Instruction to Authors for Quality Publications

1. Instruction to Authors for Quality
Publications
Dr Amit Agrawal, MCh

2.  The interest in medical publication continues to grow each
year
 Provide the most reliable information for the management
of our patients
 The quality and number of publications is at the core of
one’s reputation and promotion
Introduction

3.  To communicate new information that has clinical relevance
and will improve health care
Objectives of scientific
writing

4.  Get your name in print
 To impress others
 To add a few lines to your resume
 To get tenure or a promotion; or
 To communicate your ideas to those who read your
manuscript?
Why do you want to write?

5.  Prospective studies
 Retrospective studies
 Review articles
 Case reports
Order of Significance

6.  All manuscripts should be organized in the order according
to individual journal style
 Be sure to consult and adhere to the "Authors' Instructions"
of the specific journal
 Computer technology and software developments should
facilitate the process
Organization

7.  Content
 Structure
 Clarity of presentation
 A manuscript may have Nobel Prize caliber content, but if it
is not presented logically and with clarity, readers may not
understand the content.
Elements to a Journal Manuscript

8.  Covering Letter
 Title and title page
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 Conclusion
 References
Anatomy of a Scientific Article

9.  Gives a synopsis of the article and why it matters
 Explains what makes it a unique work
 Supplies background information where it may be useful
Cover letter

10.  Titles should be brief within descriptive limits (a 16-word
maximum is recommended)
 The name of the disability treated should be included in the
title if it is the relevant factor
 If the technique or type of treatment used is the principal
reason for the report, it should be in the title
Title Page

11.  A good abstract can be the most important paragraph in the
article
 Abstract should be coherent and precise
 Structured
 Succinctly summarize the major intent of the manuscript,
the major points of the body, and the author's results and/or
conclusions
Abstract

12.  Following your abstract, list three to six key words or
phrases that can be used in a subject index to refer to your
paper
Key words

13.  To stimulate the reader's interest
 To outline the reason for the study, that is, the controversy
or "knowledge gap" that prompted the study
 Not the place for great detail
 Remember to keep the detail in the discussion
Introduction

14.  The most important aspect of a research paper
 The function of the method section is to describe
procedures used and assert their credibility
 The methods section should contain sufficient
detail concerning the methods, procedures, and
apparatus used so that others can reproduce the
experiment
 Must provide a clear and precise description of how
an experiment was done
Method

15.  This section functioned to describe (but not interpret) data
in an ostensibly objective manner
 The results should summarize the important results of the
experiment, using descriptive and inferential statistics and a
few well planned and carefully constructed illustrations
Results

16.  Statistics don't indicate or prove anything; they simply
provide you with support for making a decision
Statistics

17.  The most difficult part of writing
 It allows the reader to grasp the real relevance and validity
of the study and its usability for his or her decision-making in
clinical and community care, research and health policies
and program proposal, implementation, and evaluation
 Helps to contextualize the research, and assert its value
 Put your results in perspective with your expectations and
compare your results with the rest of the world
 Don't repeat the results; discuss them
Discussion

18.  To tie the article together with a summary paragraph or list
of conclusions at the end of the discussion section
Conclusion

19.  It is placed directly after the reference or the name of the
author being cited
 References should be used liberally
 It is unethical to present others' ideas as your own
 Helpful for readers who desire further information on the
topic
References/Citations

20.  Clear the decks
 The first strategy is the one that everyone hopes for, the
open space, the dreamed opportunity that happens when
you clear the decks
 Wedging it in
 Those who wedge it in are driven to write and do it in
between everything else
 Schedulers
 Sooner or later, most writers, after trying all sorts of
strategies, become schedulers, but how they get there is
variable
Categories of writers

21.  A great clinical workload should not be an excuse
 One must begin sometime even if things seem incomplete
 Think through the key ideas and messages for readers
 Organize the ideas into a logical structure
Steps of writing a paper

22.  What do you want to write?
 Why do you want to publish in a particular journal?
 Does the journal cover your educational, managerial or
clinical specialties?
Before starting

23.  Create an outline or draft with a rough plan with headings
and sub-headings
 It is worth doing a “brainstorm”
 Writing on a piece of paper as many aspects of the theme
you can think about
 It is not important at this stage whether the areas are
relevant or appropriate.
 You can change this at a later stage
Create an Outline

24.  The prime purpose should be to explain something, not to
prove yourself smarter than your readers
 Brief articles are less apt to be taxing or sleep-inducing to
editors and readers
 Also journals have a strict fixed limit on published pages
Be brief

25.  DON’T publish the same message more than once
 DON’T publish another article a year later with 100
patients unless you have found something very
new and very important
 DON’T assume that others have the same level of
interest and knowledge in your area of
investigation as you have
 DON’T send case reports and review articles to the
better journals
Don’t

26.  Publication process require a focused period of thinking
that is best served by having large blocks of uninterrupted
time
 Adopt time management strategies that aid publication
 Research is an attitude of mind linked to intellectual and
practical energy
 There is no necessity for research to be separated from
everyday practice
Time Management

27.  You need to be prepared to face the inevitable
“rejection” letter
 Let’s face it; Don’t be discouraged; Don’t give up
 More articles are submitted to journals than can
possibly be published at any one time
 Use recommendations as guidance for improving
your manuscript
 Then consider submitting it to another journal
 Perseverance can pay off
Dealing with “Rejection”

28.  What kind of reports do I want?
 Is this article relevant to my issue and setting?
 How much detail do I need?
 How comprehensive do I need to be?
Questions to Ask

29.  Write your ideas
 Try to imagine what the finished article will look like
 It may throw up inconsistencies that you had not
seen before, and you will have to think again
 Include appropriate high quality figures and tables
 Double check any recommendations about drugs
and dosages
 Present your findings objectively and let them
stand or fall on their own
Tips

30.  Clear communication
 Direct
 Simple
 Brief
 Vigorous
 Lucid
 Good thinking, not fancy word processing
 Ideas must be presented briefly, precisely and
logically
 An orderly manner that flows smoothly from idea
to idea
Summary

31.  Publication is a voyage of self-exploration, and the
polishing of a diamond that you have personally
wrought
 Publication is the proper endpoint of research
 Writing an article refines ideas and makes discard
some and develop others
 One must develop strategies for making time to
write
 If your ideas get published then your pleasure will
be the greater
Summary

32.  Forget all the above rules
 Do not focus too much on style (As it may hinder your
thought processes)
 Get the concepts on paper first; then rewrite and rewrite
until the concepts are clear
Writing your first draft

33. Writers need knowledge and credentials to write, but one key to successful
writing is to start writing now
Carter R. Write it now, or never ! Nurse Author Ed. 1996 ;6(2):3-4.