Writing - Academic Articles
"The School Article" Checklist
This is a checklist for writing a well-structured "academic" article. Not a straight up releasable research paper but the usual type that you have to write in universities and such. Although that does not mean the paper is any good.
- Define the paper length e.g. 8 pages is between 16 and 24 paragraphs.
- Write the introduction; what is your premise.
- Write the conclusion; where you are getting at.
- Write 16 - 24 one line ideas to support your conclusion.
- Expand those 16 - 24 ideas to half-page paragraphs; include some sources.
- Sort those paragraphs into logical order.
- Read through and polish.
More About Research Papers
Read a lot of papers in the field and cite the relevant ones. Pulling from existing work is the cornerstone of research.
Upload your paper on arXiv. Many people follow emerging papers even they are not backed by an academic organization. I think you need to have some sort of organization affiliation but companies count too.
Never publish bad science. Always back up your claims, cite papers, make your data public and be unbiased, otherwise you will get blacklisted as an author. Optionally read "Craft of Research", "They Say I Say" and "Demon Haunted World" to understand how research works.
Contact professors to co-author. Academics are hungry for good papers, and co-authoring will increase your creditability.
Don't use vanity publishers. It will haunt you for the rest of your potential career, it's a mark of shame.