Workshop Agenda

‘MEDICAL PAPER WRITING – STEP BY STEP’

TOPIC
Welcome and Recitation of Holy Quran
Knowing each other
Structure of Medical Paper
Ethical Review Process
Importance of Referencing
How to construct
- A good Title
- A well-structured Abstract
Group Photograph & Tea Break
Anatomy of a paper (IMRaD)
- Introduction
- Methods
- Results and
- Discussion
Plagiarism & Authorship Criteria
Feedback & Closing
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Structure of Medical
Paper
Exercise
 Title

Abstract

References

Introduction
Structure of
Medical Paper
Acknowledgment /
Disclaimers

Methods

Discussion &
conclusion
Results
MEDICAL PAPER WRITING
Insights about Publication Process
TERMINOLOGIES
• IMPACT FACTOR
• The impact factor (IF) or journal impact
factor (JIF) of an academic journal is a measure
reflecting the yearly average number of citations to
recent articles published in that journal.

• INDEXATION
• Indexation of a journal is considered a reflection of
its quality. Indexed journals are considered to be of
higher scientific quality as compared to non-
indexed journals. Medical Journals are indexed with
MedLine, PubMed, EMBASE, SCOPUS, EBSCO
Publishing's Electronic Databases, SCIRUS among
others.
 The traditional peer-review process
Author submits manuscript

‘Triage’
Initial in-house assessment
Rejection
Back to author Manuscript sent for without external
for completion external review
review
Reviewers submits his
assessment/reports

Editorial decision made

Decision communicated to author

(and reviewer)
Common challenges during editorial
process

• Time consuming process!

I. No reply from reviewers
II. No reply from authors

• Inadequate skill mix (English language, statistics,

Epidemiology, public health, clinical expertise)

• Unavailability of relevant reviewer

• Instruction are not being followed

 Common reasons for rejection

• No/insufficient novelty and potential impact

of the work

• No conceptual or methodological advances

• Lack of appropriateness for the journal's

editorial scope, readers
 Why publish?

Sharing Career
knowledge enhancing

Ensure Intellectual
recognition growth
MEDICAL PAPER WRITING
Importance of Referencing
What Citation and Quotation are telling your
reader?
Citing References in the text
Comparison of the efficacy and safety of Montelukast and
Inhaled Corticosteroids in in asthmatic children

Ostrom NK, Decotiis BA, Lincourt WR, Edwards LD, Hanson KM,
Rosenzweig JR, Crim C. Comparative efficacy and safety of low-dose
fluticasone propionate and montelukast in children with persistent asthma.
The Journal of pediatrics. 2005 Aug 1;147(2):213-20.

KEYWORDS
Efficacy Safety Montelukast
Inhaled Corticosteroids Asthma Children
Literature Search
Google
Google Scholar
Pubmed
Clinical Trial Registry
MEDICAL PAPER WRITING
Title and Structured Abstract
Steps for writing Title
• Be accurate, complete and concise
(10- 15 words)

• Focus on the novelty in your work, & use

novel words
• Avoid abbreviations, filler phrases

• Easy to understand

• Unambiguous and Informative

DON’T
• A study of…
• A study to determine
• Results of…
• An innovative method…
• Contributions to (of)…
• Investigations on (concerning, about)…
• Observations on…
• A trial comparing…

19
Abstract

• Objective
• Methods
Structure
• Result
• Conclusion

Word count • Limit: 250 - 300 words

Keywords or
• 5 to 7 Keywords
MeSH
UNSTRUCTURED ABSTRACT
STRUCTURED ABSTRACT
BALANCED ABSTRACT (from 250 – 300
words)
WEIGHTAGE OF
ABSTRACT CONTENT WORD COUNT
(APPROX. %)
Objective 5-10%

Method 15-30%

Results 30-40%

Conclusion 15-20%
MEDICAL PAPER WRITING
A brief guide on Introduction writing
What Scientific Paper Needs to
Communicate

Why did you start? (Introduction)

What did you do? (Methods)
What did you find? (Results)
What does it mean? (Discussion)
SMART objective writing is important

o An objective is intent of what the researcher wants to

determine and should be stated in clear, measurable terms.
o Objective should be SMART

 Specific
 Measurable
 Achievable
 Relevant
 Time bound
Use of appropriate action verb in Objective

Should not use

 To study, To look, To see, To find
Should use
 Observational studies
 Determine
 Calculate
 Interventional studies
 Compare
 Correlate
MEDICAL PAPER WRITING
Step By Step Approach: Materials & Methods
Hierarchy of Scientific Evidence

Secondary
Studies

Primary
Studies

29
Methods
Complete and summarized information of study
• When, where and how
Study design
• Give a correct design
Inclusion/Exclusion criteria
Instrument/tool
• Adequate description; example: questionnaire
Variables
• Define clearly: outcomes, exposures, predictors, potential
confounders
Methods
Diagnostic criteria
• Mention if applicable
Potential sources of bias
• Describe the efforts to address bias
Sample size
• Described the sample size and how it was arrived at?
• If applicable, describe which groups were chosen & why?
Statistical analysis of data
• Provide its information
• Statistical tests should be in accordance with study
question and deign
Methods

Ethical considerations
• It may include Informed consent, institutional ethical
approval, confidentiality, anonymity etc
MEDICAL PAPER WRITING
Reaping the Rewards: Writing Results
The Style in the Results Section

Write your results in the past tense

For example:
• Rosuvastatin reduced LDL-C levels significantly
more than atorvastatin during the fixed-dose
and titration periods
 The Style in the Results Section

• Avoid double negatives

• The rate of photosynthesis was not very fast.

• The rate of photosynthesis was slow.

• Use the active voice

35
Presenting Results

Number of subjects and basic demographic

information
Presenting Results

• Tables, charts and graphs properly designed,

numbered and included in the text
• Information in tables wholly repeated in the
text of the results
The choice between a Figure OR a Table

3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
Root Pregnant Young Juvenile Mature Tasty Decrepit
Age malonic lactic acetic maleic citric Total
• Describe what is shown, Do not discuss what is shown
• Explain acronyms, if you use any in figures or table
• Explain errors bars: SE or SD; add n
• Explain meaning of statistical information

All figures
and
tables
require
appropriate
legends

39
Begin with the Results Section

• Decide which figure/table comes first

• Decide the order of all other figures/tables
• Make a structure for your Results
• Decide what you wish to describe
• Design the sections in the Results (bullet
points)
• Decide what you wish to describe in each
section
MEDICAL PAPER WRITING
Discussion Writing
(How to create an impact)
Discussion Summary
• Answer your research
question – objective (what
Writing
happened to it)

Literature • Your findings in context with

Review & existing literature (your data,
Argument other’s data)

• Strengths and
Methodology/ Design
Limitations

• Give the big

picture,
Advocacy and Marketing skills
take home
message
Conclusion & Recommendations

Conclusion • Study objective

Appropriateness

Recomme
ndations • Relevant
(If any)
THANK Y U