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paper-writing

Scientific manuscript preparation for geoscience journals. Includes IMRAD structure, journal styles (Nature, EPSL, GSA), citation formatting, figure standards, and supplementary materials.

personAuthor: jakexiaohubgithub
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Paper Writing for Geoscience Research

When to Use This Skill

Invoke when:

  • Drafting manuscript sections
  • Formatting citations and bibliography
  • Preparing figures and tables
  • Adapting to journal-specific styles
  • Organizing supplementary materials

IMRAD Structure

Standard structure for geoscience papers:

Introduction

  • Hook: Why should anyone care? (1-2 paragraphs)
  • Context: What's known? What's the gap?
  • Objective: What question are we answering?
  • Approach: Brief methodology preview
  • Findings preview: "Here we show that..."

Methods

  • Study sites: Location, geology, relevance
  • Data collection: What, when, how
  • Analytical methods: Lab procedures, quality control
  • Statistical analysis: Tests used, software
  • Reproducibility: Data availability statement

Results

  • Present findings WITHOUT interpretation
  • Lead with most important result
  • One main finding per paragraph
  • Reference all figures/tables
  • Use past tense

Discussion

  • Interpretation: What do results mean?
  • Comparison: How do they fit prior work?
  • Implications: Why does this matter?
  • Limitations: What could be wrong?
  • Future work: What's next?

Conclusions

  • 3-5 key takeaways
  • No new information
  • Broader significance

Journal-Specific Styles

Nature Geoscience

  • Length: 3,000 words main text
  • Abstract: 150 words, no refs
  • Methods: Separate section (online)
  • Refs: Numbered, Nature style
  • Style: High impact, accessible to broad audience

EPSL (Earth and Planetary Science Letters)

  • Length: 6,000-8,000 words
  • Abstract: 300 words, structured OK
  • Keywords: 5-6 required
  • Refs: Author-year (Harvard style)
  • Style: Technical, detailed methods OK

GSA Bulletin

  • Length: 8,000-12,000 words
  • Abstract: 250 words
  • Refs: Author-year, GSA style
  • Supplementary: Encouraged for data
  • Style: Regional focus, detailed stratigraphy

Citation Formatting

Author-Year (Harvard/GSA)

In-text: (Smith and Jones, 2020) or Smith and Jones (2020)
Multiple: (Smith, 2018; Jones, 2019; Chen et al., 2020)
Three+ authors: (Chen et al., 2020)

Reference list:
Smith, J.A., and Jones, B.C., 2020, Title of paper: Journal Name, v. 50, p. 100-120, doi:10.1234/example.

Numbered (Nature)

In-text: Previous work¹⁻³ showed...

Reference list:
1. Smith, J.A. & Jones, B.C. Title of paper. J. Name 50, 100-120 (2020).

Database Citations

SISAL v3:

Comas-Bru, L., et al. (2020). SISALv2: A comprehensive speleothem isotope database with multiple age-depth models. Earth System Science Data, 12, 2579-2606.

USGS Earthquake Catalog:

U.S. Geological Survey (2023). Earthquake Hazards Program. https://earthquake.usgs.gov

DISS:

DISS Working Group (2021). Database of Individual Seismogenic Sources (DISS), Version 3.3.1: A compilation of potential sources for earthquakes larger than M 5.5 in Italy and surrounding areas. https://diss.ingv.it

DOI Resolution

To get citation metadata from DOI:

  1. Use CrossRef API: https://api.crossref.org/works/{DOI}
  2. Extract: authors, title, journal, year, volume, pages
  3. Format according to target journal style

Example:

DOI: 10.1038/ngeo2681
→ Toohey, M. & Sigl, M. Volcanic stratospheric sulfur injections and aerosol optical depth from 500 BCE to 1900 CE. Earth Syst. Sci. Data 9, 809-831 (2017).

Figure Standards

General Guidelines

  • Resolution: 300+ DPI for publication
  • Width: Single column (8.5 cm) or double (17.5 cm)
  • Font: Sans-serif (Arial, Helvetica), 8-10 pt
  • Colors: Colorblind-friendly palette
  • Labels: A, B, C for panels (bold, upper left)

Required Figures for Paleoseismic Paper

  1. Location map: Study site with tectonic context
  2. Stratigraphic column: Sample positions, ages
  3. Time series: Main proxy data with anomalies marked
  4. Discrimination plot: Seismic vs climatic signals
  5. Correlation figure: Cross-validation evidence

Figure Captions

  • First sentence: What the figure SHOWS
  • Subsequent: Methods, abbreviations, interpretation hints
  • No conclusions in captions

Table Standards

  • Horizontal lines only (no vertical)
  • Units in header, not cells
  • Footnotes for exceptions (a, b, c)
  • Round to appropriate precision

Supplementary Materials

What to Include

  • Extended methods (lab protocols, code)
  • Additional figures (supporting evidence)
  • Data tables (raw measurements)
  • Sensitivity analyses

What to Keep in Main Text

  • Key results
  • Essential methods
  • Most compelling figures

Writing Tips

Clarity

  • One idea per sentence
  • Active voice preferred
  • Define acronyms on first use
  • Avoid jargon when possible

Hedging Language

  • "We suggest that..." (uncertainty)
  • "Our data are consistent with..." (not proof)
  • "One interpretation is..." (alternatives exist)

Transitions

  • "Building on this..."
  • "In contrast to X..."
  • "These findings suggest..."
  • "Taken together..."

Checklist Before Submission

  • [ ] Word count within limits
  • [ ] All figures/tables referenced in text
  • [ ] References formatted correctly
  • [ ] Data availability statement included
  • [ ] Author contributions listed
  • [ ] Conflicts of interest declared
  • [ ] Cover letter written
  • [ ] Suggested reviewers listed