YOUR MAIN MESSAGE

Deciding on the main message is probably the most difficult step in preparing a paper for publication.

'Wait a moment!', we can hear you say, 'I'm a researcher. This isn't propaganda! What do you mean message?'

All good publications, scientific, academic or popular, have a message. In journal articles the message may sometimes be dressed up in 'safe' clothing, but it's there all the same. For example, Einstein's famous paper on relativity had a precise, simple and yet profound message, which was summarised in the famous formula E=mc2.

Although the format of scientific publications is formal and apparently neutral, well written papers always contain a clear, precise and definite message.