An Introduction to Writing Scientific Articles on Tobacco Use John Hughes (john.hughes@uvm.edu) Saul Shiffman (shiffman@pinneyassociates.com)

Many Options Journal IF Addiction 4.58 Health Psychology 3.832 Addictive Behaviors 2.578 J Cancer Survivorship 3.57 Am J Addictions 1.74 J Consulting and Clinical Psychology 5.01 Am J Health Behavior 1.572 J National Medical Association 1.16 Am J Health Promotion 2.37 J of Behavioral Medicine 2.216 Am J of Drug and Alcohol Abuse 1.55 J of Clinical Oncology 18.04 Am J Preventive Medicine 5.249 J of Substance Abuse 1.25 Am J Public Health 3.93 J of Substance Abuse Treatment 2.914 Annals Behavioral Medicine 3.984 JAMA 30.03 Archives of Internal Medicine 11.46 New England Journal of Medicine 51.65 Cancer, Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention 4.559 Nicotine & Tobacco Research 2.477 Drug & Alcohol Dependence 3.951 Patient Education & Counseling 2.933 Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology 2.545 Preventive Medicine 4.257 Health Education and Behavior 1.682 Psychology of Addictive Behaviors 2.321 Health Education Research 2.442 Tobacco Control 4.111

Choosing a Journal Decide format – brief report, letter, full article Audience Prestige of journal important early on in career Where prior research on topic published Look at tables of contents Impact factor- match to quality of study Use cover letter to describe unusual circumstances

Authorship Never too early to discuss Be assertive First or second important, after that? Must contribute intellectually Lab head at end? ALL authors responsible for content

Key Principles for Writing Empathy for the readers What do the readers know (and not know) What do they need to know, in what order What will grab and keep their interest Use plain language Avoid jargon unless necessary or standard Active voice – who did what to whom? Shorter sentences

Structuring a Paper Tell a story The bones of the story Set up a question Explain how you will answer it Answer it Explain the implications The bones of the story Write an abstract first Simple declarative statements (bullet points)

Introduction Go from the general to the specific Not a general lit review…. should lead the reader to your question At the end of review, your question should be obvious and compelling State the question (and/or hypotheses) and how you will answer it

Methods It’s a story, not a form How did you answer your question? Conceptual structure/format often better than chronological order Use timeline figures for chronological information If you did something unusual, explain why If what you did is standard, keep it short and cite precedents Explain measures, scoring, subgroups

Results Organize by question / hypothesis Flow from simple / general to complex / specific Focus on main analyses, mention sub-analyses in passing Rely on tables/figures for statistical details Make subjects – not statistics – the subjects of sentences Make sure direction of effects is clearly stated

Discussion Start with reprise of big picture – the question and the answer Don’t just summarize, bring out implications Compare to literature… if relevant There are always limitations But…avoid self-flagellation Mitigating factors if relevant Cite strengths, too End on bottom line – what did you learn, and what does it mean, for theory, research, and/or treatment

Abstract Will be read by 20x more people than the paper… so tell the story Structure Background (context, motivation) Question (what were you trying to show) Approach (how did you approach it) Methods (essentials) Results (may not need statistics) Conclusions (what did you learn) Implications (why do I care)

Language Technical terminology If standard terms exist, use them If you need new terms or acronyms, invent them e.g., if repeating long phrase many times Direct: Active voice where possible and allowable Simple: “use” not “utilize” Precise: “Predict” implies prospective relationship Causal language only if have a basis

Process Assume multiple drafts Re-write the abstract near the end When near final, take a break, read hard copy off-line, taking the role of a reader Get a review from a colleague before submitting

Tables Should stand alone (e.g. no “Group A”) Most readers compare across rows Most important results in upper left hand corner Include units Delete decimals Only essential numbers Avoid abbreviations when possible Include n’s Use footnotes

Figures Read Tufte, 2001; Be creative Major results as figure Figures for relationships, tables for magnitude or point estimates Use 1 x 1.5 ratio of axes Explain and label adequately Include numerical values and n’s Avoid bar graphs except as major result Line graphs for temporal relationships Appropriate variability indicators

Example of Unusual Graphic

Submissions and Reviews Proof-read till absolutely no errors Include details in cover letter, esp about related papers Inform of biased reviewers Ask for update after 6-8 wks, then every 4 wks Respond to reviews point by point Don’t be afraid to stand your ground to reviewers and proof editors Once accepted, send to those you cited