How to write a paper (and communicate scientific information) Michael Pignone UNC Division of General Internal Medicine

Outline What’s the goal? Poster presentations Oral presentations Writing a scientific paper How to get better

What’s the goal? Introduce yourself Communicate what you have learned Get feedback Affect practice or policy Prepare for the next study

Poster presentation Most common format early in one’s career Able to reach lots of people Competing with lots of other posters Limited time to “hook” audience Hard to communicate nuance

Optimal poster design Less is more! Bulleted text Emphasize figures over text or tables Be sure to reinforce the key message(s)

Oral presentations Typically 10-12 minutes High visibility Limited time Difficult to communicate nuance / complexity Chance to formally address questions Can be scary! Practice essential!

Oral presentation tips 1-2 slides per minute 6 or fewer lines per slide Mix text-based and graphic-based slides Focus on clarity over nuance Shorter talks- write out / memorize text Practice!

Writing the (peer-reviewed) paper Permanent record of the science Typically 2500-3500 words Variable visibility (depends on journal) Able to communicate nuance and complexity Scrutiny will be higher Important to get feedback

Scientific paper - structure Title page with author list Abstract Introduction / Background Methods Results Discussion Tables and Figures References

General Tips Use active voice, first person plural “We examined” Avoid absolutes, adjectives, and adverbs Keep paragraphs to 5-6 sentences with a clear topic sentence Ensure proper referencing Proof-reading essential!

Title page Descriptive titles better Make sure authorship issues worked out early in the research process! Acknowledge funding sources / previous presentations

Abstract Single most important section May be the only part read by most people Needs to be succinct Some wait to write at the end, but I like to do it early on

Background Provides context (what was known before and what will this study attempt to answer) Should be brief (in medical writing) Starts broadly, gets more specific Ends with single sentence on study purpose Doesn’t need to be written first

Methods Record of what was done Needs to be clear and specific Start with greater detail, may edit down later Extra detail in Appendices Can be written while study is being conducted!

Results Focused around key tables and figures Shouldn’t be text heavy Start with sample characteristics Report most important outcomes next Secondary analyses last Don’t repeat information directly from tables

Discussion First paragraph: restate main results Second: interpretation / expansion Third-Fourth: acknowledge limitations Fifth-Sixth: place in context Final: summarize again, indicate next steps

Pitfalls Never getting started Unsupported conclusions Lack of awareness of context Over-stating results

Conclusions Multiple formats for presenting scientific research Goals: disseminate work, get and utilize feedback – science is a “team sport” Focus on clarity and context Practice and solicit feedback