English for Scientific Writing: How to Publish Research Papers in English

You’ve done the hard part — the experiments, the analysis, the long nights. Now comes the last hurdle: writing it all up in English. If you’re a non-native speaker trying to publish in an international journal, you already know the struggle. You have the science. But turning that science into clear, publishable English can feel like a separate skill altogether.

Here’s the good news: English for scientific writing research papers is not about fancy vocabulary or complex sentences. It’s about clarity, structure, and consistency. Let’s break down what actually matters.

Aim for Clarity, Not Complexity

Many researchers think academic writing has to be dense and full of jargon. It doesn’t. The best scientific writing is the kind you understand on the first read.

Compare these two sentences:

• Wordy: “An investigation was carried out by the research team to determine the effect of temperature on the reaction rate.”
• Clear: “The research team investigated how temperature affects the reaction rate.”

The second version is shorter and more direct. Journals like Nature and Science explicitly recommend simple sentence structures. Your job is to communicate your findings, not to impress with your vocabulary.

Here’s a quick before-and-after table to show you what I mean:

Build a Strong Vocabulary of Academic “Chunks”

Instead of memorizing random words, learn fixed phrases that appear in every research paper. These “chunks” make your writing flow naturally.

For example:

• Introducing your work: “This study investigates…” / “We examined whether…”
• Describing results: “Our findings suggest that…” / “These results are consistent with…”
• Discussing limitations: “One limitation of this study is…” / “Future research should explore…”
• Concluding: “In summary, our data indicate that…” / “This work contributes to the growing evidence that…”

Keep a list of these phrases handy while you write. They won’t just save time — they’ll make your paper sound more “native” in structure.

Master Hedging: The Art of Saying “Probably”

Science is rarely 100% certain. Good scientific English reflects that uncertainty. This is called “hedging.”

Compare:

• Too absolute: “This proves that the drug is effective.”
• Better (hedged): “This suggests that the drug may be effective.”

Common hedging words and phrases:

• Verbs: suggests, indicates, appears, seems, may, might, could
• Adverbs: likely, possibly, presumably, typically
• Phrases: It is possible that…, There is evidence that…, Our data support the idea that…

Hedging doesn’t mean being vague. It means being scientifically honest.

Follow a Standard Structure (IMRaD)

Every journal has its own format, but the backbone of most research papers is the IMRaD structure:

• Introduction: What did you study and why?
• Methods: How did you do it?
• Results: What did you find?
• Discussion: What does it mean?

Within each section, your paragraphs should follow the same mini-pattern: start with a topic sentence, provide supporting details, end with a link to the next paragraph. This sounds basic, but most rejected papers fail here — not because of bad science, but because of poor flow.

Quick Checklist Before You Submit

Before you hit “Submit,” run through this short list:

1. Read your paper aloud. Does it sound natural? If you stumble over a sentence, rewrite it.
2. Remove unnecessary words. Words like “very,” “quite,” “extremely,” “actually” rarely add value in scientific writing.
3. Check your verb tenses. Use present tense for accepted facts (“Water boils at 100°C”), past tense for your results (“The temperature increased”), and present perfect for background (“Several studies have shown…”).
4. Get a second pair of eyes. Ask a colleague who is a native speaker, or use a proofreading service. Even minor grammar errors can hurt your credibility.

Your Turn

Publishing in English is a skill — and like any skill, it improves with practice. Start by writing short sections, get feedback, and rewrite. You don’t need to be a native speaker to publish well. You just need to be clear.

And if you want to check your own writing level before you start, take our free English test at English Measure. It covers reading, listening, writing, and speaking — perfect preparation for the writing journey ahead.

Take your free English level test now →

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