Ideal paper for a graduate tutor: friends who want to write papers sooner or later

This is written by Mr. Wang Dehua from the Chinese Emy of Sciences Institute of Animal research in his blog. He wrote very well, very detailed, and very useful after reading it. Therefore, the original article was reproduced, I hope more people will benefit from this. The original text is as follows:

Wang Dehua

The dissertation should be reviewed every year during the defense season, and the papers of your own students should be revised repeatedly every year. But no matter how careful, there are always errors. Sorry, it's just a new person.

So what kind of dissertation is a good paper? In fact, everyone understands and knows. The National Excellent doctoral thesis published on the Internet every year, the excellent doctoral thesis of the Chinese Emy of sciences, and so on are examples (although some have been pointed out to have some shortcomings, in general, there should be no major problems ). Some of the professors who returned from haigui naturally have excellent papers. Templates are everywhere.

As for communication, I still want to discuss some Superficial Views from the perspective of a mentor about my degree thesis in China, I hope it will be helpful for my own students and other graduate students who are interested. Write it in the form of a sequential account.

Title: The title of the dissertation should be concise, accurate, and not long. The judges or readers will know your main work as soon as they read the questions. Some students made several different contents during their doctor's period, which makes it difficult to express the question accurately. You can highlight it a little, but do not write a few very close content on a single question. There are also some papers that are irrelevant, so the question is more difficult (this design is inherently inadequate ). In any case, a question is a subject and can only be rounded up. If all of them are listed, they are not exactly the same. Some papers are a little bit of work under a big topic. If necessary, you can give more information in the form of subtitles.
Note: Do not make any mistakes in the thesis, especially on the cover.

Abstract: It is concise and concise. Abstract: The essence and concentration of a paper. People inside the expert can view the summary to find out your main findings and conclusions. layers can also understand what you have done and what important discoveries you have made. Therefore, what methods (especially advanced equipment and technology) have been used for the significance (Theory and Application) of the selected answer? What are the main results and conclusions? Is the main content of the abstract, but it does not need to be listed many. There cannot be many major discoveries in a degree paper, but it is impossible to find a degree without a flash. Therefore, we need to work hard to explore the importance of our own results and the importance of conclusions.
Note: Do not draw any conclusions about a thesis.

ENGLISH Abstract: the most basic requirement is to be readable without syntax errors (readable and correct English). If the language is authentic, it would be better. Once there are many deficiencies in the syntax, spelling, tense, singular and plural, and voice, the average reader has no desire to continue reading.

Some degree papers have a big preface. The so-called large preface is that each chapter often has a preface. Preface it is necessary to clarify the research background, the progress of the research content involved in this paper, mainly the development of theories and theories, the existing domestic and foreign debates, and the issues left over. Then we will introduce the objects of the study, the accumulation of relevant research, and the existing main findings, the problems that have not yet been solved or the problems that are worth further solving. Based on the accumulation and the development of disciplines at home and abroad, this paper puts forward the scientific hypothesis (hypothesis) based on the scientific questions of interest, and puts forward the prediction (prediction) based on the scientific hypothesis. This is the purpose of the study. If the problem is selected, the purpose is clear. Many papers have no problems and no hypotheses. They just said that there is no relevant information in China, so I did it. Most of the current science (especially biological science) is a hypothesis-driven study (hypothesis-driven). Natural History Research in the Darwin era is still very important, but it is no longer mainstream. Therefore, if you are not engaged in field research, you do not need to have a lot of research and accumulation before you can get some conclusive research content, pay attention to the cultivation of today's "problem-hypothesis-prediction-design-experiment-Data Analysis" process thinking.
In the preface, we should pay attention to telling readers where the significance of this research is in science and what contribution the relevant results will make in the development of science. If you have made significant contributions to the national economy and people's livelihood, you must note that.
Note: Do not write the preface into the accumulation of literature without introducing the research background. The significance and purpose of the study must be clear and prominent. The source of the referenced chart must be specified.

Materials and Methods; this part is relatively easy to write. What equipment, technology, formula, and indicators are used. However, there must be logic in writing papers. First, do not write university lab reports. Some students will list the chemicals used in a table, indicating the company and product information. This is unnecessary and cannot be written like this. It should be to integrate the relevant information into the text, such as the determination of what indicators, with what reagents, on what equipment for determination, so that the parameters, reagents, instruments, methods, and so on are connected. Furthermore, biological experiments are inherently logical (not clear in other disciplines). For example, in physiological experiments, if animals have not been killed, it is impossible to describe the determination methods of blood hormones and tissue mitochondrial, or follow the conventional logic, such as where the experimental animals come from? How to raise? Feeding conditions (temperature, light, food ingredients, cages... ...), How to handle the experiment? Processing time? What parameters and indicators are collected? When to collect data? When will the animals be killed? How to deal with organ organizations ?... ... This information must be provided in detail. It cannot be simplified, and you must pay attention to the internal logic. It is worth noting that, if it is not a self-created method, the methods and technical descriptions used must list relevant references.
In biological research, data statistics are currently of special interest. Special attention should be paid to the description of statistical methods. Different analysis methods should be used for different parameter types, and specific analysis methods should be described. For example, behavior data is not normally distributed. Some data are sampled by the same group of animals at different times (repeated measurement data), and some are seasonal samples (different animals exist, there are also the same animals with Seasonal sampling by marking), some data is a percentage... ... Note the specific statistical methods used for data and describe them clearly.
The material method part is closely related to the preface part. In the preface, we plan to verify the relevant hypotheses, what kind of experimental processing is required, and which indicators can be determined for implementation, this information needs to be detailed in the materials and methods section.
Note: Do not simplify the materials and methods, and never repeat others. If each method is not original, a source is required.

Result: This is the most essential part of the paper and the result of years of hard work. Some students like to describe according to different chapters. This is acceptable. Each chapter can be written independently. The preface in each chapter needs to be more specific, and the scientific problem is more direct and specific. The method is more detailed.
The logic should also be noted in the Results section. The logic should be clear in terms of what to say first and what to say later. The basic requirement is that the chart should be beautiful. The purpose of displaying the results in a chart is to present the results in a scene, such as increasing or decreasing the number, changing trends, and related relationships. However, note that some data cannot use a line chart. Only continuous data can use a line chart. The process of designing and beautifying a graph is very important. It takes a lot of effort to design the font, line segment width, and so on. Provide detailed statistics.
Always remember: the results are for the problem. The results are designed through the relevant experiment. After the relevant processing, the data collection process must be strictly and carefully, data must be authentic and trustworthy. This is a good result.
Note: do not include only charts in the result section, but not text descriptions in the article, but not where the data is (Related Charts ).

Discussion: This part is the sublimation based on the results. First, the main results and conclusions should be highlighted, and then the rationality and importance of the results should be analyzed, as well as the evidence to support the improvement and development. What is the contribution in the subject field. At the same time, we must combine the hypotheses and predictions proposed in the preface. Tell the reader whether your research results support the proposed hypothesis, reject, or neutral.

Each conclusive content, as long as it is referenced from the document, must provide the source. Document references should be read in the original document. do not refer to the original document as much as possible. At least take a look at the abstract of the original article. Currently, many references are irrelevant to the content in the paper or are incorrectly referenced. At the same time, it is also very important to understand the original text correctly. Once an error is understood, it is also a big problem.

When analyzing your own results, you should also be aware of the basic biological characteristics of organisms in biology, such as where they are distributed? Food type? Hibernate? CATEGORY status? Many scientific problems cannot be understood and cannot be explained properly without looking at such information or information, even with good results, it is difficult to draw good conclusions. These may be suitable for macro biology.

The discussion part should be case-based, so we should not pile up literature to list a long string of documents and refer to the cloud. Avoid always introducing what results have been obtained internationally, and do not use the information to analyze your own results and elaborate on your own conclusions.

As biological research, due to the different philosophy of research (biological has its special biological philosophy, which has been elaborated by the famous scientist Mayr), a biological phenomenon should strive to give a proximate cause) ultimate cause ). A biological phenomenon, which is not described in these two aspects, will have a lot of deficiencies. Biological philosophy is different from physical philosophy. That is to say, after a biological phenomenon is given the cause of this phenomenon (so-called rational research, such as molecular biology, genomics research, etc.), but also explain why this phenomenon (evolutionary explanation) occurs ). We have measured an instantaneous indicator of ecology, physiology, biochemistry, or molecular biology, but this indicator reflects a phenomenon that has occurred since countless generations, what happened in the evolution of countless times? This is what we need to analyze.

If the results of the thesis are presented in multiple chapters, it is best to summarize the main findings and conclusions in this chapter. Sometimes it can also point out the shortcomings of the experiment or the content that needs to be supplemented.
Note: The discussion should have primary and secondary roles, so we should never be thorough, thorough, and vague.

Conclusion: We recommend that you have a conclusion (not necessarily required) in the full text ). The conclusion is a summary of the full text. I would like to remind you of the main conclusions, important contributions, shortcomings, and suggestions you have made. Note that the conclusion should not be the same as the summary of each chapter. Too many duplicates are very taboo.

Literature Review: Literature Review is a reflection of students' understanding of literature, their knowledge of domestic and foreign development, and their ability to filter and synthesize documents.
Note: do not involve a wide area or a large area. It should be centered on several topics. This paper is based on literature reviews. Be sure to reference the source of the chart and the source of each conclusion.

References: This part is often prone to problems, mainly due to carelessness. First, the documents referenced in the paper must be listed in the references section. Otherwise, each document listed in the references must be referenced in the document. Must be consistent. References must be refined. In fact, many students do not read those documents at all. What should I do if I have not read the column? Have you referenced it? If there is no reference, how can I add it to the references? For details, the author's name, publication name, animal name, page number, and case are not incorrect. I have a suggestion that the Chinese documents in the references should be listed first in the English document, and it is best to sort by surname strokes. Some students say that sorting by Pinyin is not the same? My point is our Chinese characters. The sequence is strokes, not pinyin. It's just a personal hobby. At least my students' papers are recommended to be sorted in this order.

Thanks: we must emphasize and attach importance to this part. I already have a blog post explaining how to write the paper's acknowledgment section. After more than 20 years of study, I got the highest degree in the academic field and said that it is false not to be excited. However, this part must reveal the true feelings, write it with your heart, and do not omit it as much as possible, but it is also taboo to say something in the head. Some teachers and students, colleagues, and classmates are not very harmonious. At this time, graduate students should be more open-minded. If they have helped you before, you should still thank you. After all, this is written on paper. If some people who have helped you deliberately do not acknowledge it due to narrow thinking, you may want to save it one day later, but there is no such possibility. Therefore, we still need to learn tolerance, learn to embrace the future, and never leave any regrets. It should be noted in the close-up that the study and life of graduate students are mainly in the research group, and there are not many contacts with the Graduate Management Department at ordinary times. Some students even submit an entry at the time of graduation. However, in general, all Postgraduate Affairs Management, the teachers in the Graduate Management Department are very hard. from admission to graduation, they are all busy at the moment of graduation, thank you. We are grateful to lab staff and instrument management staff for their help. This is not much to be said.
Reminder: if they have not yet obtained a doctorate degree, they should never be called doctors, so they will be embarrassed.

Resume: do not exaggerate your resume. The published papers must be realistic. If you have already completed the first draft, contributed, repaired, or printed it, you must list it in a realistic manner. Even the first draft was not completed. If it was just an intentional question, it would be unnecessary to list it.

In short, the data in the dissertation must be authentic, and the conclusion must be moderate. do not have any false or exaggerated data. Good results and important discoveries will not be buried. Of course, the most important thing about a good degree thesis is academic value. What is on the surface of the form serves important achievements. Remember that there are three points to consider and guarantee for a doctoral thesis:

1. What contribution does your research make to your fields?
2. Is this contribution important?
3. Is your contribution Original?

There are many shortcomings. I have also read some foreign graduate degree papers in different formats and structures. So what kind of dissertation is good? There is no uniform specific standard. But in reality, there is indeed a standard in people's minds.

I have not made any serious changes for communication and reference. I am not sure to point it out. I welcome criticism and correction.