> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://swissler-innovative-robotics-lab.gitbook.io/lab-onboarding/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://swissler-innovative-robotics-lab.gitbook.io/lab-onboarding/theory/scientific-writing/general-advice.md). # General advice ## Writing Papers Every paper is different and every journal has its own requirements. Some things stay the same across any writing, however. Here are a few general pointers that I have found useful: * Anything you say you should be able to defend in a court of law * A good figure can replace half a paper. A bad figure will confuse. * People hate reading. If it's not important, take it out. The reader won't care how hard you worked on a particular thing, all the reader cares about is how the information in the paper will contribute to their future success. * Think about how you look at papers. This is how others look at yours. I'd estimate that I only look at the abstract for 10% of the papers of which I read the title, then for 10% of those I'll glance through the figures. * The Microsoft Word grammar checker isn't the best, but it's helped me catch a lot of dumb mistakes. ## Giving Presentations Remember: the audience is going to remember only one or two things from your presentation so make sure the way you have organized things reflects this desired outcome. A good article in Nature with some general advice: A video about what to do with your hands while talking: