Science - Asking Questions Giving Answers
Asking questions and finding answers is the basis of scientific work. This includes an extensive repertoire of procedures and techniques. With regard to geoinformation science, it is of central importance to be able to abstract the real world in a comprehensible way, to depict it in corresponding data models and to derive reliable information from it.
A guide through your scientific work
Scientific communication has many facets and ranges from book our journal publications to oral presentations or from posters to videos and web blogs. Each of these communication practices has its own character and social interaction potential. Hence, a scientific article is a unique format which should be handled as uniquely as any other scientific communication.
Reproducibility and transparency
Reproducibility is a key aspect of scientific research because it provides full transparency and credibility of science research process. Nüst et al.2018. Even more focussing on Geography and participation of an broader audience it is evident to generate a high base level of best practicse knowledge to generate information about Earth processes using remote sensing and Earth data as stored in Geographical Information Systems. This is even more compelling considering the ever-evolving possibilities but also traps and problems of data analysis and interpretation Shannon & Walker.
Standing on the shoulders of giants
Science is a communication process aiming in creating knowledge based on existing one. This social process requires a transparent discussion of findings within the scientific community and between this community and other social groups. One key aspect is the sufficient documentation of the analysis workflow and its underlaying data basis. If both information is available, the community can cross-check and validate the analysis results and foster knowledge generation by building upon the these results. Keep this in mind while working on your project. As a starting point for further reading we recommend the recommendations on good scientific practice as published in the white paper on this topic by the German Science Foundation.
Writing it Down
Scientific Writing
Scientific articles are one way to communicate your science to peers. This includes not only your scientific results, but also the question that drove you in the first place and the methods and workflow you used to come to your conclusions that must stand for itself and comprehensible for your peers.
Some starting points and examples
The following references will provide a good basis for making up your mind about how you are going to present your work and design a good article:
- Let’s start at the top of the line: Gewin (2018) How to write a first-class paper. Nature 555: 129-130. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-018-02404-4.
- The most important part of your article is the abstract since your peers will decide based on this very paragraph if they continue reading or not. Nature has one example on how to write a good one.
- • A more workflow oriented guide has been posted e.g. by Borja in 2014 in an Elsevier blog.
- And if you prefer a complete book, this is one example of many: Mack (2018) How to Write a Good Scientific Paper. SPIE. https://doi.org/10.1117/3.2317707
Use the references and examples as means in finding your own way to write a good scientific article. The tips are no rules; they are guidelines you could build upon. Please, keep your individuality and your ability to learn from previous experience.
If you like it a bit less heavy weight the following links may be helpful