Writing an article in energy science is a challenge that requires considerable skills, ranging from the ability to convey technical information in a readable manner to the development of creative ideas that will capture and hold the interest of a wide audience. Whether you are publishing the results of a research study, promoting a new technology or simply sharing your passion for a topic, this guide provides you with a range of tips and guidelines to help you achieve the best possible result in your writing.
Start the article with a clear introduction that introduces the concept being discussed and explains why it is relevant to readers. A strong start is the key to getting your reader’s attention and ensuring that they’ll continue reading your article.
Create a logical flow for your content by breaking the main idea of the article into smaller, more manageable pieces that will help your reader to understand it easily. By presenting ideas in this way, you’ll encourage readers to move forward on the path of the story and give them a memorable experience.
Set word limits for the content you are writing, so that you’re only putting in what is necessary. This will make your content much easier to read and help you to get across complex scientific concepts in a more effective way, thereby attracting a larger audience.
Break down concepts into easy-to-digest bite-size ideas to facilitate understanding, particularly for those with lower reading literacy. This will help you to attract a wider audience and ensure that you’re communicating your research in a way that’s accessible to an international audience.
Consider using a graphical abstract to summarise the main points of your article, especially if you are including images in your paper. The graphical abstract (GA) should be an original and unpublished image that represents the topic of your paper in an eye-catching way.
Divide your article into clearly defined and numbered sections, with each section containing a brief heading and subsections numbered 1.1 (then 1.1.1, 1.1.2, etc.). This will also serve as a form of internal cross-referencing.
Use consistent technical terminology throughout the article, and use standard abbreviations when they are used. If an abbreviation is not standard, it should be defined at its first mention in the main text, as well as in a footnote to the first page of the article.
Always acknowledge those who have contributed to the work by supplying a list of individuals in an Acknowledgements section at the end of your article before your references. This list may include contributors who did not meet the criteria for authorship but who have provided important research support in some other way, for example by providing technical help or writing assistance.
The format of an article should follow the standard format for a journal publication, with an Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, and Conclusions sections. The word count for each article type should be a maximum of 6,000 words for Original Articles; 15,000 words for Review Papers; and 3,000 words for Short Communications.
