Scientific Writing & Manuscript Preparation Guide

Most scientific manuscripts follow the IMRAD structure: Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion. This structure mirrors the scientific process — what question was asked, how it was investigated, what was found, and what it means — and enables readers to navigate the manuscript efficiently. The Introduction establishes the context, identifies the knowledge gap, and states the research question or hypothesis. The Methods describe how the study was conducted in sufficient detail for replication. The Results present the findings without interpretation. The Discussion interprets the findings, contextualizes them within the literature, acknowledges limitations, and identifies implications and future directions.

Additional sections complement IMRAD. The Abstract (typically 150-300 words) summarizes the entire manuscript: background, methods, key results, and main conclusions. The Title should be informative, concise, and searchable. Keywords support indexing and discovery. Acknowledgements recognize contributions that do not meet authorship criteria. References situate the work within the scientific literature. Supplementary materials provide additional detail for interested readers without burdening the main text.

Hrisana Journal accepts manuscripts following this standard structure. We also welcome review articles, short communications, technical notes, and perspective pieces that may use modified structures. Authors should consult our Author Guidelines for specific requirements on word counts, section structure, and formatting for each article type.

Effective scientific writing is clear, concise, and precise. Each sentence should convey one idea; each paragraph should develop one theme. Active voice ("We measured the response") is generally clearer than passive voice ("The response was measured"), though passive voice is appropriate in methods descriptions where the agent is implied. Technical terms should be used when they improve precision but should be defined on first use for readers from adjacent fields. Abbreviations should be used sparingly, defined on first use, and applied consistently.

Common writing weaknesses include: long sentences with multiple clauses that obscure the main point; paragraphs that mix multiple themes, making the logical structure hard to follow; vague qualifiers ("somewhat," "fairly") that do not convey precise meaning; and unsupported generalizations. Revising for clarity — reading the manuscript aloud, having colleagues read it, setting it aside for a few days before final revision — improves readability significantly. The goal is to make the reader's job as easy as possible, so the science can be evaluated on its merits rather than struggling through unclear prose.

Scientific English has conventions that differ from general English. Numerals are used for measurements (5 mL, 30°C) but spelled out for counts under 10 at the start of sentences. Units follow the International System of Units (SI) with some field-specific exceptions. Taxonomic names are italicized (Escherichia coli, abbreviated E. coli after first use). Statistical notation follows field conventions. Consistency throughout the manuscript is essential. Style guides (CSE, APA, field-specific guides) provide detailed recommendations.

Figures and tables communicate findings efficiently and should be designed for clarity and impact. Each figure or table should convey a single main message; complex multi-panel figures can work if the panels tell a coherent story. Axis labels should be clear and include units; legends should be self-contained, explaining all symbols and abbreviations. Statistical significance should be indicated clearly, with the test used and sample sizes reported. Colour choices should be accessible to readers with colour vision deficiencies — colour-blind-safe palettes (e.g., viridis for heatmaps) and redundant encoding (colour plus shape or pattern) ensure accessibility.

Tables are appropriate for precise values that readers may need to consult; figures are better for trends and patterns. Both should be designed to be readable at the size they will appear in print or on screen. Avoid cluttering figures with non-essential information; use the legend to provide context. For images (microscopy, photographs), include scale bars and identify any post-processing (contrast adjustment, false colour) that could affect interpretation. Hrisana Journal requires high-resolution figures (300 dpi for photographs, 600 dpi for line art) in standard formats (TIFF, EPS, PDF for vector; JPEG, PNG for raster).

Data sharing is increasingly expected in scientific publishing. Many funders and journals require data deposition in public repositories with accession numbers reported in the manuscript. Even when not required, data sharing supports reproducibility, enables meta-analysis, and increases the impact of the work. Hrisana Journal encourages data sharing and asks authors to report data availability statements indicating where data can be accessed. Code sharing (for computational work) is similarly encouraged, with code deposited in repositories such as GitHub or Zenodo with DOI assignment.

References situate the work within the scientific literature, acknowledge prior contributions, and provide readers with sources for further investigation. Citation should be comprehensive but focused — cite the work that directly informs the study, not every tangentially related paper. Primary sources (original research articles) should be cited in preference to secondary sources (reviews), though reviews are appropriate for providing overviews. Self-citation should be limited to work that is directly relevant; excessive self-citation can be a sign of poor scholarly practice.

Different journals use different citation styles (numbered, author-year, etc.). Hrisana Journal uses a numbered citation style (Vancouver style); specific formatting guidance is provided in our Author Guidelines. Reference management software (Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote) helps maintain a reference library and format citations consistently. Authors should verify that all cited works are correctly attributed, that all references in the text appear in the reference list (and vice versa), and that bibliographic details (authors, title, journal, year, volume, pages, DOI) are accurate.

Citation ethics are important. Citing only work that supports your position while ignoring contradictory work (citation bias) distorts the literature. Citing work you have not read (citing a cited reference without consulting the original) can propagate errors. Citing work for the wrong reasons (e.g., citing a review when the original research is what you mean to reference) misattributes credit. Authors should take care to cite accurately and appropriately, recognizing that citations are both scholarly credit and a guide for readers.

Before submitting a manuscript, authors should verify that it meets the journal's requirements. The cover letter should explain the significance of the work and confirm that the manuscript is original, not under consideration elsewhere, and that all authors have approved the submission. The manuscript should be formatted according to journal guidelines, with all required sections (abstract, keywords, main text, references, figure legends, tables). Figures and tables should be submitted at appropriate resolution and format. Author affiliations and contact information should be complete and accurate. Funding sources and conflicts of interest should be disclosed.

Specific elements to check: title (concise, informative, includes key terms for searchability); abstract (within word limit, summarizes main findings and conclusions); keywords (3-8 terms, complementing the title for indexing); introduction (establishes context, identifies gap, states objective); methods (sufficient detail for replication, ethical approvals reported); results (clear presentation, statistics reported, figures and tables referenced); discussion (interpretation, context, limitations, implications); references (correct format, complete, all cited works listed); figures (high resolution, clear legends, appropriate for the data); tables (clear, well-formatted, self-explanatory).

Hrisana Journal provides detailed Author Guidelines that walk through each of these elements. Our Submit Manuscript page provides the submission portal and step-by-step guidance. If you have questions during preparation or submission, our editorial office is available to help. We are committed to supporting authors through the publication process, from initial submission through revision and final publication. We look forward to receiving your manuscript.