Getting Your Work Published Some Basics of Writing Research Papers David J Pierson MD Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Harborview Medical Center Editor Emeritus, Respiratory Care

Improved Knowledge Better Patient Care Where We Are Now Publication of the paper Peer review and revision Writing & submitting the paper Presenting the abstract Writing & submitting the abstract Collecting & analyzing the data Designing the study Generating the hypothesis

Improved Knowledge Better Patient Care Where We Are Now Publication of the paper Peer review and revision Writing & submitting the paper Presenting the abstract Writing & submitting the abstract Collecting & analyzing the data Designing the study Generating the hypothesis

A Great New Resource For Both Beginning and Advanced Researchers and Writers Philadelphia, ACP Press, 2010, $59.95

Another Good Resource For the Beginner (Unfortunately out of Print) Byrne DW: Publishing Your Medical Research Paper. Baltimore, Williams & Wilkins, 1998, $26.

Another Recent Practical Source For the Beginning Researcher/Writer 18 different topics Most not specific to respiratory care field Full text (PDF) of all available free at

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 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):

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

Hemingway’s Rules for Writing 1) Use short sentences. 2) Use short first paragraphs. 3) Use vigorous English. 4) Be positive, not negative.

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

Interpretation of the Results: Most Common Criticisms by Reviewers and Editors*  Erroneous or unsupported conclusions  Conclusions disproportionate to results  Uncritical acceptance of statistical results  Interpretation of results not concordant with data reported *Byrne DW: Publishing Your Medical Research Paper. Baltimore, Williams & Wilkins, 1998:48-50

Interpretation of the Results: Most Common Criticisms by Reviewers and Editors*  Inadequate link of findings to practice or policy  Failure to consider alternative explanations for results obtained  Failure to acknowledge study’s limitations *Byrne DW: Publishing Your Medical Research Paper. Baltimore, Williams & Wilkins, 1998:48-50

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

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

The Top 10 Reasons Why Manuscripts Aren’t Accepted for Publication 3) Poor study design 2) Not revising and resubmitting the paper

Proportion of Manuscripts Submited 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

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.

Additional Resource: UW Course on Scientific Writing and Presenting EPI 534 / PHARM 536 “Principles of Publishing Clinical Evidence” Co-Directors: Carin M Olson MD and Eric S Johnson PhD 2 hours credit/no credit Offered spring 2010