Do you have a strategy when you start writing a manuscript? Many people have one, as writing the sections in a specific order eases the writing and helps you write a logical and consistent manuscript.
Here is the manuscript writing order many authors use, and I will explain below why this order works well.
1. Tables & Figures
2. Results & Figure Legends
3. Methods
4. Introduction
5. Discussion
6. Abstract
7. Title
Manuscript writing
Tables and Figures
Start with preparing the Tables and Figures. While preparing these, it will quickly become apparent whether additional experiments are needed. It will also facilitate discussion with co-authors or other interested people, and if you need to present your data at a (department) meeting, you have these ready. I usually keep old versions of each Figure as I often change my mind about the best way to present data. In the manuscript, start each Table and Figure on a new page.
Results
In the Results, carefully describe the data shown in the Tables and Figures. Use roughly one section (one or more paragraphs) per Figure or Table. Start each section with one or two sentences reminding the reader why a particular experiment was performed and what the experiment involved. Give each section a relevant subheading that summarizes the main result of that section in a few words. Write the Figure Legends next: each legend should explain the experiment performed, which samples were included, etc., and should have a short title that gives away the main conclusion of the Figure. Try to ensure the reader can understand the research by looking at the Figures and Legends. And, vice versa, try to make sure the reader can understand the outcome of the experiments in the Results section without having to look up the Figures.
Materials and Methods
After preparing the Figures and Tables and writing the Results section, you know which experiments will be included in the manuscript so that you can then write the Materials and Methods. It does not make sense to write the Methods earlier as some of the experiments performed along the way may not be included in the manuscript. Again, start each paragraph by explaining the rationale for performing that experiment in one sentence.
Introduction
Now that it is clear where the results are heading, you can write the Introduction. First, describe the broader problem and gradually zoom into the specific aspect of the problem you worked on and what your research question was. Then, outline in a few sentences what approach you used to answer the question.
Discussion
Start the Discussion with a short paragraph highlighting your main finding(s). The subsequent paragraphs discuss the results from the main experiments, how they tie in with the existing literature, and how the existing literature modifies, confirms, extends, or contradicts these results. Also, discuss the limitations of your research. At the end of the discussion, come back to the broader picture you sketched in the introduction to explain to the reader how the results will aid in solving this problem. Some journals demand you add a Conclusion section at the end. If they do not, you should add one without the subheading; in that case, start this short paragraph with: “In conclusion, …”.
Abstract and Title
Now that the manuscript's main text is complete write the Abstract. Finally, think about a good Title that gives away the main finding and states the type of study performed. The Abstract and Title are based on all other sections, so it is best to write these last.
General tips:
Add a working title to the manuscript from the start, but precede it with ´Working title:´ so you do not forget to rewrite it at the end.
Save every version of the manuscript; you may need to return to an earlier version to retrieve the text you threw out or check the comments in the margins. Some people keep a separate file with deleted paragraphs to make it easy to find them back.
While writing, automatically add the References using a reference management program; this prevents you from wasting time later on as you may not remember where you read certain information and need to reread many articles to find it.
From the start, keep the order of the sections in your manuscript as follows: Title page, Abstract, Introduction, Materials & Methods, Results, Discussion, References, Tables, Figure Legends (yes, on a page separate from the Figures), and Figures. This is the order in which most journals want you to submit them. I have seen many articles where the author kept the Figures and Tables in the Results section. This often resulted in a Results section that did not fully describe the data in the Figures and Tables as the writer would always see the data, thus preventing a good description of the data.
Note: of course, there are also authors (e.g., here and here) who use a slightly different order; however, nobody writes the article sections in the order in which they are published.
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