10 Characteristics of Scientific Texts, its Structure and Why is it Important

We explain what a scientific text is and what its general characteristics are. Also, how is its structure and why is it important.

What are scientific texts?

A scientific text is one that disseminates the results and findings of an investigation and represents a contribution or novelty for the subject. The author must be a researcher who addresses a specialized audience (such as the scientific community), so they can use technical and formal language .

Characteristics of a scientific text

A scientific text is characterized by:

• Mention the name of the author, his position or specialty and a contact information.
• Have the endorsement of an ethics committee (all detailed information in a scientific text must be evaluated before its dissemination).
• Detail the data of the scientific journal in which it was previously published, which supports the information.
• Include an abstract and some keywords, in English and in the author's language (in case he/she is not an English speaker).
• Detail the sources of financing that the research project has received .
• Mention the methods applied in the investigation and the type of results obtained.
• Include citations and bibliographical references used.

Structure of a scientific text

A scientific text is prepared using the following structure:

• A defined goal . The reason why a topic is exposed through a scientific article must be clear and specific. The purpose of the article should be to communicate a new contribution or discovery.
• A title. The objective of the topic to be presented must be included in the headline, which must be written in English and in the language of the author (in case it differs).
• The publication magazine. The name and publication data of the specialized journal in which the article was previously published must be mentioned after the headline.
• The author's name. The author(s) and potential contributors should be listed below the editorial publication details.
• The summary. The synthesis of the article must be explained both in English and in the author's language and must mention the objectives, methods used for the investigation, results and conclusion .
• The keywords. The summary ends with some words that work as guides to quickly and clearly deduce the essential points of the investigation.
• The body of the article. The development of the text consists of the complete detail organized in parts, such as the introduction , the development of the methods applied in the investigation (includes the use of graphs and tables), the results and the conclusion.
• The sources. Both the bibliography and the other specialized resources that were consulted for the research should be cited at the end of the article.

Importance of scientific endorsement

Scientific texts are important to endorse and disseminate research carried out by specialists . A scientific text that achieved dissemination, previously had to go through exhaustive review methods through different scientific committees.

The media that communicate a scientific text endorsed by a committee must not be susceptible to any type of manipulation , such as alluding to personal opinions or partially communicating the results of the investigations. The purpose of the evidence disseminated must be to reveal the truth and not to justify an investigator, sponsor or State .

The above content published at Collaborative Research Group is for informational and educational purposes only and has been developed by referring to reliable sources and recommendations from technology experts. We do not have any contact with official entities nor do we intend to replace the information that they emit.