Some tips for writing abstract---learned from the academic writing course (Renew)

1. Abstracts are just like shop signs.
A good abstract can grab people's attention to continue reading the study. Therefore, in order to let people get to know our study, we need to have a good "marketing tool"-abstract.

2. Use PLAIN language in the abstract.
Ex: and / or / but instead of Moreover / Therefore

3. Use one third or less PASSIVE voice in the abstract, for it makes readers read slowly.

4. An abstract includes the most important key results:
(1) Why do we care?
(2) What is the problem?
(3) What did you do?
(4) What did you find out?
(5) What does it mean?
- What are the implication / application / recommedation ?

5. The first sentence: "topic" of the study; the first word: simple, active, plain, strong.
Ex: Smoking is a risk factor for many diseases....
In this case, we don't add "In recent years," in front of the sentence.

6. Use adequate addjective to decribe the certainty.
Ex: It____be true.
"may" and "might" (near certainty) are more frequently used than "can" and "could" (10-20% certainty).

Reminder for how to response to reviewers' comments(renew)

針對Balance CAT論文的預測效度驗證，reviewer建議可以跑一下regression analysis，之前老師建議我先看檢驗一下data的normality，後來我發現其實分布還蠻常態的,於是就請教宇佑跑了regression analysis。 然而，雖然有得到一些information，如：控制了年齡這個變數後，Balance CAT和PASS可以解釋的變異量，但因為增加的information並不多，而且此結果亦可以Pearson r所算得的r square來補充，所以並不需要花這麼多時間跑regression analysis。此後，若要了解更多資訊，可在回覆reviewer之後，再嘗試跑更複雜的統計。

* 盡可能依據reviewer的意見去做修改...之後用simple linear regression analysis去分析predictive validity。

Reminder for "results" writing

1. 隨時記錄收案的狀況於部落格, ex: lost to follow-up的個案資料,原因,個數...
2. 跑資料分析時，要記得寫下NOTE, ex: 如何select data, 做什麼資料分析,結果...

Requirement for writing papers

1. Definite topic
2. Ready data set
3. Clear outline
4. Model papers
5. Continuing discussion (once a week)

Paper Writing Tips

1. 一個句子勿超過2行
(1) 簡化主詞/受詞: 勿超過5個字
(2) 判斷形容詞是否必要
2. 每一段落約6~8行
3. 少用代名詞,會產生混淆,尤其在topic sentence的部份
4. 字彙使用一致才能連貫
5. 少用贅字,如:there are, to be...
6. "the"的使用: 若有特定時須加在名詞前面,若沒有特定則可以不用---editor needed