Guidelines for Submitting a Paper

to the ISB Journal of Physics

Jon Eales, 2007

The paper must be organized into sections entitled: Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion, Conclusion and Evaluation, and References.

Abstract - write a short account of what was investigated, with methods, and the main conclusions, in less than 100 words.
 
Introduction - include a discussion of the situation investigated and the theory needed to predict a model. 
 
Methods - include a description of the experimental setup and the techniques used to: control unwanted variables, make measurements, and analyze the data with uncertainties. 
 
Results and Discussion - include only the processed data with uncertainties (tables and/or graphs).  Discuss all conclusions and implications in this section.
 
Conclusion and Evaluation - summarize the main conclusions, discuss the strengths and limitations of the work, suggest improvements and mention possibilities for further research.
 
References - include only sources cited in the paper. 

For more information consult http://www.liu.edu/cwis/cwp/library/

Formatting -

Font -  Times New Roman
Titles and Subtitles - Bold
Font Sizes -

Title Author Abstract Subtitles Text Captions

14 11 10 12 12 10

Equations are centered, separated from the text and numbered in brackets on the right. Sources are noted with numbered superscripts referring to the references section.
 
Modifying an IB/ISB Lab Report for Publishing in the ISB Journal of Physics

The purpose of a Lab Report and the purpose of a Journal Paper are very different.  The purpose of a Lab Report is to demonstrate the scientific competence of the student to the teacher and moderator. It is required that the student explicitly define the variables and the controlled factors, even though they are implicitly defined in the Methods section. The student must show raw data and sample calculations for each step to show how the uncertainties were calculated, so that the teacher may check the validity of the data analysis. 
 
In a peer-reviewed Journal Paper the purpose is to provide the reader with the results of a scientific investigation. The technical competence of the writer is assumed. The role of the teacher in ensuring the scientific competence of a student Lab Report is filled by the peer-reviewer during the editing process. There is no need for the Journal Paper to include explicit definitions of variables in the introduction, nor is there a need for raw data tables, or sample calculations of. It is sufficient for the writer to describe the techniques used in analyzing the data and calculating the uncertainties in the Methods section.
 
To submit a Paper for consideration for publishing in the Journal, you will need to modify your Lab Report significantly. 
 
 
Introduction:  Make sure that in the Introduction you only discuss aspects of the research that are addressed in the Results and Discussion sections. Students often include irrelevant theory in the Introductions to Lab Reports, a practice that serves only to mislead and confuse the reader. 

Delete any explicit discussion of variables and controls. Include the research question as a natural part of the text with no sub-heading at the end of the introduction. Delete any formally designated "Hypothesis".  A predicted relationship based on a discussion of the theory in the introduction is sufficient.
 
Methods:  This section parallels the IB "Design" section, but it will need to be condensed.  Remember, the competence of the writer is assumed, so there is no need for all the little details describing how each particular measurement was made.  The experimental set-up should be described and important data-collection techniques should be summarized. 
 
The techniques for the measurement and analysis of the raw data and uncertainties should be summarized in the Methods section.  A description is sufficient, no numbers are necessary.  All raw data tables and sample calculations should be deleted from the report or included in an appendix. 

Note: a copy of the raw data tables, calculations for data analysis and uncertainties should be kept for the peer-reviewer and for any future readers who request a defense of your results.  If your published paper is challenged, you must be ready to defend your results.

Results and Discussion:  The results should be presented in graphs or occasionally tables.  Usually you can use the final tables/graphs from your Lab Report, accompanied by a detailed discussion of all points of interest.  Include the following: whether or not your results support any predictions made in the introduction, any equations relating the variables which can be derived from your theory and graph, along with a discussion of the meaning or importance of the intercepts and slopes (if any), and a discussion of the reliability of the results.  
 
 
Conclusion and Evaluation:  This should be a summary of the answer to your research question and any other important conclusions condensed into a few sentences.  This should be followed by an evaluation of the reliability of the conclusions and suggestions for future research on this topic; either refinements of your techniques, or extensions of your topic.  The Conclusion and Evaluation is usually a short section.
 

Abstract:  The abstract is normally written after you have finished writing your paper.  Condense the purpose of the investigation into one or two sentences, then summarize the methods succinctly.  Finally, summarize the main results and conclusion in two to three sentences.  Keep it to less than 100 words if possible.