Article Instructions

   The articles should be written in research article format, which is the same style as you would submit your articles to a journal. Specifics regarding the components of a research article will be discussed in your weekly meetings. In addition, the "research article" link gives a detailed explanation of what goes into a research paper. Here is the condensed version:

   Articles should be 6-15 pages long including figures and references in 12 point Ariel font with 1 inch margins on all sides.

   Frequently Asked Question: What should I write in the results section if I don't have results? If you don’t have results, you should write in the results section what are two plausible outcomes and what would be the significance of these two outcomes. Explain your two plausible outcomes in relationship to the known literature and describe how these results would change the dogma in the field.

Article components

   Be sure to include a title. The title should state the main finding of the paper or if your results are not conclusive the topic you researched. The more consise, while still getting your point across, the better.

   Anyone who significantly contributed to your work should be listed as an author. List yourself first and you principal investigator last. All other individuals should be listed in between in the order of effort contributed to the work.

   The Abstract is a 200-300 word summary of the work. The first two or three sentences give some background. The next 3-4 sentences usually describe the work and the last 1-2 sentences describe the significance of these results.

   The introduction should discuss the research relevant to your research, the logic behind doing the experiment and the significance of this research - this last part should explain to a grant agency why they should fund your research.. Make sure to introduce all proteins and concepts described in the article. Read and discuss articles pertaining to your subject in addition to those written on the subject in your lab.

   The methods should resemble the methods of an article rather than a lab report. Do not list every detail of a well known method such as PCR or in situ hybridization. For example, when describing in situ hybridization write what probes were used, at what temperature, and what detection method but not what was in each wash or any of the other details of the three day procedure unless they are different than the normal procedure.

   All results are written in paragraph format. All figures and tables require legends. In addition, you must explain all figures and tables in the results section, even if you have described the findings in the figure or table legend. The figure and table legends usually explain what you see in the figure whereas the results section is a narration of the figures, including the logic behind the various experiments.

   The discussion section requires some thought. You need to integrate your results into the known literature which requires original ideas. If you didn’t have results your discussion will be the implications of the two plausible results that you proposed.

   Every research article has a reference section. Please make sure to reference the articles you sited properly. Different journals cite articles differently. Look at one of the following journals to get an idea of what is an acceptable format: Neuron, Cell, or Development.