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Collaborative Writing: Creating a Team Paper

Adapted from Kalée Tock and Ryan Caputo

Double star research frequently involves collaboration between multiple astronomers. In this section, you'll learn how to transform individual research papers into a cohesive team publication that meets professional standards while effectively showcasing each researcher's contributions.

Team Formation and Communication

The first step in collaborative writing is establishing clear communication and organization:

Setting Up Your Team

  1. Team Identity: Choose a team name that reflects your group's focus or the systems you're studying
  2. Communication Channel: Establish a dedicated communication channel (e.g., [COMMUNICATION PLATFORM]) where all team members can discuss progress
  3. Shared Document: Create a Google Doc with appropriate permissions:
  4. All team members should have edit access
  5. Instructors/mentors should have edit access
  6. Set to "viewable by all" for other potential viewers

Document Access

When setting document permissions, create a structure that allows for both collaborative editing and version control. This ensures you can track changes while maintaining a coherent document.

Task Division and Planning

Effective collaboration requires clear responsibilities and deadlines:

  1. Task Assignment: Divide specific responsibilities among team members:
  2. Data visualization standardization
  3. Measurement presentation
  4. Data table merging
  5. Introduction integration

  6. Other section standardization

  7. Content Organization:

  8. Decide on a consistent ordering for your star systems (typically by increasing RA/WDS number)

  9. Ensure this order remains consistent throughout all sections of the paper

  10. Timeline Development:

  11. Set clear deadlines for individual contributions
  12. Establish check-in points for progress reviews
  13. Agree on a final completion date with buffer time for revisions

Merging Individual Contributions

When combining multiple authors' work, maintaining consistency while preserving each contribution's value is essential:

Standardizing Data Presentation

  1. Plot Standardization:
  2. Choose a consistent format for all historical data plots
  3. Ensure all plots use the same styling, labeling conventions, and aspect ratios

  4. Verify that Gaia data points use current PA and Sep values from the same source

  5. Measurement Presentation:

  6. Standardize all measurement screenshots
  7. Arrange screenshots logically following your agreed-upon star order

  8. Create a merged measurement data table that combines all team members' data

  9. Data Tables:

  10. Combine Gaia DR3 values into merged, consistently formatted tables
  11. Maintain the established star order throughout all tables
  12. Check data consistency across tables and text

Creating Coherent Narrative Flow

Rather than simply concatenating individual papers, create a unified document that tells a cohesive story:

  1. Introduction Integration:
  2. Combine individual introductions into a single narrative
  3. Identify common themes across star systems
  4. Compare and contrast the different systems to highlight interesting relationships

  5. Ensure smooth transitions between discussions of different systems

  6. Results and Discussion Synthesis:

  7. Present results in a logical flow, following your established star order
  8. Develop connections between findings across different systems
  9. Create comparative analyses when appropriate

  10. Ensure consistent terminology and style throughout

  11. Unified Conclusion:

  12. Synthesize individual conclusions into broader findings
  13. Highlight patterns or contrasts across systems
  14. Present a unified set of implications for double star research

Authorship Considerations

Determining author order in scientific publications requires thoughtful consideration:

Author Order Determination

In scientific papers, author order matters significantly: - First author: Takes primary responsibility for the paper and correspondence with reviewers - Subsequent authors: Listed in order of decreasing contribution - Last author: Often the senior researcher or project supervisor

Consider these approaches for determining author order:

  1. Consensus-Based Approach:
  2. Discuss contributions openly among team members
  3. Consider both quantitative and qualitative aspects of contribution

  4. Reach mutual agreement on fair ordering

  5. Objective Metrics (if consensus cannot be reached):

  6. Number of communication posts/engagement
  7. Word count contributed to final paper
  8. Pages of individually-written contributions
  9. Complexity of systems analyzed
  10. Post-submission involvement in revisions

Publication Realities

Be aware that projects extending beyond your current program may result in authorship changes. If a different team member takes responsibility for correspondence with reviewers and completing revisions after the initial submission, that person may become first author.

First Author Responsibilities

The first author takes on significant responsibilities:

  1. Paper Preparation:
  2. Ensure all formatting meets journal requirements
  3. Verify consistency in style, terminology, and presentation

  4. Confirm all citations have corresponding references

  5. Data Verification:

  6. Check calculations across the paper
  7. Spot-check measurements for accuracy

  8. Ensure all analyses can be reproduced

  9. Documentation and Archiving:

  10. Create a centralized repository of all source materials
  11. Archive all original files and data

  12. Maintain access to analysis tools and methods

  13. Correspondence:

  14. Serve as point of contact for journal editors and reviewers
  15. Coordinate responses to reviewer feedback
  16. Distribute revision responsibilities among team members

Handling Peer Review and Feedback

Scientific writing improves through structured feedback processes:

Internal Review Process

Before submitting your collaborative paper:

  1. Cross-Review System:
  2. Have team members review sections they didn't write
  3. Focus on clarity, reproducibility, and conciseness

  4. Check references for completeness and relevance

  5. Feedback Implementation:

  6. Address all substantive comments
  7. Track changes to ensure transparency

  8. Acknowledge when feedback has been addressed

  9. Final Quality Check:

  10. Verify all formatting meets journal requirements
  11. Ensure consistency in presentation and terminology
  12. Confirm all calculations are correct and reproducible

External Review Response

After journal submission, you'll likely receive reviewer feedback:

  1. Feedback Distribution:
  2. Share reviewer comments with all team members
  3. Assign specific revision tasks based on expertise

  4. Set clear deadlines for addressing comments

  5. Response Coordination:

  6. Create a unified response document
  7. Address all reviewer points systematically

  8. Maintain professional tone, even with critical feedback

  9. Revision Implementation:

  10. Make all requested changes or provide justification for not doing so
  11. Track changes for easy reviewer reference
  12. Have team members review revised sections

Collaborative Writing Best Practices

Follow these guidelines for successful team writing:

  1. Maintain Consistent Style:
  2. Agree on terminology, notation, and formatting conventions
  3. Use a style guide or template to ensure consistency

  4. Have one team member perform a final style check

  5. Respect Different Perspectives:

  6. Value diverse approaches to analysis and interpretation
  7. Integrate different viewpoints when appropriate

  8. Seek consensus on contested interpretations

  9. Practice Effective Communication:

  10. Provide clear, specific feedback
  11. Acknowledge team members' contributions

  12. Address conflicts promptly and professionally

  13. Document Everything:

  14. Keep records of all analyses and decisions
  15. Document methodological choices
  16. Maintain an accessible archive of all source materials

Publication Preparation

As your collaborative paper nears completion:

  1. Final Formatting Check:
  2. Verify all journal formatting requirements are met
  3. Check that figures and tables are properly placed and referenced

  4. Ensure consistent formatting throughout

  5. Submission Package Preparation:

  6. Prepare all required files in specified formats
  7. Create high-resolution versions of all figures

  8. Compile supplementary materials if applicable

  9. Team Approval Process:

  10. Circulate final version to all team members
  11. Obtain explicit approval from each contributor

  12. Address any last-minute concerns

  13. Post-Submission Planning:

  14. Establish process for handling reviewer feedback
  15. Plan for potential revisions
  16. Discuss publication announcement strategy

Next Steps

Congratulations on completing the scientific writing module of the BinarSTAR program! You now have the knowledge and skills to conduct, analyze, and publish double star research as both an individual and collaborative researcher.

The techniques you've learned form the foundation of professional astronomical research and will serve you well in future scientific endeavors. Remember that each paper you publish contributes valuable data to our understanding of stellar systems and the broader universe.

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