Jan 16 • Publishing
Mistakes I made when writing my early research papers
I spent 13 months writing my first research paper.
And guess what? It was painful.
I told myself: "I hate writing." "I'm not good enough." "I just need to get this done."
I was making massive mistakes that were killing my productivity and leading to rejections.
Here are the 5 biggest mistakes I made (and how to fix them):
1. I tried to write the Introduction first. I thought I had to write linearly. Start at the top, finish at the bottom.
The Fix: Flip the script. Write your Methods first. Then Results. Then Discussion. Write the Introduction last—once you actually know what story your data tells.
2. I tried to be a "Perfectionist" during the draft. I would write a sentence. Delete it. Fix the grammar. Rewrite it. I was thinking and writing at the same time.
The Fix: Separate the two. Draft as quickly as possible. Don't worry about English or grammar. Just get the ideas down. Remember: Done is better than perfect. You can edit later.
3. I wrote without a plan. I used to write 40-page drafts because I had no plan. I included everything I thought was relevant.
The Fix: The Perfect Outline. Spend 1-2 days just on the outline. Define your key messages and flow before you write a single paragraph. Outlines prevent waffling. Less is more.
4. I used "Fancy Words" to sound smart. I thought complex language made me look like an expert.
The Fix: Plain language. Your goal is to make learning easy for the reader. If you use words like "desirous" just to sound academic, you are hurting your impact.
5. I ignored the "Novelty" trap. I thought new data was enough.
The Fix: Verify your novelty early. 70% of desk rejections happen because of a lack of novelty. If you have an "Old Solution" to an "Old Problem," you will get rejected.Frame your work as a New Solution + Old Problem, or an Old Solution + New Problem.
Writing doesn't have to be a struggle. You just need the right framework.
Which of these mistakes are you making right now?
P.S. If you are stuck staring at a blank screen, ask yourself: "Why does this research matter to others?". It changes everything.
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Mistakes I made when writing my early research papers
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