A Template and Suggestions for Writing Easy-to-Read Research Articles

TL;DR

This paper offers a practical template and advice aimed at improving the clarity and readability of research articles to better communicate scientific ideas effectively.

Contribution

It provides a personal, practical template and suggestions for writing clearer, more accessible research articles, especially for students and early-career researchers.

Findings

Enhanced readability can improve research dissemination

Practical templates aid in structuring research articles

Improved communication skills benefit scientific progress

Abstract

The number of research papers written has been growing at least linearly -- if not exponentially -- in recent years. In proportion, the amount of time a reader allocates per paper has been decreasing. While an accessible paper will be appreciated by a large audience, hard-to-read papers may remain obscure for a long time regardless of scientific merit. Unfortunately, there is still insufficient emphasis on good written and oral communication skills in technical disciplines, especially in engineering. As an academic, I have realised over the years that I keep telling my students the same things over and over again when they write papers, reports, presentations, and theses. This article contains some of those suggestions and serves as a limited template for organising research articles. I have adopted a very practical and personal approach and don't claim that this is a formal contribution to the scientific communication literature. However, I hope that this article will not only make my life a bit easier but also help other graduate students and academic supervisors.