How To Please The Editor Jennifer M. Hunter University of Liverpool England

GENERAL TIPS Editors are easily pleased  Editors are easily pleased  “You see what you get” ( G.M.Hall ) ( G.M.Hall )  Please just stick to the rules, which Editors call which Editors call Guidelines to Authors Guidelines to Authors

TIPS Read the “Guidelines to Authors”  Read the “Guidelines to Authors” over and over again over and over again  Look at a recent copy of relevant journal relevant journal  Take some pride in your work  Submit electronically as that is now most journals’ routine is now most journals’ routine

TIPS Avoid spelling errors,  Avoid spelling errors, especially in relation to that especially in relation to that particular speciality particular speciality  Not Br J Anesth, Mr Hunter, asperin or bupivicaine asperin or bupivicaine  British not American spelling (my hang up!) (my hang up!)  Has this paper been to another journal first? journal first?  Otherwise, risk an extra revisio  Otherwise, risk an extra revision

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” Take pride in your presentation  Take pride in your presentation  Develop an eye for layout, headings, spacing headings, spacing  Especially in figures or tables  Paginate the text  Be obsessional

SUMMARY / ABSTRACT Structured; “no wool”  Structured; “no wool”  Keep to number of words  Only your own work  Give values, statistics  No references  Often weak point of manuscript, hardest to write manuscript, hardest to write

INTRODUCTION Not several pages of A4  Not several pages of A4  Give reason for study  A few, relevant references  Finally, detail reason for your study your study

METHODS  Consider sub-sections  A recipe: must be reproducible e.g. Patients e.g. Patients Monitoring Monitoring Plasma Analysis Plasma Analysis Details of Equipment Details of Equipment  Ethics approval and Informed consent Informed consent  Trial reference number

STATISTICS  Don’t try to be too clever (Professorial tendency) (Professorial tendency)  Use simplest, appropriate test  Reference test if not well known  Say which groups you are using test to compare test to compare  Use symbols appropriately e.g ‘p’ values e.g ‘p’ values  Power analysis essential

RESULTS Do not replicate figures  Do not replicate figures or tables in text or tables in text  Just give facts  Express no surprise, emotion  Do not allow Discussion to creep into Results to creep into Results (common fault) (common fault)  Same sub-sections

TABLES Not two lines or 202  Not two lines or 202  Structured in columns, with headings with headings  Well referenced, detailed legend  Not covering more than one page  “Not too busy”

FIGURES Only when essential  Only when essential  Can often be explained in text  Good key and legend  Not too cluttered  Not too small  Expensive to produce  Flow diagram

TABLES and FIGURES Not too many, or too few  Not too many, or too few  Refer to them in the text!  Case Report rarely merits 10 figures  Reviews need some  Add relevant statistics and explain in legend explain in legend  Make sure the ones you refer to are included! are included!

DISCUSSION Open with succinct  Open with succinct resumé of own findings resumé of own findings  Give values (not wool)  Compare with other studies  Try to explain results  Four sides, double-spaced A4, maximum maximum

DISCUSSION Do not simply replicate Results  Do not simply replicate Results (common fault) (common fault)  Do not just quote one’s own work (professorial trait) work (professorial trait)  Do not be too obsequious  Or too critical  Do not replicate Introduction

REFERENCES REFERENCES Must use journal format  Must use journal format  Assiduous attention to detail  Avoid spelling and numerical errors (common) numerical errors (common)  Not too many or too few  Earliest, and most important  Not just one’s own! (professorial?)

Declarations of Interest At end of text  At end of text  All grants and other financial support listed financial support listed  Give all the details: Editor will edit as necessary Editor will edit as necessary

REVISIONS Follow Editor’s instructions  Follow Editor’s instructions  Answer assessors’ points  Submit Revision with accompanying letters letters  Check tables and figures are the same  DO NOT resubmit with minimal change (cause of great irritation) (cause of great irritation)  Use same reference number

OTHER USEFUL TIPS Avoid Abbreviations whenever  Avoid Abbreviations whenever possible possible  Never at beginning of a sentence  Only those in common usage e.g. LMA e.g. LMA  Never more than one in a sentence  Do not make them up!

AVOID Any text that does not  Any text that does not read as the spoken word read as the spoken word  e.g. Use a PLMA, not a ETT or cLMA, if the PaCO 2 ETT or cLMA, if the PaCO 2 and P a O 2 are OK and P a O 2 are OK

FINALLY FINALLY  Try to finish with a few concluding sentences in the last paragraph  Not page after page of conclusions

Great is the art of beginning, But greater the art is of ending Longfellow, 1881 Longfellow, 1881

Trifles make perfection, But perfection is no trifle But perfection is no trifle Italian Proverb Italian Proverb

BEST OF LUCK! Jennie Hunter