Jan 2009

o p sis ion
t
Synsserta
Di esis
Th

HOW TO WRITE
DISSERTATION/ MEDICAL
PAPER
EFFECTIVELY?
Muhammad
MuhammadSaaiqSaaiq
Assistant
AssistantProfessor
Professor
PIMS,
PIMS,Islamabad.
Islamabad.
muhammadsaaiq5@gmail.com
muhammadsaaiq5@gmail.com
What Prompted this Presentation
 Why to Write
To Share knowledge / Experience with
other Medical colleagues
•Critical analysis and Interpretation of existing knowledge
(Review article)
•New scientific Research
•Clinical findings (Case report)
•Others
yTo Advance your institution. Prestige
yTo Advance yourself
•Increasing your research ability (practice makes perfect)
yPartial fulfillment of EXAM
yPromotion
Types of Medical Writings

y Dissertation/ Synopsis
y Editorial
y Original Article
y Review article
y Case-report
y Letter to Editor
y Short Communication
y Others. e.g. Meta analysis
 Structure of a Medical Paper/
Original Article
y Title y Figures
y Abstract y Discussion
y Introduction y References
y Materials and Methods
y Results
y Tables
DISSERTATION ADDITINALLY HAS LITERATURE
REVIEW
Main Components of Article/
Dissertation
I Introduction Non- Title
M Materials & Methods I References
R M
Results R Abstarct
A
D Analysis a LITERATURE
Discussion D
REVIEW
The Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus
 Roadmap for Writing
Title
( Temporary
initailly )
Abstract
Materials and Methods
REVISE,
REVISE
Results AND References
REVISE

Discussion Introduction

DISSERTATION HAS LITERATURE REVIEW ALSO

 INTRODUCTION
Pearls
MOVE FROM;
• General to Specific
• Broad Description to a narrow one
• Historical To Latest
• International To Local

Funnel Down
 INTRODUCTION
Pearls (Cont’d)
y The introduction should give a brief overview of
the Issue in question.
y The main body is described in PRESENT TENSE
as it is written about what is known.
y The last para which highlights Rationale of te
study is in FUTURE tense.
y Has no more than 03 paras. i.e.
Background Information—what the issue is?
Importance of the problem, ementioning unresolved issues.
Rationale for conducting te present study, stating hypothesis
or research question.
 INTRODUCTION
Pitfalls

y Reviewing the subject extensively.

y Giving details of the experimental designs.

y Referring to tables and figures.

y Drawing conclusions.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Pearls

What Did We Do?

When?
Where?
How?
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
Pitfalls

Not explaining experimental designs in sufficient

details.

Not giving units of measurements.

Not using chronological sequence for methods.

 RESULTS
Pearls

What Did We Find ?

 RESULTS
Pearls (Cont’d)

IV: Association of dissatisfaction with Sociodemographic characteristics. ( n=133)

Variables No. of Dissatisfied P-value

patients (%)
GENDER
Male ( n=76) 23 (30.26%) 0.001
Female (n=57) 4 (7.01%)
AGE
Up-to 40 years (n=73) 25(34.24%) 0.000
> 40 years (n=60) 2( 3.33%)
 RESULTS
Pitfalls

“The compulsion to include everything, leaving

nothing out, does not prove that one has
unlimited information; it proves that one lacks
discrimination.”
S. Aaronson
 RESULTS
Pitfalls (Cont’d)
Giving unnecessary details; Not to the point.

Data Failing to answer the actual research

question/ Hypothesis.
Giving Opinions, Explanations or Discussion on
Findings.

Duplication /Repetition of Data.

Not properly Numbering the Tables / Figures.

DISCUSSION
Pearls

Funnel Up Approach
 DISCUSSION
Pitfalls
Proclaiming things which data of the article do not
support .
Failing to discuss important and new aspects of the
subject.
Failing to address the Hypothesis in question. Not
giving reasons for supporting or rejecting the
Hypothesis.
Making any value judgments.
Drawing conclusion based on the findings of other
studies.
“ A good article has a definite structure, makes
its point and then shuts up”

Stephen Lock
REFERENCES
Pearls
 REFERENCES
Pearls (Cont’d)

SEQUENCE:

Correct: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9
Correct: 1,2,3,4,5, 1,4,3, 6,7, 2, 8,
Incorrect: 1,2,35,6,3,19,4,7
 REFERENCES
Pearls (Cont’d)

Americans National Standards Institute Style

Harvard Style

Vancouver Style

Others
 REFERENCES
Pearls (Cont’d)
VANCOUVER STYLE
Owing to its function, the hand is vulnerable to all kinds of traumatic
insults. 1 The hand injuries are classified into skeletal and soft tissue
injuries. 2

References
1. Tymchak J. Soft tissue reconstruction of the hand. In: Thorne CH,
Beasley RW, Aston SJ, Bartlett SP, Gurtner GC, Spear SL, eds. Grabb
and Smith’s Plastic surgery. 6th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams
and Wilkins; 2007: 771-80.
2. Campbell DA. Hand fractures. Surgery International 2006; 75 : 437-
40.
 REFERENCES
Pearls (Cont’d)
HARVARD STYLE
Owing to its function, the hand is vulnerable to all kinds of traumatic
insults. (Tymchak J 2007 ) The hand injuries are classified into
skeletal and soft tissue injuries. (Campbell DA 2006 )

References
1. Campbell DA. Hand fractures. Surgery International 2006; 75 : 437-
40.

2. Tymchak J. Soft tissue reconstruction of the hand. In: Thorne CH,

Beasley RW, Aston SJ, Bartlett SP, Gurtner GC, Spear SL, eds. Grabb
and Smith’s Plastic surgery. 6th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams
and Wilkins; 2007: 771-80.
TITLE
Pearls
ABSTRACT
Pearls
FREQUENT GENERAL MISTAKES

INCORRECT CORRECT

DATA was analyzed DATA were analyzed

PERFORMA PROFORMA

REGIME REGIMEN

& AND

emergencypresentations1-3 . Emergency presentations. 1-3

 PRESENTABLE FORMAT
SHOULD BE ENSURED BEFORE
SUBMISSION
 FURTHER READING
www. ICMJE.org

www.CONSORT_statement.org

www.NLM’sCiting Medicine

Guidelines for Synopsis and Dissertation Writing for CPSP

Huwiler-Müntener K, Jüni P, Junker C, Egger M. Quality of

Reporting of Randomized Trials as a Measure of Methodologic
Quality. JAMA 2002;287(21):2801-2804.

Garfield E. An old Proposal for a new Profession: Scientific

Reviewing. The Scientist 1996;10 (16):12.