昨日インストールしてみたOpenAIのGpt-oss latest版に英語論文を生命科学分野でかくためのbest practiceを挙げてもらいました。今いろいろ質問して遊んでみているのですが、午前中に「日本の現在の総理大臣は誰？」ときいたところ、岸田首相と答えました。知識は昔のものを使っているようです。
以下は昨日出力した英語論文作成のベストプラクティスです。こんな感じで使えるという紹介をかねてペーストしておきます。なかなか参考になると思いますがどうでしょう。
## Best‑Practice Guide for Writing Research Papers in the Biological
Sciences
> *This is a practical, step‑by‑step checklist that can be followed from
the first draft to the final submission. It draws on journal guidelines,
open‑science recommendations, and common pitfalls observed in the field.*
### 1. Before You Write
| Step | Why It Matters | Quick Actions |
|——|—————-|—————-|
| **Define the story** | A manuscript should answer one clear, central
question. | Draft a one‑sentence “story” and a 5‑bullet “take‑home
messages”. |
| **Know your audience & target journal** | Different journals have
different expectations (format, length, emphasis). | Skim 3–5 recent
papers from the target journal. Read “Author Instructions” and the “
Scope & Focus” section. |
| **Plan the structure** | IMRaD (Introduction, Methods, Results, and
Discussion) is the backbone, but sub‑sections vary. | Create a “chapter
outline” with headings & sub‑headings. |
| **Set a timeline** | Drafts, co‑author reviews, figure edits, and
revisions take time. | Use a Gantt‑style sheet: 2 wk draft, 1 wk co‑author
round, 1 wk figure polish, etc. |
—
### 2. Manuscript Structure (IMRaD)
| Section | Core Purpose | Practical Tips |
|———|————–|—————-|
| **Title** | Capture the essence; be concise. | 12–15 words, avoid
jargon, include a key result or method if it distinguishes your work. |
| **Abstract** | 150–250 words summarizing the whole paper. | Write it
last. Use the **structured** format: Background, Methods, Results,
Conclusion. |
| **Keywords** | Improve discoverability. | 4–6 terms that capture
methods, system, and outcome. |
| **Introduction** | Frame the problem, highlight gaps, state objectives.
| 3–5 paragraphs. End with a sentence that states the hypothesis or aim.
|
| **Materials & Methods** | Enable reproducibility. | 1–2 paragraphs per
major technique. Include *exact* reagent catalog numbers, software
versions, and statistical tests. |
| **Results** | Tell the story with data. | Follow the narrative flow;
each paragraph links to one figure/table. Use the *Results* title for
every major subsection. |
| **Discussion** | Interpret, place in context, note limitations. | 4–
5 paragraphs: 1 summarizing findings, 1-2 interpreting, 1 discussing
limitations, 1 suggesting future work. |
| **Conclusions** | (Optional) A short statement of impact. | 1–
2 sentences. |
| **Acknowledgements** | Credit support and help. | Funding, technical
assistance, and any non‑author contributions. |
| **Author Contributions** | Clarify roles. | Use the CRediT taxonomy
(Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing‑Original Draft, etc.). |
| **Funding** | Transparency. | Full grant numbers and funding agency
names. |
| **Conflicts of Interest** | Ethical transparency. | Full disclosure; “
None declared” if applicable. |
| **Data Availability** | Open science. | Link to repositories (Dryad,
Figshare, GenBank, etc.) or state “data available upon request” with a
DOI. |
| **Supplementary Information** | Additional data, detailed methods, raw
figures. | Use clear labels (Fig. S1, Table S1). Ensure the supplementary
files are cited in the main text. |
—
### 3. Writing the Narrative
| Tip | How to Apply |
|—–|————–|
| **Active voice & simple verbs** | “We measured X” instead of “X was
measured.” |
| **Avoid jargon** | Define every acronym the first time. |
| **Be concise** | Aim for 150 word sentences at most. |
| **Logical flow** | Each paragraph begins with a topic sentence that
states the point. |
| **Use linking phrases** | “Consequently,” “Therefore,” “In
contrast,” etc. |
| **Avoid redundant qualifiers** | “The data clearly showed” → “The
data showed.” |
| **Revisions focus** | After each draft, ask: *Does this sentence convey
a new idea?* |
—
### 4. Figures & Tables
| Element | Best Practice |
|———|—————|
| **Figure legends** | 50–70 words, fully explanatory, no need to refer
to the main text. |
| **Images** | High‑resolution (≥300 dpi), minimal color distortion. Use
consistent color palettes (ColorBrewer, viridis). |
| **Statistical markers** | Indicate sample size (n), p‑values, and exact
test. |
| **Table formatting** | Avoid merging cells where possible; use clear
headers; footnotes for units or abbreviations. |
| **Software** | Inkscape or Adobe Illustrator for vector graphics;
GraphPad Prism for graphs; OriginLab or R (ggplot2) for advanced plots. |
| **Caption structure** | 1) Figure name, 2) Key observations, 3)
Statistical summary. |
—
### 5. Referencing & Citation
| Consideration | Action |
|————–|——–|
| **Citation style** | Follow the journal’s required format (e.g.,
Vancouver, APA). |
| **Reference manager** | Zotero, EndNote, or Mendeley; use the *Insert
Citation* function to keep in sync. |
| **Avoid over‑citation** | Cite key studies, not every similar paper. |
| **Recent literature** | Include at least 2–3 papers from the last
5 years in the field. |
| **Open access** | Prefer DOIs; if the paper is behind a paywall, note
that. |
—
### 6. Reproducibility & Transparency
| Requirement | Implementation |
|————-|—————-|
| **Raw data** | Deposit in a public repository; link in the paper. |
| **Code** | Share analysis scripts (GitHub, Zenodo) and include a DOI. |
| **Protocols** | Provide detailed protocols; consider the *STAR*
(Structured, Transparent, Accessible, Reproducible) methods format. |
| **Animal & human ethics** | State the approval number and ethics
committee. |
| **Compliance statements** | Include ARRIVE (for animal work), CONSORT
(for clinical trials), PRISMA (for systematic reviews). |
—
### 7. Ethical and Legal Aspects
| Topic | Checklist |
|——-|———–|
| **Authorship** | All authors meet the International Committee of Medical
Journal Editors (ICMJE) criteria. |
| **Consent** | Obtain written consent for any human tissue or data. |
| **Data privacy** | Anonymize patient data; use a secure database. |
| **Intellectual property** | Check patents or proprietary data that might
limit sharing. |
| **Conflict of Interest** | Disclose all financial ties or affiliations.
|
—
### 8. Submission & Peer Review
| Step | What to do |
|——|————|
| **Choose the right journal** | Match scope, readership, and impact
factor. |
| **Read “Author Guidelines”** | Format, length limits, figure file
types, and supplementary file policies. |
| **Cover letter** | 150–200 words; state why the manuscript is a good
fit and any special points. |
| **Track changes** | Use track‑changes or a version‑control system (Git)
for transparency. |
| **Address reviewers** | Use a response letter; list each comment,
provide exact line numbers where changes were made. |
| **Revise and resubmit** | Polish for clarity; double‑check all figures,
tables, and references. |
| **Consider preprint** | Upload to bioRxiv or arXiv to get early feedback
and establish precedence. |
—
### 9. Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
| Pitfall | Why It Happens | Prevention |
|———|—————-|————|
| **Over‑long introduction** | Trying to cover all background. | Keep it
focused on the gap your study addresses. |
| **Insufficient method detail** | Time constraints; fear of “word limit.”
| Use supplemental methods or reference a detailed protocol. |
| **Inconsistent figure styles** | Multiple authors produce figures
independently. | Standardize figure templates early. |
| **Statistical misuse** | Misunderstanding tests or p‑value thresholds. |
Verify with a statistician or use software that auto‑checks assumptions. |
| **Poor sentence structure** | Drafting in one language or rushing. |
Proofread, use grammar checkers (Grammarly, Hemingway), or have a
colleague edit. |
| **Citation overload** | Trying to “cover all bases.” | Cite only the
most relevant and recent work. |
| **Neglecting data deposition** | Forgetting or underestimating the
effort. | Schedule data deposition early; use persistent identifiers
(DOIs). |
| **Skipping peer feedback** | Belief that you know best. | Arrange
internal peer review (lab mates, mentors) before submission. |
—
### 10. Resources & Templates
| Resource | What it Provides |
|———-|—————–|
| **PLOS “Guide to Authors”** | Step‑by‑step, journal‑agnostic guidance.
|
| **Nature “Author Guidelines”** | Example of high‑impact journal
expectations. |
| **ARRIVE 2.0** | Standards for reporting animal studies. |
| **CONSORT** | Reporting guidelines for randomized trials. |
| **PRISMA** | Reporting checklist for systematic reviews. |
| **STAR Methods** | A structured format widely used in Cell Press
journals. |
| **GitHub + Zenodo** | Code and data sharing with DOI. |
| **Figshare / Dryad** | Generic data repositories. |
| **BioRxiv** | Preprint server with rapid feedback. |
—
## Quick‑Start Checklist
1. **Draft the story** (one sentence + 5 bullets).
2. **Outline the manuscript** (IMRaD + sub‑sections).
3. **Write the methods** in detail first (ensures reproducibility).
4. **Collect & analyze data**; generate figures early.
5. **Write Results** to match figures; keep narrative tight.
6. **Write Introduction & Discussion** using the story map.
7. **Polish Abstract & Title** last.
8. **Prepare tables, legends, and supplementary files**.
9. **Run a full checklist** (authorship, ethics, data availability).
10. **Submit** with a concise cover letter.
> *Remember: the key to a great paper is clarity, transparency, and a
compelling narrative that invites readers to follow the logic of your
science.*