Subrata Majhi

Research Scholar,
Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur

[Subrata Majhi @SubratAM96]

@ankurg90 Congratulations!!

[Andrew Akbashev @Andrew_Akbashev]

This is how I advise my #PhD students to write research manuscripts (in case someone finds it helpful).

General points:

1. Research questions addressed by your manuscript are key and should guide you.

2. Don’t view your manuscript as an article. See it as a STORY.

3. Pick the writing style that is easily understood by a broader community. Make reading easy.

4. Most of data should get into the paper. If some doesn’t support the hypothesis, it still must be in the Suppl. Information. It must show the reproducibility limits.

5. Make the paper shorter, not longer. Cut out things that may sound like ‘bluff’ or ‘decoration’ of the story. Use well-defined terminology, don’t invent it unless clearly necessary.

6. Focus on reporting & explaining the numbers. Minimize discussions of qualitative outcomes and your imagination.

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Specific steps:

1️⃣ First, formulate and polish the key questions that your study addresses. It may take hours or even days (even though you've been doing research in this area for years). A single study should address no more than 1-3 key questions. It’s your perfect start for writing.

2️⃣ Write down the structure of your STORY first: Sections and Subsections that will answer those questions. Into each subsection, put 1-2 sentences that formulate the message(s) from this subsection. It will hugely help you navigate the manuscript later and save a lot of time.

3️⃣ Write approximate messages in the conclusion section. Usually, no more than 1-4 sentences.

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At this point, SHARE your [structure+questions+messages] document with your advisor for feedback. Toss it back and forth until you both converge. You can also include major collaborators if needed.

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4️⃣ Write the introduction part. Put down the paragraphs that introduce a reader into the key question(s) of the manuscript and the background of your story.

5️⃣ Write the main text for each section, smoothly and firmly. Each paragraph should add a separate value and end with a message-like sentence. Follow the “First… Second… Third…” structure for paragraphs when possible, it gives rigor and readability to your story.

6️⃣ Write the conclusions. Add a broader perspective that is justified and not generic.

7️⃣ Write the abstract. It must have simple terminology and clearly explain what readers can find inside the paper. It also should contain the key conclusions.

8️⃣ Write up 4-5 different titles and spend >30 mins with your team discussing which title sounds best.

Finally, iterate on the resulting draft within your team.
The number of drafts can easily exceed 20.

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❗In addition, I always emphasize that a high quality of your research paper:

- sharpen your writing and analytical skills.
- shapes your reputation.
- shows who you are as a researcher and communicator.

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p.s. Everyone has a different style of advising and writing. You can adopt only some specific steps if you find them helpful.

p.p.s. Another way that we sometimes use is by starting with figures ('story in figures' style).

#AcademicTwitter #AcademicChatter

[Subrata Majhi @SubratAM96]

@psmajeecfd Congratulations.

[Ory Schnitzer @OrySchnitzer]

Looking forward to this @CISM_Udine advanced course on “Interfacial flows: the power and beauty of asymptotic methods” (05-09/June). Please RT and forward to students and postdocs interested in perturbation methods in fluid dynamics.

https://t.co/Mai9cR9B8u

[Physical Review Letters @PhysRevLett]

A new generation of nanopumps drive a maximum flow of electrolyte solution through cone-shaped nanopores when the driving frequency reaches a calculated resonance of about 7 MHz
Letter: https://t.co/3JDFn6jYaR
Synopsis: https://t.co/CGkPdQRVNa

[Cambridge University Press - Science & Engineering @CUP_SciEng]

A STUDENT'S GUIDE TO THE NAVIER-STOKES EQUATIONS by Justin W. Garvin
A clear and focused guide to the Navier-Stokes equations that govern fluid motion, including exercises and fully worked solutions.
Check out Chapter one #free https://t.co/z8729pnQD0

[Arvind Narayanan @random_walker]

15 years ago my PhD advisor taught me One Weird Trick for editing your own writing. Edit **back to front**, paragraph by paragraph. I still use it and it still surprises me how well it works. When I get my students to do it, it often blows their minds. Try it!

[Himanshu Gupta @hgupta84]

10 advice for PhDs

1. Prioritize your MentalHealth over anything

[AIP Publishing @AIP_Publishing]

Now open for submissions! Learn more: https://t.co/RtF00mdoMX

[Ahmad Saeed @ahmadsaeed1994]

MACHINE LEARNING in FLUID MECHANICS is recently a HOT topic in research.
To stay current with the literature, one MUST read these VERY RECENT VIEWPOINTS and REVIEWS on the subject!
#AI #FluidMechanics
Open 🧵👇

[They Call Me A Researcher @TCMAResearcher]

10 Movies every PhD Student/Researcher must watch:

A thread🧵

1. The Imitation Game

[Mushtaq Bilal, PhD @MushtaqBilalPhD]

6 dumb MISTAKES I regret making when I started my PhD

These are in no particular order of dumbness 😂

🧵
@AcademicChatter @Momademia @PhD_Genie @ThePhDPlace @PhDVoice @MasterAcademia_ @OpenAcademics #AcademicTwitter #AcademicChatter #PhDlife #PhDchat

[Subrata Majhi @SubratAM96]

@ankurg90 Sir, Can International Students Register?