individual people who have helped in implementing the project to some extent but not justify authorship. Acknowledgements should not contain section number.

 

Figure 14. A sample of a research paper showing acknowledgments in the paper.

References

    In this part of an article the references that have been cited in the text are listed. How many references should be cited that is not fixed, however 20 – 50 references are sufficient for a research paper. References should not contain section number. References may be placed alphabetical order by the surname of the first author followed by the initials of the author’s given name or it may be placed in the order as it is cited in the text. Figure 15 shown here representing references of an article which are placed according to the order as it is cited in the text. Figure 16 shown here presenting references of an article that are placed alphabetical order by the surname of the first author. Format of references is different for different journals. In Figure 17 I have shown three different formats of references from three different journals.

Figure 15. A sample of a research paper showing references.

 

Figure 16. A sample of a research paper showing references.

Figure 17. Samples of three different research paper from three different journals showing the different format of references.

Supplementary information

If your research paper contains some additional data apart from what you have presented in your article in that case you can include it in the supplementary information. Supplementary information is also called as supporting information. If there is supplementary information with your main article then it must be referred in the text of your main article where ever it is required. Figure 18 is showing a sample of supplementary information of a research paper. Supplementary information generally includes details of the experiments, graphs, charts, etc. In general there is guideline of journals to prepare the supplementary information. Similar to the main manuscript the supporting information also contain title page. That means it contains title of the article, authors name, affiliations of the authors and information about the corresponding author, etc.

Figure 18. A sample of a research paper showing supplementary information of the paper.

The snapshots are taken from the following articles

1. De A, Boxi SS.Application of Cu impregnated TiO₂ as aeterogeneousnanocatalyst for the           production of biodiesel from palm oil. Fuel 2020; 265: 117019 (6pp).

2. Baskan MB, Pala A. A statistical experiment design approach for arsenic removal by coagulation process using aluminum sulfate. Desalination 2010; 254: 42 –48.

3.  Boxi SS, Paria S. Visible light induced enhanced photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants in aqueous media using Ag doped hollow TiO₂ nanospheres. RSC Adv 2015; 5: 37657-37668.

4. Boxi SS, Mukherjee K, Paria S. Ag doped hollow TiO₂ nanoparticles as an effective green fungicide against Fusariumsolani and Venturiainaequalis phytopathogens. Nanotechnol 2016; 27: 085103 (13pp).

5. Tsai C-Y, Hsi H-C, Kuo T-H, Chang Y-M, Liou J-H. Preparation of Cu-Doped TiO₂ Photocatalyst with Thermal Plasma Torch for Low-Concentration Mercury Removal. Aerosol Air Quality Res 2013; 13: 639–648.

6. Wang Q, Jiang Z, Wang Y, Chen D, Yang D.Photocatalytic properties of porous C-doped TiO₂ and Ag/C-doped TiO₂nanomaterials by eggshell membrane templating. J Nanopart Res 2009; 11:375–384.

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