Workshop 7 : How to write and submit a PARE abstract for the EULAR congress Hans Bijlsma, Nele Caeyers, Lara Poethig

l: Is there something to tell? First of all:

Content of a scientific paper Title & abstract Introduction(‘why’) Methods(‘how’) Results(‘what’) Discussion(‘so what’)

Title and abstract Title: Precise, not vague or funny Abstract: preferably ‘structured’ Background Methods Findings Conclusion (not: ‘the results are discussed) Include some numbers, not all

Introduction Whet reader’s appetite Concisely spell out the question Not: ‘little is known about disease X’ State what is already known Resist temptation to show all you’ve read Make clear why the study was necessary Be brief, be brief, be brief

Methods Like a recipe (dullness allowed) Most important part for insiders Clinical paper: selection, exclusion Standard methods: use references Statistics Ethics

Results The text should tell the story The tables give the evidence Confidence intervals are mandatory, much more than p-values Think about risk, number needed to treat Avoid interpretations

Discussion Only for interpretation !!! Not for mere repetition of results Not for leftovers from results section Concise statement of main findings Do not start a new introduction! Strengths and weaknesses of study Differences with other studies – why Practical implications Future directions