Contents

I. Learning How to Write a Report/Paper

1. What is a report/paper?
2. Read books on academic writing
3. Participate in academic writing support services on campus
4. Participate in training sessions

II. What You Need to Know to Write a Report or Paper

1. Structure of the paper
2. How to prepare a bibliography and a citation list
3. Using quotations in text
4. Reference management software
5. Prohibiting plagiarism, and research ethics

III. Publish a Paper

1. Submit a paper to a journal
2. Peer review
3. Make the paper open access

IV. References

Abbreviations and terms used in the bibliography

I. Learning How to Write a Report/Paper

1. What is a report/paper?
2. Read books on academic writing
3. Participate in academic writing support services on campus
4. Participate in training sessions

I.1. What is a report/paper?

A paper (academic paper, thesis, dissertation) is basically a statement that is structured as shown below, has a certain form, and explains an opinion to the reader on a certain theme with a logical reason. To explain your research clearly to readers, it is also important to devise the expression of titles and abstracts and to organize the composition of sentences.
A report is basically composed in the same way as a paper. It is a piece of writing on a theme or subject given in a class. It would be good to explain the content of the subject or theme based on the lecture, write what you want to do (introduction), write what you have found by researching (body), and end with your own thoughts (conclusion), so that the report is logically developed. An abstract and keywords are not required. Always include a list of references (bibliography) at the end.

For more details, please refer to II. What You Need to Know to Write a Report or Paper.

Figure : Structure of an academic paper

 I.2. Read books on academic writing

Many books have been published about how to write reports and papers. It might be helpful to refer to these books when you start writing a report/paper.

◆ How to find books in the UTokyo OPAC and libraries
Searching for keywords such as academic writing or technical writing in the UTokyo OPAC allows you to find related books. In many libraries, books are classified by content and placed on bookshelves. Also, check the books placed near the one you found via OPAC.

◆ Books on academic writing (Example)

• How to write a report/paper
  ▶read more

  • Day, Trevor. Success in Academic Writing, 2023.
  • Turabian, Kate L.; revised by Colomb, Gregory G. et al. Student's Guide to Writing College Papers, 2019.
  • 阿部幸大. 『まったく新しいアカデミック・ライティングの教科書』, 2024.
  • 小熊英二. 『基礎からわかる論文の書き方』, 2022.
  • 渡邊淳子. 『大学生のための論文・レポートの論理的な書き方 : 日本語でアカデミック・ライティング』, 2022.
  • 戸田山和久. 『論文の教室 : レポートから卒論まで』, 2022.
  • 近藤克則. 『研究の育て方 : ゴールとプロセスの「見える化」』, 2018.
  • 酒井聡樹. 『これからレポート・卒論を書く若者のために』, 2017.
  • 木下是雄. 『理科系の作文技術』, 2002.
  • 浜田麻里, 平尾得子, 由井紀久子. 『大学生と留学生のための論文ワークブック』, 1997.
• How to write a scientific paper
  ▶read more

  • Wallwork, Adrian. English for Writing Research Papers, 2023.  *The e-book is also available.
  • Gastel, Barbara; Day, Robert A. How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper, 2022.
  • Swales, John; Christine B. Feak. Academic Writing for Graduate Students : Essential Tasks and Skills, 2012.
  • 荒木光典. 『はじめて執筆する人のための科学英語論文の書き方 : コツをつかめば怖くない!』, 2024.
  • 高橋良子他.『理系のパラグラフライティング : レポートから英語論文まで論理的な文章作成の必須技術』, 2024.
  • Wallwork, Adrian著, 前平謙二, 笠川梢訳, 講談社サイエンティフィク編. 『ネイティブが教える日本人研究者のための論文の書き方・アクセプト術』, 2019.
  • 小野義正. 『ポイントで学ぶ科学英語論文の書き方』, 2016.  *The e-book is also available.

I.3. Participate in academic writing support services on campus

Here are some support services on campus. Please check the details on each site and use it actively.
Some are not listed here. Contact each department for services provided by your department.
 

◆ Academic writing support service

◆ Writing Support as class subjects
Classes for writing academic texts such as reports are also offered. Check the UTokyo Online Course Catalogue and MIMA Search for the latest information.

I.4. Participate in training sessions

The Academic Information Literacy Section holds training sessions on paper writing. Videos and textbooks are also available at many training sessions. We encourage you to refer to them.

II. What You Need to Know to Write a Report or Paper

1. Structure of the paper
2. How to prepare a bibliography and a citation list
3. Using quotations in text
4. Reference management software
5. Prohibiting plagiarism, and research ethics

II.1. Structure of the paper

There is a structure called IMRaD for writing scientific papers. IMRaD is an acronym for Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion.
■ Title of the paper
■ Bibliographic information (journal title, author name, affiliated institution, year of publication, volume, page numbers)
■ Abstract
■ Keywords
■ Introduction / ■Methods / ■Results / and ■Discussion
■ References
■ Acknowledgments

For information on IMRaD, refer to the following books:

• Hochberg, Michael E. An Editor's Guide to Writing and Publishing Science, 2019.  *E-book
• 長谷川修司. 『研究者としてうまくやっていくには : 組織の力を研究に活かす』, 2015.
• 片山晶子, 中嶋隆浩, 三品由紀子. 『理系学生が一番最初に読むべき!英語科学論文の書き方 : IMRaDでわかる科学論文の構造』, 2017.
• 康永秀生. 『必ずアクセプトされる医学英語論文 : 完全攻略50の鉄則』, 2021.

Also refer to the videos and textbooks in ■Paper Writing Training Sessions (Videos of Training Sessions page).

II.2. How to prepare a bibliography and a citation list

When you use the academic information you have collected in your reports or papers, you need to make a bibliography to clearly distinguish such information from your own work and to identify the sources so that you do not plagiarize other research results. A bibliography is intended to acknowledge the contributions of other authors and to enable readers to follow the line of argument.

◆ Notes when quoting sources
Note the following points when writing a bibliography:

• Quote Verbatim
  When quoting directly from a bibliography, it is necessary to quote it accurately without changing a single character.
• Use in Accordance with the Author's Original Intent
  In the case of indirect quotations (i.e., summarizing the content written in a bibliography yourself and referencing it), take care not to misrepresent the author's original intent.
• Avoid Secondary Citation
  Avoid copying a quotation that appears in another source; always refer to the original source.
• Provide Accurate Information on the Source of the Quotation
  Write accurate bibliographic information, such as the author’s name, title, and page number, so that readers can refer to the original source.

◆ How to write a bibliography
Even for the same journal article, the way the bibliography is written differs between IEEE style and APA style. See the examples below to understand how each is written.

◆ How to write bibliographic information
The bibliography style is determined by each academic society or journal.
Check the submission rules (guide for authors) and writing outline of the target journal. You can check it on the websites of academic societies and journals. When you check these websites, you may find a description such as “As a rule, refer to APA style for reference style.”
For reports and other course assignments, write bibliographic information using the style specified by your instructor.
The following are examples of styles. Check the style guide and submission guidelines for the academic society you need.

◆ How to write bibliographic information by media
The way bibliographic information is written also varies depending on the medium of the material. The method for writing bibliographic information is specified for each style, for example, when referring to an entire book, when referring to a part of a book, or when referring to an e-book.

II.3. Using quotations in text

Citations in a paper (citation in text) should also follow the style specified by academic societies and journals.

When you write a paper that is to be posted to academic journal, there may be detailed rules such as how to create figures and tables, the length of the text, how to create paragraphs, and use of abbreviations, in addition to how to write references and in-text citations. There are other rules for posting (such as posting qualifications), so if there is a journal you want to submit your paper to, check the submission rules and the guideline before writing.

II.4. Reference management software

It is difficult to manage the bibliographic information of collected papers by inputting it into Word or Excel and to create a bibliography. It is also difficult to manually arrange references and quotations in the text in accordance with the guide for writing.

“Reference management software” can be used in such situations. It is a management tool that allows you to manage bibliographic information altogether. You can easily create a bibliography or a citation list. You can easily organize your bibliography list and in-text citations by choosing the journal to submit your paper to or a defined style.

Using reference management software can reduce the effort required to create and manage a bibliography We encourage you to take advantage of it.
The University of Tokyo has contracted with three kinds of reference management software. Click the link below for details.

• Reference Management Software
  This page provides an introduction to, comparison of, and user registration methods for reference management software available to members of the University of Tokyo. Visit this page first to use reference management software.
• Event [Japanese]
  The Academic Information Literacy Section regularly hosts training sessions to introduce how to use reference management software. Check the Event page for details such as the schedule.
• ■Reference Management Software (Videos of Training Sessions)
  The videos and textbooks of the training sessions on reference management software are available.

II.5. Prohibiting plagiarism, and research ethics

◆ Caution against plagiarism
To avoid plagiarism, carefully review the notes listed in II.2 How to prepare a bibliography and a citation list.

◆ Notes when using copyrighted works
Caution is required when collecting materials at the library or using databases.

• Copying of Library Materials
  Library materials may be copied only in part, with one copy per person permitted, based on Article 31 of the Copyright ACT. For details on the area that can be copied, refer to Information about Copyright (National Diet Library) or the copy application form provided at each library.
• Electronic Copyrighted Works
  All information provided on the Internet (academic information databases, electronic journals, and text, photographs, and diagrams on websites) is copyrighted works, and the rights of the authors are protected by Copyright ACT. Therefore, avoid quoting without citing the source or reproducing beyond the permitted area.

◆ Notes when using copyrighted works

• Copyright in General
  ▶read more

  • National Diet Library. Information about Copyright.
  • Agency for Cultural Affairs. Copyright.
  • Copyright Research and Information Center. Copyright in Japan Q and A.
  • UTokyo TV. Intellectual Property Training Session.  * Please sign in with your UTokyo Account.
• Copyright in Writing Papers
  ▶read more

  • 東京大学情報システム部情報基盤課学術情報チームデジタル・ライブラリ担当「博士論文と著作権」
  • Information Processing Society of Japan. FAQ on Copyright Guidelines.
• Copyright in Classroom Use
  ▶read more

  • Copyright Research and Information Center. Case Study1 Formal Education & Copyright.
  • SARTRAS. What is the Compensation System for Public Transmission for Educational Purposes?
  • utelecon. How Copyright Is Handled in Schools and Other Educational Institutions.

◆ Other notes when writing papers
When writing a paper, it is also necessary to pay attention to research ethics such as conflicts of interest and authorship. Many books on research ethics have been published. It will be helpful to read these books like these early in the paper-writing process. You can search the UTokyo OPAC to find related books.

• ■Paper Writing Training Sessions (Videos of Training Sessions)
  The videos and textbooks of the training sessions on research ethics are available.

◆ When writing a paper, also check the following materials:

• The University of Tokyo
  ▶read more

  • 東京大学「科学研究行動規範」 (The University of Tokyo. Code of Conduct for Research)
  • 東京大学大学院法学政治学研究科「研究論文の作法－法学・政治学分野における博士論文作成に関するガイドライン－」 (PDF)
  • 東京大学医学系研究科・医学部「東京大学大学院医学系研究科・研究ガイドライン (実験系)」
  • 東京大学医学系研究科・医学部「東京大学大学院医学系研究科・研究ガイドライン（調査系）」
  • 東京大学大学院人文社会系研究科・文学部「言葉を大切にしよう[改訂増補版]─論文・レポート作成の心得」 (PDF)
  • 東京大学大学院理学系研究科・理学部「研究倫理綱領」
  • 東京大学大学院経済学研究科「論文作成ガイドライン」 (PDF)
  • 東京大学大学院教育学研究科「信頼される論文を書くために」[第4版] (PDF)
  • 東京大学大学院数理科学研究科「『研究倫理規範』及び『博士論文に関する指針』」
  • 東京大学大学院新領域創成科学研究科「研究倫理ガイドライン」 (PDF)
  • 東京大学大学院情報学環・学際情報学府「アカデミックマナーの心得」
• Other Organizations
  ▶read more

  • Japan Science and Technology Agency. Academic societies in Japan. (Author Guideline / Code of Conduct)
  • 文部科学省「研究活動における不正行為への対応等」

III. Publish a Paper

1. Submit a paper to a journal
2. Peer review
3. Make the paper open access

III.1. Submit a paper to a journal

• When considering which academic journals to submit your paper to, it is helpful to listen to the advice of senior researchers or teachers who are engaged in studying the same field in the laboratory you belong to.
• It may be helpful for you to check if the journal you are considering publishing your papers in is included in major databases and to check the publishing company and website (such as the journal’s Overview and Aims and Scope) to browse the target readers and target fields of the journal.
• Depending on the database, it is also possible to search papers by theme and check the journals covering that theme. It might be helpful to know the types of journals that tend to cover papers on the same research theme.
• There is also a database that allows you to narrow down the search to papers written by members of the University of Tokyo. The journals to which the faculty members have submitted their papers may be helpful. Search the database of the target research field.

■Utilization of indicators
The following academic journal evaluation tools are available as a reference database for your own research.

• JCR (Journal Citation Reports) allows you to check the impact factor of the journal. The impact factor is an indicator of the impact of the journal. However, please note the following:
  ▶read more

  • Only the number of paper citations in the past two years is used.
  • Averages are used (may be affected by outliers (highly cited papers)).
  • Value standards vary by field. 
    • Numbers cannot be compared between different fields.
    • As journals in a comprehensive field have a broader target audience, the value tends to be higher.
    • More specialized journals tend to have lower value, as they have a smaller audience than general journals.
    • Reference: Writing a paper for a broader target audience in a comprehensive field is more difficult (papers that non-specialists can easily understand are requested). It is less difficult to post your paper to a journal with a special field with limited audience.
  • It is updated annually.

■Other services

■Notes on publishing in an open access journal
There is a method called "Open Access" that makes papers widely available to the public free of charge in order to have them read by a large number of readers (see also: III.3). However, malicious publishing activities such as soliciting paper submissions only for the purpose of earning Open Access submission fees without conducting proper peer review and quality control as an academic journal are considered to be a problem. Please refer to the following webpage for more information.

• 粗悪学術誌へ注意 (Attention to predatory journals)   [UTokyo Open Science Portal (University of Tokyo Library System)]

III.2. Peer review

Peer review is the process by which experts (reviewers and referees) read an academic article submitted to a journal and assess the appropriateness of the article for publication in the journal.

• Many of the reference books also describe the interactions with reviewers. Most of the books note to “be respectful, polite, calm, and logical in your interactions with the reviewers.” 
  see also：Next steps for revising a journal manuscript  Wolters Kluwer 2022.3.14
• Web of Science Academy  [provided by Clarivate] is a free online course. You can learn about the peer-review process on this site. You can understand the viewpoint of a reviewer.
• If a paper is rejected, you can post the paper to other journals -> It is easy to change the format by creating a reference list using Reference management software.

III.3. Make the paper open access

Open access means that an academic paper is made available on the internet for free so that anyone can freely access it. The University of Tokyo Library System provides information on open access and open science through the UTokyo Open Science Portal.

UTokyo Open Science Portal (University of Tokyo Library System)

• It is a portal website which provides information on open access and open science. It provides useful knowledge for research results dissemination and research data management, as well as information on support provided by the University of Tokyo Library System.
• Refer to this portal website for information regarding open access support at the University of Tokyo (UTokyo Repository, APC support), the OA Handbook, research data management, and caution against predatory journals, etc.

IV. References

Abbreviations and terms used in the bibliography

Abbreviations may be used in the bibliography to avoid complication. Please note that even words with similar meanings may be used in different ways.

Last updated: October 28, 2025