Download - Writing scientific paper
Wri$ng scie$fic papers 04-‐11-‐14
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prof. dr. Andreas Voss
RUNMC & CWZ Nijmegen
The Netherlands
www.aricjournal.com www.biomedcentral.com
¤ A major task you fear?
Begin with small steps
Wri$ng scie$fic papers 04-‐11-‐14
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1. Look around and reflect on the ques$ons that arise day to day in your clinical and educa$onal ac$vi$es. Take notes and jot down ideas of interest.
2. Consider past presenta$ons from different venues, such as case conferences or grand rounds. Many of these exis$ng talks can be transformed into a targeted review ar$cle that might help launch a more substan$al original research project.
Pree$ N. Malani Journal of Graduate Medical Educa$on, December 2012
3. Reconsider those unfinished, ‘‘back burner’’ projects, such as preliminary data presented as a poster at a mee$ng but never wri\en in manuscript form.
4. If at all possible, select a subject of personal interest. Are you willing to put in the necessary $me reading, exploring, and ul$mately wri$ng about a par$cular subject. Having a personal interest in a topic can improve the likelihood of success
Pree$ N. Malani Journal of Graduate Medical Educa$on, December 2012
5. Iden$fy a trusted colleague to help guide the process. Success with wri$ng, comes easier with good mentorship. Having mul$ple mentors/collaborators with different skills and perspec$ves is useful.
Pree$ N. Malani Journal of Graduate Medical Educa$on, December 2012
Pree$ N. Malani Journal of Graduate Medical Educa$on, December 2012 Pree$ N. Malani Journal of Graduate Medical Educa$on, December 2012
Wri$ng scie$fic papers 04-‐11-‐14
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Pree$ N. Malani Journal of Graduate Medical Educa$on, December 2012 Pree$ N. Malani Journal of Graduate Medical Educa$on, December 2012
Pree$ N. Malani Journal of Graduate Medical Educa$on, December 2012 Pree$ N. Malani Journal of Graduate Medical Educa$on, December 2012
When star1ng any research project you should (and can) already write most of the paper: ¤ Research what is done already (introduc$on & discusssion)
¤ Have a look at the methods used by others (methods)
¤ What do I want to “see” (results) ² tables and graphs you would like to see
Wri$ng scie$fic papers 04-‐11-‐14
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¤ What journal? ² Na$onal versus interna$onal ² Specialized versus broader ² Costs /open access ² Impact factor versus “influence”
o NEJM, BMJ, … have both o Academically achievable o Local influence
¤ Title ¤ Authors and Affilia$on ¤ Abstract ¤ Introduc$on ¤ Methods ¤ Results ¤ Discussion ¤ Acknowledgments ¤ Literature
¤ Write what comes into your mind – you may jump back and forth between the different sec$ons
¤ Write/take note while you read ¤ Start with a couple of sentences
² Aim (This paper explores …) ² Method (This study was conducted …) ² What’s new (This paper contributes to …)
¤ Examines / analyses ¤ Reports on / Outlines ¤ Argues / jus$fies / recommands ¤ Compares / contrasts ¤ Discusses / demonstrates ¤ Shows / refutes ¤ Highlights / illustrates
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¤ Start with … ² Aim: This paper explores … ² Main argument: In this paper we argue … ² Method: The study was conducted … ² What’s new: This paper contributes to …
¤ Put a lot of energy into the “Abstract”! ² This is your first impression ² Make it interes$ng ² Ensure correct use of language
¤ You don’t have to wait un$l you think your first dram is perfect à get advice/comments early on
¤ Style is (in part) a ma\er of taste à you don’t have to follow all suggested changes with regard to “style”
¤ Do I have enough (new) literature?
¤ Is my data sufficient to the claims I am making
¤ Am I being sufficiently specula$ve
¤ Did I follow the authors’ instruc$ons
¤ Did all co-‐authors contribute to the manuscript
¤ If not 100% sure, never start with: “This is the first case …”
¤ First thing reviewers might do is to prove you wrong
Never copy & paste. Editors and reviewers will recognize the change in style and start to distrust even your own text
Li\le/sloppy mistakes make a big/bad impression !
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Dear Dr. Voss,
Dear author,
Thank you for submitting your manuscript. We are “sorry” to say that we could not accepted your attempt of an article. Please find attached a rejection letter for the present and your future submission.
¤ Outrage & unprofessional comments ¤ Incomprehension & complaints to colleagues ¤ More outrage ¤ One or two of the comments might make sense
¤ There’s a bit of truth in that one ¤ I’ll just have a go at doing what they said to do ¤ Actually, the paper is a whole lot be\er for all those revisions