Recommendation

A Guide to Navigating the Maze of Logical Thinking
Jaeseung Jeong, Dean of the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at KAIST and Dean of the College of Convergence Studies

Highly recommended! A must-read for graduate students writing their dissertations.
-Choi Hyeong-jin, Professor, Seoul National University College of Medicine

Become a top scientist by following the paper masters
Koo Bon-kyung, Director of the Institute for Basic Science (IBS)

Writing a preface can be a joyful intellectually creative process.

Part 1: Things I Wish I Knew Before Writing My Thesis

Chapter 1: Ten Tips for Researchers
: Practical Guidelines to Solidify Your Research Journey

1.
Attitude is the most important thing
What You Can and Can't Control / From Epictetus to Stephen Covey / Even if Your Paper is Rejected, Even if Your Results Don't Come / Long-Term Vision and Steady Attitude
2.
Don't do research topics that seem interesting.
The allure and pitfalls of established fields / The courage to choose a topic that no one is paying attention to / The impact of choosing a research topic / Your own principles and value judgments
3.
Principles of Judgment: Conditions or My Own Standards?
The Problem of Relying Only on Comparing Pros and Cons / Establishing Your Own Value Standards First / Having a Value Standard Can Help You Endure Hard Times / Example: Should I Go to College? Should I Get a Job? / The Case of Elon Musk and Ray Dalio / Putting My Principles Before External Standards / Fear and Greed: Emotions That Cloud Judgment
4.
How to Build Trust: Don't Be Afraid of Losing
An attitude without fear of loss / Principles that also apply to the relationship between advisors and students / Sharing contributions in joint research / Sincerity and trust in others / Choices for growing together
5.
Overwhelming effort: If you work three times harder than others, you'll get at least twice as much.
More time, more thought, and more efficiency / A shocking experience at MIT / Don't be so quick to say you did your best.
6.
Find a better way
The Correlation Between Browser Choice and Employee Productivity / Toyota's Kaizen Culture / 3M's "15% Time Rule" and Innovation Case Studies / Moving Beyond the Default Options
7.
Focus only on your top priorities and don't multitask.
8.
Don't compare yourself to others; just do better than you did yesterday.
9.
Stress Management: Why You Should Exercise
Stress Hormones and Muscle Movement / Exercise and Brain Science
10.
I truly love my research

Chapter 2: Ten Mistakes Researchers Make
: A clue to avoiding traps that anyone can easily fall into.

1.
"Causation or Correlation?": Don't Confuse Cause and Effect
2.
"I'll show you how smart I am": Explaining simple things in a complex way.
3.
"I'll show you how much I've worked": Listing data unrelated to the flow of the paper.
4.
“You understand without me explaining it, right?”: Not considering the reader’s background knowledge and understanding.
5.
"You'll understand even if I explain it roughly?": Ignoring logical connections and systematic structure.
6.
"I only talk about what I want to talk about": Focusing on the researcher's own interests.
7.
"My research is perfect": Not honestly acknowledging the limitations of the research.
8.
"All previous studies are bad": Disparaging the value of prior research.
9.
"If I just finish it roughly, someone else will edit it for me.": Drafting without a sense of responsibility
10.
"I did it all by myself": Ignoring the contributions of collaborators

Chapter 3: Why Researchers Should Write Papers
: A starting point that starts from 'why' and moves on to 'how'

1.
Reasons and Purpose of Writing a Paper
2.
The format of early academic papers
3.
The evolution of modern scientific journals
4.
New Trials, Side Effects, and Alternatives
5.
The Age of Journal Flood: The Need for Impact Assessment and Future Prospects
6.
The Future of Scientific Journals: Online Platforms and Artificial Intelligence
7.
Types of papers
Original articles / Review articles / Case reports / Methodological articles / Data articles / Editorials and commentaries
8.
Structure of the paper
Title / Abstract / Introduction / Methodology / Results / Discussion / Conclusion / References / Other: Acknowledgements, Conflicts of Interest, Supplementary Materials
9.
The Structure of a Paper: A Case Study

Things I Wish I Knew When Writing Part 2 of My Thesis

Chapter 4: Structuring Your Paper: A Storyboard You Must Review Before Writing

1.
Good paper = good storytelling
2.
Beginning Your Paper: Write Your Conclusion First with a One-Line Summary
Why should you write the conclusion first? / Why is it difficult to summarize the conclusion in one sentence? / Why should storytelling be 'reader-centered'? / The key to writing a thesis is persuasiveness and logic.
3.
Conclusion in one sentence
Clearly state your conclusion in one sentence / Prepare a high-impact conclusion in advance.
4.
From Conclusion to Title: Structuring Titles Using Keywords
5.
Structuring Your Paper: Designing a Story Centered on the Conclusion
6.
Focusing on the Figure: Designing the Structure of a Paper
7.
Structuring a Paper: A Case Study

Chapter 5: Leveraging AI
: How to use smart assistants to improve accuracy

1.
Advantages of Writing Academic Papers Using AI
2.
Guidelines for the Ethical Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools
3.
A model of collaboration between artificial intelligence and humans
4.
Practical Guidelines: Prompts for Writing Papers Using Large-Scale Language Models
Example prompts for brainstorming / Example prompts for writing a conclusion / Example prompts for structuring a paper / Example prompts for writing the body / Example prompts for editing / Example prompts for review

Chapter 6: Writing an Introduction and Abstract: Captivating First Impressions

1.
The introduction is a preview of the paper.
2.
Step 1 (What): Present your research topic clearly.
The power of a short, powerful sentence
3.
Step 2 (Why): Explain the importance of the study.
Careful Emphasis: How to Express the Originality of Your Research / How to Reference Previous Research: Importance vs. Time / Papers Are Not Textbooks / Reiterating Importance
4.
Step 3 (How): Introduce the research method and key results.
Begin with a one-line summary of the conclusion / Summarize the experiment and results / Conclude the introduction: Reemphasize the importance of the study
5.
Writing an Introduction: Examples
6.
Writing an Abstract: A Concise Summary of the Introduction
Basic principles of writing an abstract / Write it as an independent piece.

Chapter 7: Writing Results and Discussion
: Complete the story beyond simple data listing.

1.
Results: All results in the picture are presented in a logical, step-by-step manner.
Explaining the results step by step / Mistake 1: “Let me show you how smart I am.” / Mistake 2: “Let me show you how hard I worked.” / Explaining all the results in the picture without leaving anything out
2.
Structuring paragraphs in the results section
Contain only one content per paragraph / Each paragraph is always enclosed in parentheses
3.
Logical development explaining the results
Logical flow within a paragraph
4.
Writing the Results Section: Example 1
Start with a key summary / Explain the figures and data step by step / Think from the reader's perspective and explain in a conversational manner
5.
Writing the Results Section: Example 2
Creating a natural flow between paragraphs / Going beyond the results to in-depth analysis
6.
Organizing paragraphs in the results section
Sentence tenses in the results section
7.
Writing an Argument: Clearly Communicating the Value of Your Research
Emphasize why this study is important / Repeatedly emphasize new findings and strengths / Introduce previous studies while emphasizing the strengths of this paper / Honestly describe the limitations of the study / The effect of honest description / Address future possibilities and implications
8.
Discussion: Points Not to Miss
Highlights the differences in the lab's ongoing research findings / Concludes the paper: Presents follow-up research and prospects / Suggests ideas to the reader
9.
How to write results and discussion: Keep your paper simple but in-depth
Write in parentheses and from the reader's perspective / Select and select results based on the conclusion / Convey deep content using simple words / Focus on the results rather than revealing the research process / Repeat and emphasize important parts / Write the paper as if you are having a conversation with the reader

Chapter 8 Drawing
: A visual persuasive strategy that presents complex content at a glance.

1.
The Importance of Figures in Research Papers: Visual Communication That Enhances Research Credibility
Organizing Data and Utilizing Software / Designing Figures Using PowerPoint / Creating Final Figures and Managing Files / Common Mistakes When Creating Figures for Your Thesis
2.
Drawing Papers: Effectively and Cleanly in Vector Format
3.
Conciseness and Accuracy: Principles and Tips for Creating Figures for Your Thesis
Maintain aspect ratio but clearly scale / Simplify information / Align, space, and unify
4.
Important results first and foremost
5.
What tools will you use to draw?
The Hidden Potential of PowerPoint / High-Quality Graphics Created with PowerPoint / Utilizing 3D Software / Color and Resolution: Basic Terminology and Standards / Creating Graphics That Fit Column Widths
6.
Correcting drawings during the publishing process
Converting a PowerPoint drawing to TIFF / Adjusting the image resolution and size / Removing blank space from an image / Saving an image / Tips for drawing a great thesis / Using institutional and free licenses

Things I Wish I Knew After Writing Part 3 of My Thesis

Chapter 9 Correction
: Final check from good paper to perfect paper

1.
Paper Proofreading: Small Differences Make Big Differences
Tips for effectively completing the correction steps
2.
Checklist: Detailed Checklists to Improve Completeness
Figure Checklist / Results Section Checklist / Text and Grammar Checklist / References Checklist / Accuracy and Objectivity of Expression Checklist / English Grammar Checklist

Chapter 10: Organizing References
: Ending the research by connecting it to the academic world

1.
Why should you conduct a literature search?
2.
The Flow of Literature Search: From Question to Search
Question-Search-Question Feedback / Key Literature Search Tools / How to Read the Search Results Screen / Evaluating Papers by Citation Count / Useful Features
3.
Innovations in Literature Search: Citation Mapping Tools and AI-Based Approaches
What is Citation Mapping? / Key Citation Mapping Tools / Review Papers: An Effective Guide to Exploring New Fields
4.
Using Bibliographic Management Software: Easily Write Your Paper with EndNote
Why Use Bibliographic Management Software? / Searching and Importing Papers / Integrating Word and EndNote / Changing Reference Formats

Chapter 11: Submitting and Responding to Review Results
: Understanding the system that increases the value and accuracy of papers

1.
Understanding the Peer Review System
Blind Review System / Editor's Role
2.
Things to prepare before submitting a paper
Determining Authorship / Basic Principles for Selecting Co-Authors / Considerations for Selecting Co-Authors / Writing a Cover Letter
3.
Responding after peer review
Types of review results / Revisions and rebuttals / Tips for responding to reviewer comments / Sample revised cover letter / Sample rebuttals / Desirable attitudes researchers should have when a paper is rejected for publication

supplement
Appendix A.
Differences between American and British English expressions
Appendix B.
Recommended books and resources mentioned in this book

References

Welcome~ Is this your first time writing a thesis?
A thesis is not something you write with talent, it's something you design!

A research paper is a bridge connecting researchers' achievements to the world and is the most powerful means of communication with the academic community.
However, for graduate students and emerging researchers, writing a thesis can be akin to a never-ending maze.
I have a topic and some data, but I have no idea how to even start my first sentence.
Feedback from advisors is often vague and advice from seniors varies.
Eventually, months pass by with days spent staring at a blank screen.

Professor Yong-Geun Park, the author, has supervised hundreds of papers at KAIST and observed common difficulties faced by students.
I'm good at data analysis, but I don't know 'where' to start writing.
To solve this problem, he redefined paper writing as a matter of structure and strategy, not of "talent" or "inspiration."
He argues that “if research is a building, then a paper is its blueprint.”
A thesis is like building a building.
Just as materials need a blueprint to find their place, the structure must be established for the content to shine.
This book provides a 'blueprint' for what to place in each section from the introduction to the conclusion and what flow to follow to persuade the reader.

The Secret of a Paper That Persuasively Tells a Story from Data

The most common trap that beginners in writing papers fall into is 'listing data'.
If you focus on listing your experimental results in chronological order or recording every single number, your readers will likely end up wondering, "So what's the point?"
Professor Yong-Geu Park, the author, suggests a way of thinking that transforms research into a story as the key to solving this problem.
Why did you undertake this research? What did you discover? What do the results mean? What might change in the future?

These four questions are intertwined with each step of the Introduction-Methods-Results-Discussion (IMRaD) structure.
For example, the introduction draws readers in by presenting the importance of the problem based on figures and previous research.
The method is specific enough for the reader to follow, but without unnecessary details.
The results are arranged in the order of claims and evidence, not in the order of data.
In the discussion, we build trust by honestly describing the limitations of the research and future tasks.
The book contains specific examples comparing faulty and improved structures.
It demonstrates the importance of structural design by showing how the persuasiveness of a paper changes depending on how the same data is arranged.

Strategies you can apply right from your lab desk

This book is not a book about 'how to write well', but rather contains practical guidelines that can be applied immediately.

-How to open the first sentence: How to change the ordinary beginning like 'This study is...' into a form that stimulates the reader's curiosity, such as raising a question or presenting a shocking figure.

-Title and Abstract: How to capture the essence of your research within 15 words, and how to structure your abstract to catch the eye of the reviewer by highlighting your conclusions and contributions.

-Figure and table design: Tips for designing a layout that allows data flow to be seen at a glance, and providing interpretation direction through legends and titles.

- Conclusion writing: The art of repeating and emphasizing key messages to leave them in the reader's memory.

Leveraging AI Tools: Why AI should be used to refine draft sentences and improve expression, but researchers must lead the design of structure and logic.

The author especially strongly recommends 'writing backwards from the conclusion'.
If you first summarize the key message you want to convey in the conclusion and then fill in the introduction, methods, and results that support it, the focus of your paper will not be lost.

A thesis is not something to be feared, but rather the "completion of research."

This book encourages us to view papers not as a gateway to "review and acceptance," but as an opportunity to connect our research with the world.
The author's advice, found throughout the manuscript, is practical and prompts reflection on one's own attitude as a researcher.
You can experience a shift from avoiding and procrastinating on writing a thesis to putting it into action as you learn about the structure and strategy.

This book is a necessary guide for graduate students preparing their first dissertation, researchers going through the process of submitting and revising, and beginning professors supervising students.
This book provides the "map" needed to overcome the enormous obstacle of writing a thesis, transforming the overwhelming feeling of writing into the joy of completing research.