当前课程知识点：医学SCI论文写作 > Chapter Eight Methodology > Chapter Eight Methodology > Chapter 8 Part 6
Part five
Summary
Now let’s summarize the key points
in writing the Methods
One
Follow the generic structure
and check the specific guidelines
The generic structure lays the foundation for the
framework of the Methods
It helps answer 3 basic questions in the Methods
what was used
what was done
and how was it done
Also remember to check the specific requirements
or formatting guidelines for authors
from your target journals
Two
Use subtitles to signal transitions between subsections
Divide the Methods section into
several subsections with subtitles
according to the generic structure
Subsections are usually highly formatted
Three
Include sufficient details
and make clear necessary information
Make sure
you are clear about the content of the Methods
Provide readers with detailed information
so as to make it possible
to duplicate your study
Four
Organize each subsection chronologically or emphatically
Develop each subsection in one or more paragraphs
Organize them in either chronological order
or in order of most to least important
Five
Achieve consistency with other sections
Ensure the Methods well relates
to the research question it answers in the Introduction
and facilitates the interpretation of every result
in the Results
Six
Use topic sentences or transitional devices
to keep smooth story line
Use a topic sentence
or a transitional phrase or clause
at the beginning of a paragraph
to signal the main message
and achieve smooth transitions between paragraphs
Seven
Choose precise words
Select accurate and specific verbs,
nouns, adjectives and phrases
to indicate precisely what you did
and how you did it
Eight
Write the Methods section mainly in past tense
One exception is that the data analysis
and presentation can be written in present tense
Nine
Use parentheses
when necessary to maintain the flow of ideas
Provide details in parentheses
so that the flow of main message
would not be disrupted
Ten
Handle the point of view in an appropriate way
Use either point of the experiment
the passive voice
or point of the experimenter
“we” the active voice when writing the Methods
Avoid beginning many sentences with “we”
Avoid changing back and forth from one point of view to another
Part six
Practices
Question 1
Fill in the blanks with the given verbs
The answers to Question 1
are measured
calculated in the first sentence
and determined should be filled in the second one.
In sentence A
“measure” and “calculate”
are used for measurement and calculation
while in sentence B
“determined” is chosen for discussing measurements
and calculations together
That is using one term “determined”
that includes both
Question 2
Fill in the blanks with the given nouns
Now let's look at the answer
study
experiments series
series series groups group group
into the blanks respectively
Actually, this is a set of commonly
used nouns in medical papers
“study” “experiment” “series”and “group”
“Study”refers to A sustained systematic inquiry into
or examination of a phenomenon
development or question
“Experiment”means a test done to examine
the validity of a hypothesis
It can be referred to as a study
when the subjects are human
“Series”refers to a set of two or more related experiments
“Group”is a number of experimental animals or human subjects
treated similarly or having similar characteristics
You can remember that
one paper is equivalent to one study
but it can report many experiments
series of experiments
and groups of animals or subjects
Question 3
Fill in the blanks with the proper verbs
verb tense and voices
Now let us look at the answers
We should fill in: was designed
was conducted was approved gave was obtained
lacked complete has been published are
in the above blanks
This is a study design subsection
of a randomized trial
As the first subsection in the Methods
it is mainly written in simple past tense
and from the point of the experiment
in passive voice
Still there is past perfect tense
and simple present tense in some sentences
For example in the last sentence
“The protocol has been published elsewhere
and the final protocol amendments
and statistical analysis plan are available in Supplement 1”
The action of the publication of the protocol
is one that has been completed
before the publication of this paper
so the past perfect tense was used
“The final protocol amendments
and statistical analysis plan can be found
in Supplement 1” is a fact
so the simple present tense is more appropriate
Please also note
that those missing verbs such as design
conduct approve obtain and complete etc.
are frequently used ones
in writing the study design for clinical trials
-Introduction to the Course
-Chapter 1 Part 1
-Chapter 1 Part 2
-Exercise
-PPT
-Chapter 2 Part 1
-Chapter 2 Part 2
-Excercise
-PPT
-Chapter 3 Part 1
-Chapter 3 Part 2
-Chapter 3 Part 3
-Exercise
-PPT
-Chapter 4 Part 1
-Chapter 4 Part 2
-Chapter 4 Part 3
-Exercise
-PPT
-Chapter 5 Part 1
-Chapter 5 Part 2
-Chapter 5 Part 3
-Chapter 5 Part 4
-Chapter 5 Part 5
-Chapter 5 Part 6
-Excercise
-PPT
-Chapter Six Title
-Exercise
-PPT
-Chapter Seven Introduction
-Exercise
-PPT
-Chapter Eight Methodology
-PPT
-Exercise
-Chapter Nine Results
-Exercise
-PPT
-Chapter Ten Discussion
-Exercise
-PPT
-Chapter Eleven Abstract
-PPT
-Introduction to Figures and Tables
-Exercise
-PPT
-Chapter Thirteen Figures
-Exercise
-PPT
-Exercise
-PPT
