Medical Writingwww.cliniversity.com

Types of Medical Writing

Editorial Original Article Review Articles Short Papers Case Reports Letter to Editor Personal Views Special Communication

The Basic Structure of Article

TITLE(S)Summary (Structured Abstract)(I) Introduction (What Question was asked?)(M)Methods (How was it Studied?)(R)Results (What was Found?)(A)Analysis (How data was analysed?)(D)Discussion (What Do the Findings Mean?)AcknowledgementsReferences

Title

Should be specific But comprehensive Short But sufficiently descriptive No abbreviations Should be easy To catalogue

Structured abstract• Objective• Design • Setting • Patients and methods• Results• Conclusions• Key words

Introduction

Existing state of knowledge

Gaps in knowledge which research will fill.

State what you Intend to do

Give pertinent references

It does not

Review the history of the subject

Does not identify all the other gaps in knowledge

Don not include methods, results and discussion

Methods

What Subjects/patients/animals/specimens

techniques were used? Reason for selecting the experimental design

of the study

Statistical methods used for analysis The section should be called "Materiel and

Methods" only if inanimate specimens have

been used.

(continue)

Methods

Patient / Animals / Specimens

• Numbers• How are they grouped • (cases /controls)• Criteria • Informed consent obtained

Techniques

Give enough details for readers to assess the validity of the results, and repeat the study

If standard techniques is used, give appropriate reference,any modifications should be clearly explained

If drug trial- clear description of trial

Statistics

Clearly mention the statistical methods used for appropriate verification of reported results.

(consult a statistician before starting the study)

Results Communication of facts, measurements,

and observations gathered by the author

Start with the results that are easier to interpret

Results should be set out in tables and figures

Do not duplicate illustrations

Discussion

What gaps in knowledge remain to be filled?

Main results should be summarised at the

beginning of discussion

Only mention previous results or comments which

illuminate or which are illuminated by the present

results.

(continue)

Discussion

• Final paragraph in which the message of the article is firmly stated.

• Point out where further gaps in knowledge could usefully

be filled instead of "further research is needed".

• Intention of author to explore the "Gaps" further.

Acknowledgements (Silent partners)

“We wish to thank” - all those who deserve

recognition for their contribution but who have

not made a significant intellectual contribution

and are therefore not included as authors

(Colleagues,Institutions, Organizations providing

financial help, laboratory and secretarial staff)

References

1.Standard journal articleVega K., Pina I., Krevisky B. Heart transplantation is associated with an increased risk for pancreaticobiliary disease. Ann Intern Med 1996 Jun 1: 124(11): 980-3

2.Books and other monographsPhillips SJ, Whisnant JP. Hypertension and stroke. In: Laragh JH, Bremier BM, editors. Hypertension: pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management. 2nd ed. New York: Raven Press; 1995. P.465-78.

References

3.DisertationKaplan SJ. Post-hospital home health care: the elderly's access and untilizaiion (dissertation]. St. Louis (MO): Washington Univ: 1995.

4. Unpublished materialLeshner AL. Molecular mechanisms of cocaine. N Engl J Med. In press 1996.

5. Electronic materialMorse SS. Factors in the emergence of infectious disease. Emerg Inftect Dis [serial online] 1995 Jan-Mar (cited 1996 Jun 5]; 1(1): [24 screens]. Available from URL: http:/www.cdc.gov/ncdod/EID/eid.htm

Summing Up

In the words of Stephen Lock,

“ A good article has a definite structure. Make its point and then shuts up”

Sending Manuscript to the Journal

Required number of copies in a heavy envelop

enclosing figures / photos / photo

micrographics in card boards in separate

envelop

Covering letter signed by all co-authors

Has not been submitted else where

Approved by all authors

Authors will bear the cost of colour illustration

Requirements for Submission of Manuscript

Must Read Instructions to Authors (Uniform requirements for manuscripts submitted to biomedical Journals 1997)

Preparation Abstract• Introduction • Methods

• Materials • Subjects• Patients

• Results• Discussion

Typing • White bond paper

(8.1/2 x 11” or A4 with 1”

margins

Typing - Double space

• Number pages consecutively beginning with title page (upper or lower right hand corner)

Requirements for Submission of Manuscript

Manuscript on DISC

Include a printout version

Name the file clearly

Label the disc with format of the file

and file name

Provide information on hardware and

software used.

Title Page (1st Page) Title of the article (concise information) Name of author(s)

Highest academic degree(s) Affiliation

Department Institution

Disclaimers if any Name and address of author for correspondence

about the manuscript Source of support in the form of grants,

equipment, drugs Short running head or foot line of no more than

40 characters

Abstract and Key Words (2nd Page)

150 words for unstructured abstract 250 words for structured abstract Abstract should be

Purpose of the study Basic procedures (selection of subjects,

observational and analytical methods) Main findings (Data and its significance) The principal conclusions

3-10 Key words Assist indexer and cross indexing Terms from medical subject heading (MeSH)

should be used

Introduction (3rd Page)

State purpose of the article

Summarize the rationale for study or observation

Give Strictly pertinent reference

Do not include data or conclusion

Method (4th Page)

Describe selection of the observational,

Experimental subjects including controls

Experimental method (reference for standard

methods)

Statistical methods

Ethics

Results (5th Page) Logical sequence

Text Tables Illustrations Do not repeat in the text all the data in tables /

figures emphasize, summarizing important observations

Tables - Number tables separate sheets Figures - Legends

5 x 7” or 8 x10” glossy prints (Black & white / coloured)

Discussion (6th Page) Emphasize new and important aspects of the study

and conclusions that follow

Do not repeat the data Include implications of the funding, their limitations

and implications for future Research

Relate observations with other relevant studies Recommendations when appropriate may be

included

Acknowledgement (7th Page)

Those who do not justify to be Authors should be

Acknowledged

Those who have provided technical help

Financial and material support

Some Guidelines

Choose an appropriate Journals Go through the “uniform requirements for

Biomedical publications” Write simple grammatically correct sentences Brevity is the best practice Avoid irrelevant details Show the draft to colleagues Read final draft carefully Typographical and grammatical mistakes give bad

impression Check tables and figures (Captions, size, clarity)

Authorship All person designated as authors should qualify for

authorship

Author should have participated sufficiently in the

work to take public responsibility for the content

Authorship credit should be based on substantial

contribution to:

Conception Design Analysis & interpretation of data

Authorship Drafting, revising it critically, for important

intellectual contents and final approval of the

contents

Participating solely in acquisition of funding,

collection of data does not justify authorship

General supervision of research group is not

sufficient for authorship

Order of the author should be a joint decision of

the authors