Getting Your Work Published Some Basics of Writing

Research Papers

David J Pierson MDPulmonary and Critical Care Medicine

Harborview Medical Center

Editor Emeritus, Respiratory Care

Outline of Presentation

• The different sections of a research paper and how to approach them

• 10 reasons manuscripts are not accepted for publication—and what to do about it

• Overcoming writer’s block

• Helpful resources on writing scientific manuscripts

Before You Write Anything

• Discuss authorship with all relevant parties

• Select the target journal

• Study that journal’s manuscript preparation guide

• Plan to submit a paper that is shorter than the journal’s average

What a Scientific Paper Needs to Communicate

• Why did you start?

• What did you do?

• What did you find?

• What does it mean?

What a Scientific Paper Needs to Communicate

• Why did you start? (Introduction)

• What did you do? (Methods)

• What did you find? (Results)

• What does it mean? (Discussion)

The Title

• Accurate promise of the paper’s content

• Specific about scope of study

• Indicates study design

• States subject—not conclusion

The Title

• Avoids abbreviations and acronyms

• Simple, short, concise (10-12 words)

• Interesting, eye-catching, “reader-grabber”

• Easy to understand

The Abstract

• Not the same as presented abstract

• Strict adherence to journal’s instructions

• Complete agreement with rest of text

• Includes nothing not in body of paper

• Conclusions specific and conservative

• Last part of paper to be written

The Introduction

• Provides adequate background information

• Defines any new/unusual/vague terms

• Points out gap in current knowledge

• Clearly states purposes of study

• Should be short

Byrne DW: Publishing Your Medical Research Paper. Williams & Wilkins, 1998

The Methods

• Simplest section to write (could be written before the data collection)

• Must be complete and accurate

• Reader should be able to replicate study

• Statistics clearly identified and described

• No results in this section

Byrne DW: Publishing Your Medical Research Paper. Williams & Wilkins, 1998

The Results

• Start with the major positive findings

• [Address the stated hypothesis]

• Include a table describing the study population

• Present the results in a logical order

• Do not repeat in detail information that is given in the tables and figures

The Results

• Report the results in the target journal’s format

• Use subheadings

• Include only results—no methods, no discussion

• Do not use more than the journal’s average number of tables and figures

Presenting Statistical Information

• Report relative risk and 95% confidence intervals

• Use statistical terms correctly (eg, “significant”)

• Provide exact p values, not “NS”

Tables

• Simple, self-explanatory

• In journal’s format

• Not a repetition of text

• Double-spaced

• Units for every variable

• Exact p values

• Appropriate rounding

• Format consistent with other tables

Figures

• Use to illustrate the major points

• Label axes and other elements clearly

• Don’t just use figures from poster

• Use style parallel with others in field

Figures

• Thick lines; large text

• Information not included in text

• Units and symbols in journal’s style

• Be careful about using colors & shading

• Clear, detailed legend

• Should be self-explanatory

The Discussion

Start with your most important point

Present no new data in this section

Focus on the implications of your results

Stick to the subject; keep it focused

The Discussion

Compare your study with previous studies

Discuss its weaknesses and deficiencies

Discuss alternative explanations for the results

Write clearly and in plain English

Keep this section as short as possible

Byrne DW: Publishing Your Medical Research Paper. Williams & Wilkins, 1998

The Top 10 Reasons Why Manuscripts Aren’t Accepted for Publication*

10) Picking the wrong journal

*Pierson DJ, Respir Care 2004;49(10):1246-52

Choosing the Appropriate Journal and Article Category

Read the target journal

Become familiar with what it publishes– Subject matter– Format– Article length– Number of tables and figures– Comprehensiveness and detail

The Top 10 Reasons Why Manuscripts Aren’t Accepted for Publication

10) Picking the wrong journal

9) Submitting something that isn’t like what the journal publishes

The Top 10 Reasons Why Manuscripts Aren’t Accepted for Publication

10) Picking the wrong journal

9) Submitting something that isn’t like what the journal publishes

8) Not following instructions

The Top 10 Reasons Why Manuscripts Aren’t Accepted for Publication

7) Bad writing

Advice for Authors

In promulgating your esoteric cogitations or articulating your superficial sentimentalities and amicable philosophical and psychological observations beware of platitudinous ponderosities. Let your communications possess a clarified conciseness, a coefficient consistency and a concatenated cogency. Eschew conglomerations of flatulated garrulity, jejune babblement and asinine affectations. Let your extemporaneous descantings and unpremeditated expatiations have intelligibility and veracious vivacity without rodomontade or thrasonical bombast. Sedulously avoid polysyllabic profundity, setatious vacuity, ventriloqual verbosity, and vain vapidity either obscurant or apparent. Shun double entendre, purient jococity, and pestiferous profanity.

Advice for Authors

In other words, say what you mean,

mean what you say, and

don’t use big words

• Have something to say.

• Say it.

• Stop.

The Secret to Good Medical Writing

Lang TA. How to Write, Publish, and Present in the Health Sciences. A Guide for Clinicians and Laboratory Researchers. Philadelphia, ACP Press, 2010

Things to Avoid in Your Writing

Jargon

Clinical slang and cliches

The passive voice

Unconventional abbreviations

Pejoratives and unnecessary information about patients

The Top 10 Reasons Why Manuscripts Aren’t Accepted for Publication

7) Bad writing

6) Getting carried away in the discussion

Avoiding Problems with the Discussion

Don’t attempt to make more of your results than they deserve.

Frankly acknowledge the study’s limitations.

Avoid excess zeal (especially important when there are industry connections).

Let your results speak for themselves.

The Top 10 Reasons Why Manuscripts Aren’t Accepted for Publication

7) Bad writing

6) Getting carried away in the discussion

5) Suboptimal reporting of the results

4) Inadequate description of the methods

The Top 10 Reasons Why Manuscripts Aren’t Accepted for Publication

3) Poor study design

The Top 10 Reasons Why Manuscripts Aren’t Accepted for Publication

3) Poor study design

2) Not revising and resubmitting the paper

Pro

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Su

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Rejected without

external review

The Fate of Submitted Manuscripts

Peer review

Rejected after 1 round of peer review

Returned to author for revision

Never resubmitted

Rejected

Published

Peer review

Time

Siegelman SS. Assassins and Zealots: Variations in Peer Review. Radiology 1991; 178:637-642

Peer Reviewers: Assassins and Zealots

How to Respond to Peer Reviewers

Write a detailed cover letter to the editor with your revision.

Thank the reviewers, praise their insight, and don’t be nasty.

Deal point-by-point with every issue raised by the reviewers.

Don’t just respond with a point-by-point rebuttal.

The Top 10 Reasons Why Manuscripts Aren’t Accepted for Publication

3) Poor study design

2) Not revising and resubmitting the paper

1) Not writing the paper in the first place!

Overcoming Writer’s Block

• Break the project down into steps.

• Don’t write anything yet.

• Make a 1-page outline.

• Do the tables and figures.

• Note down points to be made and put them in order.

• Write one section at a time.

Outline of Presentation

• The different sections of a research paper and how to approach them

• 10 reasons manuscripts are not accepted for publication—and what to do about it

• Overcoming writer’s block

• Helpful resources on writing scientific manuscripts

A Great Recent ResourceFor Both

Beginning and Advanced

Researchers and Writers

Philadelphia, ACP Press, 2010, $59.95

Another Practical Resource

For the Beginning Researcher/Writer

• 18 different topics

• Most not specific to respiratory care field

• Full text (PDF) of all available free at www.rcjournal.com

Additional Resource: UW Course on Scientific Writing and Presenting

• EPI 534 / PHARM 536

• “Principles of Publishing Clinical Evidence”

• Co-Directors: Carin M Olson MD (colson@u.washington.edu) and Eric S Johnson PhD (esj@u.washington.edu)

• 2 hours credit/no credit

• Offered spring 2011