Writing a journal paper takes more time than doing the actual research—I’ve heard this complaint not only from PhD students but also from experienced research scientists. Why does it take so long to write a research paper?
Obvious reasons include procrastinating, having poor academic writing skills, and not knowing how to develop an outline. However, as a freelance editor who has worked with hundreds of authors, I know there are other reasons writing a journal paper takes longer than it has to. Here are some of the main reasons I have identified. I hope reading this post will help you understand how you could write a research paper faster.
Trying to cram too many ideas in one paper
Sometimes a research project branches out into new exciting avenues that reward you with surprising, but secondary, findings. When writing up the results of your main research project, it can be tempting to show off all the work you’ve done. So, you include one more appendix, a few more examples, or one more case study in your manuscript.
But if that text is unnecessary, you’ll have to remove it during revision and your work will go to waste.
To speed up writing your paper, aim to avoid rework. Include only the essential information in your manuscript, and add more detail as you get feedback from colleagues and peer reviewers.
Starting small and working up from there is faster than writing a paper only to trim it later.
Editing while writing
Writing an academic journal paper is time consuming when you edit while writing. This approach to writing a paper can cause a lot of frustration. If you draft a paragraph only to delete it because it’s not perfect (it never is), and then rewrite it again and again, you’ll get stuck in a hamster wheel of revisions.
Instead, to see your progress, get your ideas in writing without worrying about fine-tuning the text at first. When you have the finished manuscript, revise and edit it, ask your colleagues to review it, or send it to a freelance language editor.
Starting with a blank document
Writing a research paper starting from zero can be disheartening.
But if you make a habit of writing some of the sections of your paper while you do your research, you can get a head start. For instance, the literature review, data and methods, and results are all easier to draft when they’re fresh in your mind.
When it’s time to write the paper, paste these sections into a single document and watch the word count reach thousands in a minute.
At this point, avoid editing the partial manuscript and falling into the trap of editing while writing. Instead, focus on drafting the remaining sections first. Then, revise and edit the complete manuscript. Following these steps should make writing faster.
Having too many collaborators on your paper
While co-authorship was once rare, nowadays journal articles with multiple authors have become the norm. Also, on average, the number of co-authors of scholarly papers has increased in all research fields in the past century, according to the authors of a PLoS One article. So, it’s very likely some of your papers will have more than a couple of authors.
Too many authors not only “spoil the credit” but also make writing a paper drag on for months. Every author should review the draft and contribute to it. But waiting for your collaborators’ input will test your patience. Chances are they won’t be as invested in your project as you are, and they’ll have other priorities, so they’ll delay reading your draft. And when you eventually get their feedback, you’ll have to put in more time to revise the manuscript according to their suggestions.
Before you set off to write a journal paper, consider sole authorship. If that option isn’t possible for you, select only those collaborators who are likely to make a substantial and timely contribution to your manuscript. And then be patient. If you’re a grad student, APA Science Student Council has a useful guide on negotiating authorship with your advisor.
Seeing writing journal papers as a waste of time
Believing that your research is important but writing it up isn’t will make writing a research paper feel like a chore. As such, no matter how long writing takes you, it will seem too long.
But if you change your attitude toward it to a more constructive one, you might start liking writing journal papers. Doing something enjoyable is never a time sink. So, even when you spend several months on a paper, it won’t feel like it’s too long. Also, start considering yourself both a researcher and a writer, because writing is such an integral part of academic research that you’ll need to acquire excellent writing skills to thrive in academia.
Summary
Try to uncover the reasons writing takes you more time than you’re comfortable with—or than you’re paid for. You’ll then be able to seek solutions to write journal papers faster.
Do you need a language editor? Send me a message at editor@languageediting.com.
I am grateful to Steve Carlson for spotting a typo in the first version of this article (“complain” instead of “complaint”) and for taking the time to send me a message about it.
Related posts:
- Write your research paper outline
- The best academic writing books: My list
- Should I edit my own research paper?
Last revised on 28 September 2022
