Tables and figures: No more than six tables or figures; Use Table 1 for sample characteristics (no P values); Put most important findings in a figure.
Discussion: State what you found; Outline the strengths and limitations of the study; Discuss the relevance to current literature; Outline your implications with a clear “So what?” and “Where now?”
References: All citations must be accurate; Include only the most important, most rigorous, and most recent literature; Quote only published journal articles or books; Never quote “second hand”; Cite only 20-35 references.
Formatting: Include the title, author, page numbers, etc. in headers and footers; Start each section on a new page; Format titles and subtitles consistently; Comply with “Instructions to authors”.
二、英文写作的语言技巧
1. Introduction：
A. 如何指出当前研究的不足并有目的地引导出自己研究的重要性？在叙述前人成果之后，用However来引导不足，提出一种新方法或新方向。如： However, little information(little attention/little work/little data/little research……)(or few studies/few investigations/few researchers/few attempts……)(or no/none of these studies……)has(have)been done on(focused on/attempted to/conducted/investigated/studied(with respect to))。如：Previous research (studies, records) has (have) failed to consider/ ignored/ misinterpreted/ neglected to/overestimated, underestimated/misleaded. thus, these previus results are inconclisive, misleading, unsatisfactory, questionable, controversial. Uncertainties (discrepancies) still exist……研究方法和方向与前人一样时，可通过以下方式强调自己工作：However, data is still scarce(rare, less accurate)or there is still dearth of……We need to(aim to, have to) provide more documents(data, records, studies, increase the dataset). Further studies are still necessary(essential)……
强调自己研究的重要性，一般还要在However之前介绍与自己研究问题相反或相关的问题。比如：(1)时间问题；(2)研究手段问题；(3)研 究区域问题；(4)不确定性；(5)提出自己的假设来验证。如果你研究的问题在时间上比较新，你可大量提及时间较老问题的研究及重要性，然后 (However)表明“对时间尺度比较新的问题研究不足”；如果你的是一种新的研究手段或研究方向，你可提出当前流行的方法及其物质性质，然后 (However)说对你所研究的方向方法研究甚少；如果研究涉及区域问题，就先总结相邻区域或其它区域的研究，然后(However)强调这一区域的研 究不足；虽然前人对某一问题研究很多，但目前有两种或更多种观点，这种uncertanties或ambiguities值得进一步澄清；如果自己的研究 是全是新的，没有前人的工作可对比，你就可以自信地说“根据假设提出的过程，存在这种可能的结果，本文就是要证实这种结果”等等。We aim to test the feasibility (reliability) of the……It is hoped that the question will be resolved (fall away) with our proposed method (approach).
B. 提出自己的观点：We aim to//This paper reports on//This paper provides results//This paper extends the method//This paper focus on……The purpose of this paper is to……Furthermore, Moreover, In addition, we will also discuss……
C. 圈定自己的研究范围：introduction的另一个作用就是告诉读者(包括reviewer)，你文章的主要研究内容。如果处理不好， reviewer会提出严厉的建议，比如你没有考虑某种可能性，某种研究手段等。为减少这种争论，在前言的结尾就必须明确提出本文研究的范围：(1)时间 尺度；(2) 研究区域等。如涉及较长的时序，你可明确提出本文只关心某一特定时间范围的问题，We preliminarily focus on the older (younger)……如有两种时间尺度 (long-term and short term)，你可说两者都重要，但是本文只涉及其中一种。研究区域的问题，和时间问题一样，也需明确提出你只关心某一特定区域！
D. 最后的原场：在前言的最后，还可以总结性地提出“这一研究对其它研究有什么帮助”；或者说further studies on……will be summarized in our next study (or elsewhere)。总之，其目的就是让读者把思路集中到你要讨论的问题上来。尽量减少不必要的争论(arguments)。
2. Discussion：
A. 怎样提出观点：在提出自己的观点时，采取什么样的策略很重要，不合适的句子通常会遭到reviewer置疑。(1)如果观点不是这篇文章最新提出的，通常 要用We confirm that……(2)对于自己很自信的观点，可用We believe that……(3)通常，由数据推断出一定的结论，用Results indicate, infer, suggest, imply that……(4) 在极其特别时才可用We put forward(discover, observe)……”for the first time”来强调自己的创新……(5) 如果自己对所提出的观点不完全肯定，可用We tentatively put forward (interrprete this to…)Or The results may be due to (caused by) attributed to resulted from……Or This is probably a consequence of……It seems that……can account for (interpret) this……Or It is posible that it stem from……要注意这些结构要合理搭配。如果通篇是类型1)和5)，那这篇文章的意义就大打折扣。如果全是2)，肯定会遭到置疑。所以要仔细分析自己成果 的创新性以及可信度。
B. 连接词与逻辑：写英文论文最常见的毛病是文章的逻辑不清楚，解决方法如下。
(1)注意句子上下连贯，不能让句 子独立。常见的连接词有，However, also, in addition, consequently, afterwards, moreover, Furthermore, further, although, unlike, in contrast, Similarly, Unfortunately, alternatively, parallel results, In order to, despite, For example, Compared with, other results, thus, therefore……用好连接词能使文章层次清楚，意思明确。比如，叙述有时间顺序的事件或文献，最早的文献可用AA advocated it for the first time.接下来可用Then BB further demonstrated that. 再接下来，可用Afterwards, CC……如果还有，可用More recent studies by DD……如果叙述两种观点，要把它们截然分开AA put forward that……In contrast, BB believe or Unlike AA, BB suggest or On the contrary (表明前面观点错误)，如果只表明两种观点对立，用in contrast BB……如果两种观点相近,可用AA suggest……Similarily, alternatively, BB……Or Also, BB or BB allso does……表示因果或者前后关系可用Consequently, therefore, as a result……表明递进关系可用furthermore, further, moreover, in addition……写完一段英文，最好首先检查是否较好地应用了这些连接词。
