Submitting  Medical Papers for Publication (How to avoid getting kicked in the stomach) and Reviewing Medical Papers (How to kick others in the stomach politely)         Views from the victim and the mugger  

Professor Michael Gelfand (1912 - 1985) University of Zimbabwe

KICK ME

Overview and Goals How to avoid kicks –writing a decent paper How to respond when kicked - responding to reviewers How to kick others without being a bully – reviewing

Defense Against the Dark Arts Title - 3 routes Describe the Battle Declare Victory Declare you Won the War Authors ? Does everyone qualify? Have you left anyone out? Order? Seen it? Never forge a signature

Defense Against the Dark Arts Abstract Only thing most people read Data Introduction Why did the study? Not a literature review Have to sell the idea (why should I care?)

Defense Against the Dark Arts Methods IRB and informed consent How you did the study How you analyzed the data Results What you found. Tell a story Emphasize the positive Don’t repeat data

Defense Against the Dark Arts Discussion So What ? Tell a story, avoid bias - you’ve seen the same movie (the data) Not a literature review (but think) Avoid Industry style The function of statistics is to tell you if findings are statistically significant Conclusion Based on your data How much speculation can you get away with ?

Defense Against the Dark Arts References Primary source often but not always Reasonable number, avoid narcissism, Refman Do you cite the journal submitting to? Style? Tables Self Standing. Careful with Abbreviations Data in Tables and text must match Reasonable number Figures Abbreviations Quality Measures of spread

Defense Against the Dark Arts Which Journal ? Aim high or low? Appropriate? Instructions Cover Letter responsibilities of the author Not a book Don’t bug the Editor too much Success = new, interesting, important and valid

Kisses of Death “We thus confirmed …” (New) No story (Interesting) Story and data do not match

Kisses of Death Reader can’t understand what you did Fails the “So what test” (can’t understand why you did it) (Important) Salami publication Invalid – Design, Analysis (Valid)

Bad Form Sloppy. Missing pages, illegible pages, wrong version, typos etc Very Bad Form Submitting to 2 journals at once, blindsided authors GOING TO JAIL FORM Duplicate publication Making up data

Telling a story In the beginning …… So what? One sentence telegraphs the next I bought a dog and a cat. There have been many burglaries in my neighborhood. I work all day One paragraph telegraphs the next Imaginary Headings Proffread Start at the beginning and frame the problem well. If does not buy your intro youre gone. So what after every sentence and para I bought a dog and a cat. There have been many burglaries in my neighborhood. I work all day. I bought a dog and a cat because dogs are good for guarding houses and there have been robberies in my neighborhood. I work all day so the dog will get lonely and the cat provide low maintenance company for it. Frame problem well - if does not bu yintro youre gone. So what after every snetence. Telegraphing/leading the reader around a dark room. Use imaginary headings to organize paras. A painful process. Takes a lot of time. Many revisions. Don’t take revisions personally. Don’t take revisions back to your original as a sign that you were asked to dig a hole and fill it up

Defense Against Dementors how to respond when attacked ? With grace If rejected take your kicks (usually) If revising do it point by point. Do what they asked (usually) Show you did what they asked. Don’t whine, grovel or bite Proffread

Responsibilities of a Reviewer How to Kick Others in the Stomach and Have Them and You Feel Good About it. (With grace) Responsibilities of a Reviewer Conflict of interest Confidentiality Do it. Constructive Comments to Editor Novel? Important? Interesting? Journal suitability? Valid? Comments to Authors Good Manners, this is not an attack General Blow by blow How detailed ?

Bad Kicking Form Not doing the review Doing it late No comments for author Making it difficult with comments to the author for the editor to reject the paper Getting personal Handwritten review to authors Playing God Shooting from the hip Not taking some responsibility for the quality

STOP

SUMMARY SWEAT, THINK, ORGANIZE, PRACTICE How to avoid kicks –writing a decent paper SWEAT, THINK, ORGANIZE, PRACTICE How to respond when kicked - responding to reviewers How to kick others without being a bully – reviewing others