How long should a paragraph be?
250 words, roughly.
How should I organise the methods?
By research question. See also: Aligning structure across sections
How long should each section be?
Depends on how many research questions you have. See: Section length (word counts)
Should I use headings and subheadings within sections?
Yes, if it’s allowed by the journal. It makes the paper easier to navigate for the reader. But make sure they reflect the content of the subsection accurately.
How to write a good title?
See: Choosing a title
How to choose good keywords?
- Be specific – key phrases may be better than single keywords
- Search your keywords – see if similar papers come up
- Use synonyms – if multiple terms exist for the same concept, list them as a keyword
- Use standardised terms – rather than inviting new phrases
- Don’t use the words that are already in your title
Should I write the abstract first or last?
Last, to make sure that the abstract accurately reflects the contents, findings, and conclusions of your paper. First, if you already know what you’re roughly going to conclude (but than the abstract serves as a mini-outline to guide the writing, rather than a finalised summary).
See also: Abstract & Bottom-up vs top-down writing
What tense should I write in?
Depends on (1) your field’s conventions (check journal articles in your target journal) and your own preferences. I prefer active, present tense as much as possible because it’s generally easier to comprehend.
Should I use “I” or “we”?
We, if you have multiple co-authors. Otherwise I.
How many references is enough/too many?
Depends. See Supporting with evidence