How to write a paper Mike Ashby, Engineering Department,University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 IPZ,UK hedition,August 2011 This brief manual gives guidance in writing a paper about your research.Most of the advice applies equally to your thesis or to writing a research proposal.The content of the paper reflects the kind of work you have done:experimental,theoretical,computational.I have used, as a model,a typical Materials project:one combining experiment with modeling and computation to explain some aspect of material behavior. Sections I to 8 give guidelines for clear writing with brief examples.The Appendix contains longer examples of effective and ineffective writing.The manual is prescriptive-it has to be,if it is to be short.It is designed to help those struggling with their first paper,or those who have written several but find it difficult.Certain sections may seem to you to be elementary;they are there because,to others,they are not.Section 8,on Style,is open-ended, the starting point for more exciting things. Contents 1 The Design P2 2 The Market-Who are your readers? p3 3 The Concept-Making a Concept-sheet p4 4 Embodiment-The first draft p7 5 Detail I-Grammar p12 6 Detail II-Spelling p15 7 Detail III-Punctuation p15 8 Detail IV-Style P19 9 Further Reading p24 10 Appendix:Examples of effective and ineffective writing P26 How to write a paper MFA,16/08/11How to write a paper 2 MFA, 16/08/11 How to write a paper Mike Ashby, Engineering Department, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK 7th edition, August 2011 This brief manual gives guidance in writing a paper about your research. Most of the advice applies equally to your thesis or to writing a research proposal. The content of the paper reflects the kind of work you have done: experimental, theoretical, computational. I have used, as a model, a typical Materials project: one combining experiment with modeling and computation to explain some aspect of material behavior. Sections 1 to 8 give guidelines for clear writing with brief examples. The Appendix contains longer examples of effective and ineffective writing. The manual is prescriptive – it has to be, if it is to be short. It is designed to help those struggling with their first paper, or those who have written several but find it difficult. Certain sections may seem to you to be elementary; they are there because, to others, they are not. Section 8, on Style, is open-ended, the starting point for more exciting things. Contents 1 The Design p 2 2 The Market – Who are your readers? p 3 3 The Concept – Making a Concept-sheet p 4 4 Embodiment – The first draft p 7 5 Detail I – Grammar p 12 6 Detail II – Spelling p 15 7 Detail III – Punctuation p 15 8 Detail IV – Style p 19 9 Further Reading p 24 10 Appendix: Examples of effective and ineffective writing p 26