1. 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

2. Outline of Presentation
The different sections of a research paper and how to approach them
10 reasons manuscripts are not accepted for publication—and what to do about it
Overcoming writer’s block
Helpful resources on writing scientific manuscripts

3. 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

4. What a Scientific Paper Needs to Communicate
Why did you start?
What did you do?
What did you find?
What does it mean?

5. 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)

6. The Title Accurate promise of the paper’s content
Specific about scope of study
Indicates study design
States subject—not conclusion

7. The Title Avoids abbreviations and acronyms
Simple, short, concise (10-12 words)
Interesting, eye-catching, “reader-grabber”
Easy to understand

8. 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

9. 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

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

11. 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

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

13. The Results Start with the major positive findings
[Address the stated hypothesis]
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

14. 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

15. Presenting Statistical Information
Report relative risk and 95% confidence intervals
Use statistical terms correctly (eg, “significant”)
Provide exact p values, not “NS”

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

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

22. The Top 10 Reasons Why Manuscripts Aren’t Accepted for Publication*
10) Picking the wrong journal
*Pierson DJ, Respir Care 2004;49(10):

23. 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

24. 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

25. 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

26. The Top 10 Reasons Why Manuscripts Aren’t Accepted for Publication
7) Bad writing

27. 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.

28. In other words, say what you mean,
Advice for Authors
In other words, say what you mean,
mean what you say, and
don’t use big words

29. The Secret to Good Medical Writing
Have something to say.
Say it.
Stop.
Lang TA. How to Write, Publish, and Present in the Health Sciences. A Guide for Clinicians and Laboratory Researchers. Philadelphia, ACP Press, 2010

30. Things to Avoid in Your Writing
Jargon
Clinical slang and cliches
The passive voice
Unconventional abbreviations
Pejoratives and unnecessary information about patients

31. The Top 10 Reasons Why Manuscripts Aren’t Accepted for Publication
7) Bad writing
6) Getting carried away in the discussion

32. 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.

33. 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

34. The Top 10 Reasons Why Manuscripts Aren’t Accepted for Publication
3) Poor study design

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

36. The Fate of Submitted Manuscripts
Rejected without
external review
Peer review
Rejected after 1 round of peer review
Returned to author for revision
Never resubmitted
Proportion of Manuscripts Submited
Peer review
Rejected
Published
Time

38. Peer Reviewers: Assassins and Zealots
Siegelman SS. Assassins and Zealots: Variations in Peer Review. Radiology 1991; 178:

39. 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.

40. 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!

43. 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.

44. Outline of Presentation
The different sections of a research paper and how to approach them
10 reasons manuscripts are not accepted for publication—and what to do about it
Overcoming writer’s block
Helpful resources on writing scientific manuscripts

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

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

47. 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 2011