1. How to Write a Technical Paper?
A lecture delivered to the students and faculty of the
School of Instrumentation Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, China, 2006
Dr. Jamshaid Ali

2. Important Parts References Title and attribution Abstract and keywords
Conclusions
Introduction
Results &
Discussion
Method or experiment

3. The Design
Well-written papers are read, remembered, cited. Poorly written papers are not
To write well, you need a design. Like any design activity, there are a number of steps
Select a journal/magazine
Edit the paper carefully
Make a master plan
Write first draft
Input all details
Paper/Report for publication
To judge originality, quality, suitability
Final paper
Reviewers
Scientifically/Technically Literate

4. Make a Plan The first draft: Good writing starts with a plan
Get the facts down on paper without worrying about style
Develop the calculations
Assemble references
Make drafts of each section
Sketch the figures
In details: comes the style, clarity, balance, readability
Final paper: appearance is important: good layout, clear headings, well-designed figures

5. Title-Attribution-Abstract-Key Words
Always select title that is meaningful and brief
Title:
The names of the authors, the Institute or organization with full address
Attribution:
Try for one sentence each on motive, method, key results, conclusions but don’t exceed 3 sentences on any one
The Abstract:
Don’t exceed 200 words
Key Words:
Most of the International journals demand suitable key words

6. Writing an Abstract
Write your summary after the rest of the paper is completed.
Economy of words is important in abstract.
Use complete sentences and do not sacrifice readability for brevity. Summarize the study
Purpose of the study: Theory, overall question, objective
Model or system and brief description of the experiment
Results including specific data: if the results are quantitative in nature, report quantitative data; results of any statistical analysis should be reported
Important conclusions or questions that follow from the experiment

7. Style of an Abstract Single paragraph, and concise
As a summary of work done, it is always written in past tense
An abstract should stand on its own, and not refer to any
other part of the paper such as a figure or table
Focus on summarizing results
What you report in an abstract must be consistent with what you reported in the paper
Correct spelling, clarity of sentences and phrases, and proper reporting of quantities

8. Purpose Method Results Conclusions Abstract - Example
To validate and corroborate a designed celestial navigation system (CNS), spacecraft’s actual flight will involve a lot of efforts as well as a heavy financial budget. At design stage, for debugging the star sensors and validating the algorithms for star identification, it is not viable to take real-time star images by putting an actual spaceflight at risk. In order to test the capability of new identification algorithms and to develop star sensor and star tracker, a new type of high precision hybrid simulation setup is presented in this paper. It uses low-cost devices with significant performance thus reducing the cost and improving the efficiency of the CNS development. This hybrid simulation setup is effective in testing of CNS at design and development stage especially to endow with actual data error characteristic for the trial of integrated navigation algorithms. The configuration of the hybrid simulation system is introduced along with functions and features of its different modules. The salient features of this system are its practicability and flexibility. To carryout real-time simulation using the proposed system, the actual star sensor data with its error characteristic can be obtained. Algorithms for star map identification and attitude determination can also be effectively tested and validated. The analysis and simulation results demonstrate that this system is of considerable importance with an optimal performance.
Purpose
Method
Results
Conclusions

9. Writing an Introduction
What is the problem and why is it interesting?
Who are the main contributors and what did they do?
What novel thing will you reveal?
Outline the problem and why it was worth tackling.
Review the literature, recording briefly the main contributors and summarizing the status of the field when you started the research.
Provide any specialized information that the reader might need if he is to understand what follows.
State what you will do that has not been done before (new experimental approach? new data? new model? new interpretation?) Keep it as brief as you can.
Always start with a good sentence or a paragraph

10. Writing an Introduction
Your introductions should not exceed two pages (double spaced, typed).
The purpose of an introduction is to tell the reader with the basis behind the work, with the intention of defending it. It places your work in a theoretical context, and enables the reader to understand and appreciate your objectives.
Describe the importance of the study: why was this worth doing in the first place? Provide a broad context.
Defend the model: why did you use this particular system? What are its advantages? You might comment on its suitability from a theoretical point of view as well as indicate practical reasons for using it.
Provide a principle. State your specific theory or objective, and describe the reasoning that led you to select them.
Very briefly describe the experimental design and how it accomplished the stated objectives.

11. Style of an Introduction
Use past tense except when referring to established facts. After all, the paper will be submitted after all of the work is completed.
Organize your ideas, making one major point with each paragraph. If you make the four points listed above, you will need a minimum of four paragraphs.
Present background information only as needed in order support a position. The reader does not want to read everything you know about a subject.
State the theory/objective precisely - do not oversimplify.
As always, pay attention to spelling, clarity of sentences and phrases.

12. Research Method or Experiment
Experimental paper: equipment, materials, method
Modeling paper: assumptions, mathematical tools, method
Computational paper: inputs, computational tools, method
Explain what is especially different about your method.
Give sufficient detail that the reader can reproduce what you did.
Don’t mix method with results or conclusions
This should be an easy section to write: just say what you did, briefly. Use “we” but do so carefully: too many “we’s” sounds like a child’s day out: “first we did this, then we did that.”
Build up a reference list as you go.

13. Research Method or Experiment
There is no specific page limit, but a key concept is to keep this section as concise as you possibly can.
People will want to read this material selectively.
The reader may only be interested in one formula or part of a procedure.
Materials and methods may be reported under separate subheadings within this section or can be incorporated together.

14. Research Method or Experiment
This should be the easiest section to write, but many writers misunderstand the purpose.
The objective is to document all specialized materials and general procedures, so that another individual may use some or all of the methods in another study or judge the scientific merit of your work.
It is not to be a step by step description of everything you did, nor is a methods section a set of instructions.
In particular, it is not supposed to tell a story.

15. Display Results
The purpose of a results section is to present and illustrate your findings.
Make this section a completely objective report of the results, and save all interpretation for the discussion.
Present the output of the experiments, model or computation.
Report your results simply, without opinion or interpretation at this stage.
Define all symbols and units. Present data in a form other people can use.
This, too, should be an easy section to write.

16. Display Results
Give emphasis in the text the most important aspects of the tables, graphs or figures.
Give error-bars or confidence-limits for numerical or graphical data. Statistics should be meaningful.
Aim for a concise, economical style, and use suitable words.
The page length of this section is set by the amount and types of data to be reported.
Continue to be concise, using figures and tables, if appropriate, to present results most effectively

17. Style to Display Results
As always, use past tense when you refer to your results, and put everything in a logical order.
In text, refer to each figure as "figure 1," "figure 2," etc. ; number your tables as well.
Place figures and tables, properly numbered.
Do not discuss or interpret your results, report background information, or attempt to explain anything.
Never include raw data or intermediate calculations in a research paper.

18. Figures and Tables Flow charts show methods, procedures.
Graphs plot data.
Schematics show how equipment works, or illustrate a mechanism or model.
Drawings and photographs illustrate equipment, microstructures etc.

19. Figures and Tables
Anyone scanning your paper will look at the figures and their captions, even if they do not read the text.
Make each figure as self-contained as possible, and give it both a title (on the figure itself) and an informative caption (below it).
Make sure that the axes are properly labeled, that units are defined and that the figure will tolerate reduction is size without becoming illegible.
Label each curve of graphs.
Good figures are reproduced by others , often without asking but with the sincerest compliments.

20. Style for Figures and Tables
Either place figures and tables within the text of the result, or include them in the back of the report --- do one or the other.
If you place figures and tables at the end of the report, make sure they are clearly distinguished from any attached appendix materials, such as raw data.
Regardless of placement, each figure must be numbered consecutively and complete with caption (caption goes under the figure).
Regardless of placement, each table must be titled, numbered consecutively and complete with heading (title with description goes above the table).
Each figure and table must be sufficiently complete that it could stand on its own, separate from text.

21. Draw together the most important results and their consequences.
Conclusions
Draw together the most important results and their consequences.
List any reservations or limitations.
The reader scanning your paper will read the abstract and the conclusions, glance at the figures and move on
Do not duplicate the abstract as the conclusions or vice versa.
Do not duplicate the abstract as the conclusions or vice versa. The abstract is an overview of the entire paper.
The conclusions are a summing up of the advances in knowledge that have emerged from it.
It is acceptable to present conclusions as a bullet-pointed list.

22. References Cite significant previous work.
Cite sources of theories, data, or anything else you have taken from elsewhere.
References must be complete: name, initials, year, title, journal, volume, start-page and finish-page.
References tell the reader where an idea, prior results and data have come from.
It is a conventional courtesy to reference the originators of key ideas or theories or models, even if you modify them.
There are almost as many different formats for references as there are journals.

23. Summary: Structure of a Typical Technical Paper

24. Writing is easy.
But
All you do is stare at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead (By Gene Fowler)
Thank You