How editors like their papers Department of Emergency Medicine Marcus Müllner Associate editor BMJ Department of Emergency Medicine University of Vienna
Some simple points Have the right question Have a suitable method to answer it Interpret your findings adequately Find the right journal Consult the journal’s guidelines
Find the right journal Don’t select it because of its impact factor Don’t select it because of its “reputation” Select it because of the audience Who will be interested in your paper? Doctors - all or a particular group Researcher Policy makers Public
Consult the journal’s guidelines General points: Journal categories Length Format References Specific points: Conflict of Interest CONSORT QUOROM
The ideal paper - a personal view Short IMRAD Clearly written and presented Complete Try to avoid “silly” errors
The ideal Title - a personal view Informative subject matter study design study population Information clearly presented NO unnecessary detail
The ideal Abstract - a personal view Short Structured Matches content of paper Conclusions only for results presented
The ideal Introduction - a personal view Short Catch the readers attention immediately Tell “the story so far” Are there controversies? Aim of the study
The Method section Should be given in such detail to enable the qualified reader to repeat the experiment
The Method section - a personal view Sufficiently long Subheadings: Population Ethical considerations Definitions Technical description Statistical methods Clear presentation
The Result section - a personal view Clear presentation Short Subheadings, if suitable Careful data presentation redundancy spurious accuracy
The structured Discussion - a suggestion Statement of principal findings Strengths and weaknesses of this study Strengths and weaknesses in relation to other studies Meaning of the study Unanswered questions and future research Doherty M BMJ 1999;318:1225
Figures and Tables should: Add information Save space Self-explanatory Not overloaded with numbers or ink
The text in general - the prose style Clarity Fluency Accuracy Economy Grace
Summary There is not one best way but many The choice depends on: Journal Topic Audience