Writing A Biology Research Paper Essential Guidelines

Any research paper, including one in biology, presents and interprets the collected data. However, the format of biology research paper differs from other disciples, so first format requirements will be briefly explained and then guidelines on writing will be given.

The format of the paper is organized in such a way as to permit the reader to understand the main points quickly and it includes Title, Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, and Literature Cited. Section heading are always capitalized, pages numbered; and the running head is not used.

The conclusions of your paper are based on the question and hypothesis that preceded the research, the data collected and the background information that you obtained by reading the literature. Before you start writing, make an outline organizing all your data in a logical way. You can consult MLA Recommendations on how to write the outline. The importance of the outline depends on the fact that it helps you to structure your thoughts and build your paper in a logical and precise way.

The language you use is extremely important because the reader must understand exactly what you mean. There is no rule on whether you should use active or passive voice, it is best to write in active voice, but to be sure, read the guidelines given to you carefully. One of the things expected is a thorough understanding of literature studied, and for this reason, quotations should be avoided you need to show your own thinking and your own interpretation. Of course, certain things should be cited in the text but do not overburden the reader with quotations.

When starting to write a paragraph, put its major idea in the first sentence with evidence, examples and supporting material following. This allows the reader to skim the paper quickly. In modern science so many papers are published that nobody can afford to read every paper slowly. All paragraphs and all sentences must follow one another logically. Transitions from one idea to the next must also be clear and precise. It will be a good idea to leave your draft for a couple of days and then re-read it again, and any inconsistencies will “jump” at you.

Do not forget to check the paper for grammar and spelling mistakes, and if needed, you can always ask somebody to help you with the review before submitting the final variant.