There are various types of manuscripts and journals for scientific communication. Manuscripts can be for original research, letters, reviews, or case reports. Journals can be general or specialty-focused, peer-reviewed or invited, and academic, society-sponsored, or industry-sponsored. The structure of research papers generally follows the "IMRAD" format of Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion sections. Additional components may include acknowledgments, trials registration, author contributions, and conflict of interest statements.

1. Types & Structure of Manuscripts
Scientific Communication, Week 2

2. Manuscripts & typewriters: One size / model for all?

3. Types of Journals:
General or Specialty Clinical, Basic Science, Lay Press;
Peer-reviewed or Paid-invited contributor; Academic,
Society, Conference, or Industry-sponsored;
Types of Manuscript submissions:
General: original research, letters to the editor, short
communication, editorials, reviews, case reports.
Special: technical briefs, methodological papers,
application of information technology, research
letters, blogs, poetry, cartoons, photographs.
Types of Manuscripts

4. JAMIA thru 2010 JAMIA after 2010
Position Papers Research and Applications
White Papers Reviews
Viewpoint Papers Brief Communications
Forum Papers Case Reports
Historical Perspective papers Perspectives
Papers on Careers in Medical Informatics Correspondence
Review Papers Editorials
Brief Reviews Highlights
Synthesis of Research Papers
Application of Information Technology Papers
Implementation Briefs
Technical Briefs
Technology Evaluation Papers
Research Papers
Model Formulation Papers
Methods Papers
Case Reports
Special Focus Papers
Editorial Comments
Letters to the Editor
Types of Manuscripts: Examples

5. Primary Research:
Experiments
Clinical trials
Surveys
Qualitative studies
Secondary or Derivative:
Overviews: reviews, systematic reviews, meta-
analysis
Guidelines
Decision analyses
Economic analyses
Types of Studies in Manuscripts

6. Structure of Research Papers
“Sandwich technology”
Introduction:
- High level problem statement
- mid-level problem statement
- “research gap”
- goal of this study
Methods:
- setting, population, procedures/
statistical analyses, etc.
- reproducible
Results:
- Data (without interpretation)
Discussion:
- Interpretation of data
- put in context with existing research
- limitations
- summary statement

7. IMRAD: Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion
Title
Author information
Acknowledgments
Abstract
References (what, how many, self-citation, journal self-citation; in-press, in-print;
forthcoming; theses, personal comm., )
Tables
Figures
Legends
Word count
Keywords
Author contribution (what qualifies, ghost authors, honorary authors)
Conflict of interest (sponsors, agency information)
Trials registration, statements such as the CONSORT
Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals: Writing
and Editing for Biomedical Publication
http://www.icmje.org/

8. Additional manuscript structure
related considerations:
•Acknowledgments
•Trials registration, statements such as CONSORT
•Sponsorship
•Disclosure of (non)Conflicts of Interest
•Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals:
Writing and Editing for Biomedical Publication
•http://www.icmje.org/
•Electronic publication  in-print
•Pre-publication – allowed or not?
•Paper  Conference proceedings