how to write a manuscript for research paper

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A Brief Guide To Writing Your First Scientific Manuscript

I’ve had the privilege of writing a few manuscripts in my research career to date, and helping trainees write them. It’s hard work, but planning and organization helps. Here’s some thoughts on how to approach writing manuscripts based on original biomedical research.

Getting ready to write

Involve your principal investigator (PI) early and throughout the process. It’s our job to help you write!

Write down your hypothesis/research question. Everything else will be spun around this.

Gather your proposed figures and tables in a sequence that tells a story. This will form the basis of your Results section. Write bulleted captions for the figures/tables, including a title that explains the key finding for each figure/table, an explanation of experimental groups and associated symbols/labels, and details on biological and technical replicates and statements (such as “one of four representative experiments are shown.”)

Generate a bulleted outline of the major points for each section of the manuscript. This depends on the journal, but typically, and with minor variations: Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion. Use Endnote, Reference Manager, Mendeley, or other citation software to start inserting references to go with bullets. Decide from the beginning what word processing software you’ll use (Word, Google Docs, etc.). Google Docs can be helpful for maintaining a single version of the manuscript, but citation software often doesn’t play well with Google Docs (whereas most software options can automatically update citation changes in Word). Here’s what should go in each of these sections:

Introduction: What did you study, and why is it important? What is your hypothesis/research question?

Methods: What techniques did you use? Each technique should be its own bullet, with sub-bullets for key details. If you used animal or human subjects, include a bullet on ethics approval. Important methodologies and materials, i.e., blinding for subjective analyses, full names of cell lines/strains/reagents and your commercial/academic sources for them.

Results: What were your findings? Each major finding should be its own bullet, with sub-bullets going into more detail for each major finding. These bullets should refer to your figures.

Discussion: Summarize your findings in the context of prior work. Discuss possible interpretations. It is important to include a bullet describing the limitations of the presented work. Mention possible future directions.

Now read the entire outline (including the figures). Is it a complete story? If so, you’re ready to prepare for submission. If not, you should have a good idea of what it will take to finish the manuscript.

Writing your manuscript

You first need to decide where you want to submit your manuscript. I like to consider my ideal target audience. I also like to vary which journals I publish in, both to broaden the potential readers of my papers and to avoid the appearance of having an unfair “inside connection” to a given journal. Your academic reputation is priceless.

Once you’ve chosen your journal, look at the journal’s article types. Decide which article type you would like to submit and reformat your outline according to the journal’s standards (including citation style).

Convert your outline (including the figure captions) to complete sentences. Don’t focus on writing perfect prose for the first draft. Write your abstract after the first draft is completed. Make sure the manuscript conforms to the target journal’s word and figure limits.

Discuss all possible authors with your PI. If the study involved many people, create a table of possible authors showing their specific contributions to the manuscript. (This is helpful to do in any case as many journals now require this information.) Assigning authorship is sometimes complicated, but keep in mind that the Acknowledgements can be used to recognize those who made minor contributions (including reading the manuscript to provide feedback). “Equal contribution” authorship positions for the first and last authors is a newer option for a number of journals. An alternative is to generate the initial outline or first draft with the help of co-authors. This can take a lot more work and coordination, but may make sense for highly collaborative and large manuscripts.

Decide with your PI who will be corresponding author. Usually you or the PI.

Circulate the manuscript draft to all possible authors. Thank them for their prior and ongoing support. Inform your co-authors where you would like to send the manuscript and why. Give them a reasonable deadline to provide feedback (minimum of a few weeks). If you use Microsoft Word, ask your co-authors to use track changes.

Collate comments from your co-authors. The Combine Documents function in Word can be very helpful. Consider reconciling all comments and tracked changes before circulating another manuscript draft so that co-authors can read a “clean” copy. Repeat this process until you and your PI (and co-authors) are satisfied that the manuscript is ready for submission.

Some prefer to avoid listing authors on manuscript drafts until the final version is generated because the relative contributions of authors can shift during manuscript preparation.

Submit your manuscript

Write a cover letter for your manuscript. Put it on institutional letterhead, if you are permitted by the journal’s submission system. This makes the cover letter, and by extension, the manuscript, more professional. Some journals have required language for cover letters regarding simultaneous submissions to other journals. It’s common for journals to require that cover letters include a rationale explaining the impact and findings of the manuscript. If you need to do this, include key references and a citation list at the end of the cover letter.

Most journals will require you to provide keywords, and/or to choose subject areas related to the manuscript. Be prepared to do so.

Conflicts of interest should be declared in the manuscript, even if the journal does not explicitly request this. Ask your co-authors about any such potential conflicts.

Gather names and official designations of any grants that supported the work described in your manuscript. Ask your co-authors and your PI. This is very important for funding agencies such as the NIH, which scrutinize the productivity of their funded investigators and take this into account when reviewing future grants.

It’s common for journals to allow you to suggest an editor to handle your manuscript. Editors with expertise in your area are more likely to be able to identify and recruit reviewers who are also well-versed in the subject matter of your manuscript. Discuss this with your PI and co-authors.

Likewise, journals often allow authors to suggest reviewers. Some meta-literature indicates that manuscripts with suggested reviewers have an overall higher acceptance rate. It also behooves you to have expert reviewers that can evaluate your manuscript fairly, but also provide feedback that can improve your paper if revisions are recommended. Avoid suggesting reviewers at your own institution or who have recently written papers or been awarded grants with you. Savvy editors look for these types of relationships between reviewers and authors, and will nix a suggested reviewer with any potential conflict of interest. Discuss suggested reviewers with your PI and co-authors.

On the flip side, many journals will allow you to list opposed reviewers. If you believe that someone specific will provide a negatively biased review for non-scientific reasons, that is grounds for opposing them as your manuscript’s reviewer. In small fields, it may not be possible to exclude reviewers and still undergo expert peer review. Definitely a must-discuss with your PI and co-authors.

Generate a final version of the manuscript. Most journals use online submission systems that mandate uploading individual files for the manuscript, cover letter, etc. You may have to use pdf converting software (i.e., Adobe Acrobat) to change Word documents to pdf’s, or to combine documents into a single pdf. Review the final version, including the resolution and appearance of figures. Make sure that no edges of text or graphics near page margins are cut off (Adobe Acrobat sometimes does this with Microsoft Word). Send the final version to your PI and co-authors. Revise any errors. Then submit! Good luck!

Edited by Bill Sullivan, PhD, Indiana University School of Medicine.

Michael Hsieh is the Stirewalt Scientific Director of the Biomedical Research Institute and an Associate Professor at the George Washington University, where he studies host-pathogen interactions in the urinary tract. Michael has published over 90 peer-reviewed scientific papers. His work has been featured on PBS and in the New York Times.

Your article is wonderful. just read it. you advise very correctly. I am an experienced writer. I write articles on various scientific topics. and even I took some information for myself, who I have not used before. Your article will help many novice writers. I’m sure of it. You very well described all the points of your article. I completely agree with them. most difficult to determine the target audience. Thanks to your article, everyone who needs some kind of help can get it by reading your article. Thanks you

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How to write a first-class paper

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Manuscripts may have a rigidly defined structure, but there’s still room to tell a compelling story — one that clearly communicates the science and is a pleasure to read. Scientist-authors and editors debate the importance and meaning of creativity and offer tips on how to write a top paper.

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Structuring your manuscript

Once you have completed your experiments it is time write it up into a coherent and concise paper which tells the story of your research. Researchers are busy people and so it is imperative that research articles are quick and easy to read. For this reason papers generally follow a standard structure which allows readers to easily find the information they are looking for. In the next part of the course we will discuss the standard structure and what to include in each section.

Overview of IMRaD structure

IMRaD refers to the standard structure of the body of research manuscripts (after the Title and Abstract):

• I ntroduction
• M aterials and Methods
• D iscussion and Conclusions

Not all journals use these section titles in this order, but most published articles have a structure similar to IMRaD. This standard structure:

• Gives a logical flow to the content
• Makes journal manuscripts consistent and easy to read
• Provides a “map” so that readers can quickly find content of interest in any manuscript
• Reminds authors what content should be included in an article

Provides all content needed for the work to be replicated and reproduced Although the sections of the journal manuscript are published in the order: Title, Abstract, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, and Conclusion, this is not the best order for writing the sections of a manuscript. One recommended strategy is to write your manuscript in the following order:

1. Materials and Methods

These can be written first, as you are doing your experiments and collecting the results.

3. Introduction

4. Discussion

5. Conclusion

Write these sections next, once you have had a chance to analyse your results, have a sense of their impact and have decided on the journal you think best suits the work

7. Abstract

Write your Title and Abstract last as these are based on all the other sections.

Following this order will help you write a logical and consistent manuscript.

Use the different sections of a manuscript to ‘tell a story’ about your research and its implications.

Back │ Next

A Guide on How to Write a Manuscript for a Research Paper

This article teaches how to write a manuscript for a research paper and recommended practices to produce a well-written manuscript.

For scientists, publishing a research paper is a huge accomplishment; they typically spend a large amount of time researching the appropriate subject, the right material, and, most importantly, the right place to publish their hard work. To be successful in publishing a research paper, it must be well-written and meet all of the high standards.

Although there is no quick and easy method to get published, there are certain manuscript writing strategies that can help earn the awareness and visibility you need to get it published.

In this Mind The Graph step-by-step tutorial, we give practical directions on how to write a manuscript for a research paper, to increase your research as well as your chances of publishing.

What is the manuscript of a research paper?

A manuscript is a written, typed, or word-processed document submitted to a publisher by the researcher. Researchers meticulously create manuscripts to communicate their unique ideas and fresh findings to both the scientific community and the general public. 

Overall, the manuscript must be outstanding and deeply represent your professional attitude towards work; it must be complete, rationally structured, and accurate. To convey the results to the scientific community while complying with ethical rules, scientific articles must use a specified language and structure.

Furthermore, the standards for title page information, abstract structure, reference style, font size, line spacing, margins, layout, and paragraph style must also be observed for effective publishing. This is a time-consuming and challenging technique, but it is worthwhile in the end.

How to structure a manuscript?

The first step in knowing how to write a manuscript for a research paper is understanding how the structure works. 

Title or heading

A poorly chosen title may deter a potential reader from reading deeper into your manuscript. When an audience comes across your manuscript, the first thing they notice is the title, keep in mind that the title you choose might impact the success of your work.

Abstracts are brief summaries of your paper. The fundamental concept of your research and the issues you intend to answer should be contained within the framework of the abstract. The abstract is a concise summary of the research that should be considered a condensed version of the entire article.

Introduction

The purpose of the research is disclosed in the body of the introduction. Background information is provided to explain why the study was conducted and the research’s development.

Methods and materials

The technical parts of the research have to be thoroughly detailed in this section. Transparency is required in this part of the research. Colleagues will learn about the methodology and materials you used to analyze your research, recreate it, and expand concepts further. 

This is the most important portion of the paper. You should provide your findings and data once the results have been thoroughly discussed. Use an unbiased point of view here; but leave the evaluation for your final piece, the conclusion.

Finally, explain why your findings are meaningful. This section allows you to evaluate your results and reflect on your process. Remember that conclusions are expressed in a succinct way using words rather than figures. The content presented in this section should solely be based on the research conducted.

The reference list contains information that readers may use to find the sources you mentioned in your research. Your reference page is at the end of your piece. Keep in mind that each publication has different submission criteria. For effective reference authentication, journal requirements should be followed.

Steps on how to write a manuscript for a research paper

It is not only about the format while writing a successful manuscript, but also about the correct strategy to stand out above other researchers trying to be published. Consider the following steps to a well-written manuscript:

1. Read the author’s guide

Many journals offer a Guide for Authors kind of document, which is normally printed yearly and is available online. In this Guide for Authors, you will discover thorough information on the journal’s interests and scope, as well as information regarding manuscript types and more in-depth instructions on how to do the right formatting to submit your research.

2. Pay special attention to the methods and materials section

The section on methods and materials is the most important part of the research. It should explain precisely what you observed in the research. This section should normally be less than 1,000 words long. The methods and materials used should be detailed enough that a colleague could reproduce the study.

3. Identify and describe your findings

The second most crucial aspect of your manuscript is the findings. After you’ve stated what you observed (methods and materials), you should go through what you discovered. Make a note to organize your findings such that they make sense without further explanation.

4. The research’s face and body

In this part you need to produce the face and body of your manuscript, so do it carefully and thoroughly. 

Ensure that the title page has all of the information required by the journal. The title page is the public face of your research and must be correctly structured to meet publication requirements. 

Write an introduction that explains why you carried out the research and why anybody should be interested in the results (ask yourself “so what?”). 

Concentrate on creating a clear and accurate reference page. As stated in step 1, you should read the author’s guide for the journal you intend to submit to thoroughly to ensure that your research reference page is correctly structured.

The abstract should be written just after the manuscript is finished. Follow the author’s guide and be sure to keep it under the word limit.

5. Rapid Rejection Criteria double-check

Now that you’ve completed the key aspects of your research, it’s time to double-check everything according to the Rapid Rejection Criteria. The “Rapid Rejection Criteria” are errors that lead to an instantaneous rejection. The criteria are:

• The answered question was not interesting enough
• The question has been satisfactorily answered before
• Wrong hypothesis
• The method cannot address the hypothesis
• Research is underpowered
• Contradictory manuscript
• The conclusion doesn’t support the data

Rewrite your manuscript now that you’ve finished it. Make yourself your fiercest critic. Consider reading the document loudly to yourself, keeping an ear out for any abrupt breaks in the logical flow or incorrect claims.

Your Creations, Ready within Minutes!

Aside from a step-by-step guide to writing a decent manuscript for your research, Mind The Graph includes a specialized tool for creating and providing templates for infographics that may maximize the potential and worth of your research. Check the website for more information. 

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How to Write and Publish a Research Paper for a Peer-Reviewed Journal

• Open access
• Published: 30 April 2020
• Volume 36 , pages 909–913, ( 2021 )

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• Clara Busse   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-0178-1000 1 &
• Ella August   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-5151-1036 1 , 2  

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Communicating research findings is an essential step in the research process. Often, peer-reviewed journals are the forum for such communication, yet many researchers are never taught how to write a publishable scientific paper. In this article, we explain the basic structure of a scientific paper and describe the information that should be included in each section. We also identify common pitfalls for each section and recommend strategies to avoid them. Further, we give advice about target journal selection and authorship. In the online resource 1 , we provide an example of a high-quality scientific paper, with annotations identifying the elements we describe in this article.

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Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.

Introduction

Writing a scientific paper is an important component of the research process, yet researchers often receive little formal training in scientific writing. This is especially true in low-resource settings. In this article, we explain why choosing a target journal is important, give advice about authorship, provide a basic structure for writing each section of a scientific paper, and describe common pitfalls and recommendations for each section. In the online resource 1 , we also include an annotated journal article that identifies the key elements and writing approaches that we detail here. Before you begin your research, make sure you have ethical clearance from all relevant ethical review boards.

Select a Target Journal Early in the Writing Process

We recommend that you select a “target journal” early in the writing process; a “target journal” is the journal to which you plan to submit your paper. Each journal has a set of core readers and you should tailor your writing to this readership. For example, if you plan to submit a manuscript about vaping during pregnancy to a pregnancy-focused journal, you will need to explain what vaping is because readers of this journal may not have a background in this topic. However, if you were to submit that same article to a tobacco journal, you would not need to provide as much background information about vaping.

Information about a journal’s core readership can be found on its website, usually in a section called “About this journal” or something similar. For example, the Journal of Cancer Education presents such information on the “Aims and Scope” page of its website, which can be found here: https://www.springer.com/journal/13187/aims-and-scope .

Peer reviewer guidelines from your target journal are an additional resource that can help you tailor your writing to the journal and provide additional advice about crafting an effective article [ 1 ]. These are not always available, but it is worth a quick web search to find out.

Identify Author Roles Early in the Process

Early in the writing process, identify authors, determine the order of authors, and discuss the responsibilities of each author. Standard author responsibilities have been identified by The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) [ 2 ]. To set clear expectations about each team member’s responsibilities and prevent errors in communication, we also suggest outlining more detailed roles, such as who will draft each section of the manuscript, write the abstract, submit the paper electronically, serve as corresponding author, and write the cover letter. It is best to formalize this agreement in writing after discussing it, circulating the document to the author team for approval. We suggest creating a title page on which all authors are listed in the agreed-upon order. It may be necessary to adjust authorship roles and order during the development of the paper. If a new author order is agreed upon, be sure to update the title page in the manuscript draft.

In the case where multiple papers will result from a single study, authors should discuss who will author each paper. Additionally, authors should agree on a deadline for each paper and the lead author should take responsibility for producing an initial draft by this deadline.

Structure of the Introduction Section

The introduction section should be approximately three to five paragraphs in length. Look at examples from your target journal to decide the appropriate length. This section should include the elements shown in Fig.  1 . Begin with a general context, narrowing to the specific focus of the paper. Include five main elements: why your research is important, what is already known about the topic, the “gap” or what is not yet known about the topic, why it is important to learn the new information that your research adds, and the specific research aim(s) that your paper addresses. Your research aim should address the gap you identified. Be sure to add enough background information to enable readers to understand your study. Table 1 provides common introduction section pitfalls and recommendations for addressing them.

The main elements of the introduction section of an original research article. Often, the elements overlap

Methods Section

The purpose of the methods section is twofold: to explain how the study was done in enough detail to enable its replication and to provide enough contextual detail to enable readers to understand and interpret the results. In general, the essential elements of a methods section are the following: a description of the setting and participants, the study design and timing, the recruitment and sampling, the data collection process, the dataset, the dependent and independent variables, the covariates, the analytic approach for each research objective, and the ethical approval. The hallmark of an exemplary methods section is the justification of why each method was used. Table 2 provides common methods section pitfalls and recommendations for addressing them.

Results Section

The focus of the results section should be associations, or lack thereof, rather than statistical tests. Two considerations should guide your writing here. First, the results should present answers to each part of the research aim. Second, return to the methods section to ensure that the analysis and variables for each result have been explained.

Begin the results section by describing the number of participants in the final sample and details such as the number who were approached to participate, the proportion who were eligible and who enrolled, and the number of participants who dropped out. The next part of the results should describe the participant characteristics. After that, you may organize your results by the aim or by putting the most exciting results first. Do not forget to report your non-significant associations. These are still findings.

Tables and figures capture the reader’s attention and efficiently communicate your main findings [ 3 ]. Each table and figure should have a clear message and should complement, rather than repeat, the text. Tables and figures should communicate all salient details necessary for a reader to understand the findings without consulting the text. Include information on comparisons and tests, as well as information about the sample and timing of the study in the title, legend, or in a footnote. Note that figures are often more visually interesting than tables, so if it is feasible to make a figure, make a figure. To avoid confusing the reader, either avoid abbreviations in tables and figures, or define them in a footnote. Note that there should not be citations in the results section and you should not interpret results here. Table 3 provides common results section pitfalls and recommendations for addressing them.

Discussion Section

Opposite the introduction section, the discussion should take the form of a right-side-up triangle beginning with interpretation of your results and moving to general implications (Fig.  2 ). This section typically begins with a restatement of the main findings, which can usually be accomplished with a few carefully-crafted sentences.

Major elements of the discussion section of an original research article. Often, the elements overlap

Next, interpret the meaning or explain the significance of your results, lifting the reader’s gaze from the study’s specific findings to more general applications. Then, compare these study findings with other research. Are these findings in agreement or disagreement with those from other studies? Does this study impart additional nuance to well-accepted theories? Situate your findings within the broader context of scientific literature, then explain the pathways or mechanisms that might give rise to, or explain, the results.

Journals vary in their approach to strengths and limitations sections: some are embedded paragraphs within the discussion section, while some mandate separate section headings. Keep in mind that every study has strengths and limitations. Candidly reporting yours helps readers to correctly interpret your research findings.

The next element of the discussion is a summary of the potential impacts and applications of the research. Should these results be used to optimally design an intervention? Does the work have implications for clinical protocols or public policy? These considerations will help the reader to further grasp the possible impacts of the presented work.

Finally, the discussion should conclude with specific suggestions for future work. Here, you have an opportunity to illuminate specific gaps in the literature that compel further study. Avoid the phrase “future research is necessary” because the recommendation is too general to be helpful to readers. Instead, provide substantive and specific recommendations for future studies. Table 4 provides common discussion section pitfalls and recommendations for addressing them.

Follow the Journal’s Author Guidelines

After you select a target journal, identify the journal’s author guidelines to guide the formatting of your manuscript and references. Author guidelines will often (but not always) include instructions for titles, cover letters, and other components of a manuscript submission. Read the guidelines carefully. If you do not follow the guidelines, your article will be sent back to you.

Finally, do not submit your paper to more than one journal at a time. Even if this is not explicitly stated in the author guidelines of your target journal, it is considered inappropriate and unprofessional.

Your title should invite readers to continue reading beyond the first page [ 4 , 5 ]. It should be informative and interesting. Consider describing the independent and dependent variables, the population and setting, the study design, the timing, and even the main result in your title. Because the focus of the paper can change as you write and revise, we recommend you wait until you have finished writing your paper before composing the title.

Be sure that the title is useful for potential readers searching for your topic. The keywords you select should complement those in your title to maximize the likelihood that a researcher will find your paper through a database search. Avoid using abbreviations in your title unless they are very well known, such as SNP, because it is more likely that someone will use a complete word rather than an abbreviation as a search term to help readers find your paper.

After you have written a complete draft, use the checklist (Fig. 3 ) below to guide your revisions and editing. Additional resources are available on writing the abstract and citing references [ 5 ]. When you feel that your work is ready, ask a trusted colleague or two to read the work and provide informal feedback. The box below provides a checklist that summarizes the key points offered in this article.

Checklist for manuscript quality

Data Availability

Michalek AM (2014) Down the rabbit hole…advice to reviewers. J Cancer Educ 29:4–5

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International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Defining the role of authors and contributors: who is an author? http://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/roles-and-responsibilities/defining-the-role-of-authosrs-and-contributors.html . Accessed 15 January, 2020

Vetto JT (2014) Short and sweet: a short course on concise medical writing. J Cancer Educ 29(1):194–195

Brett M, Kording K (2017) Ten simple rules for structuring papers. PLoS ComputBiol. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005619

Lang TA (2017) Writing a better research article. J Public Health Emerg. https://doi.org/10.21037/jphe.2017.11.06

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Acknowledgments

Ella August is grateful to the Sustainable Sciences Institute for mentoring her in training researchers on writing and publishing their research.

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Clara Busse & Ella August

Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2029, USA

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Correspondence to Ella August .

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Busse, C., August, E. How to Write and Publish a Research Paper for a Peer-Reviewed Journal. J Canc Educ 36 , 909–913 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-020-01751-z

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Published : 30 April 2020

Issue Date : October 2021

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-020-01751-z

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How to Create a Structured Research Paper Outline | Example

Published on August 7, 2022 by Courtney Gahan . Revised on August 15, 2023.

A research paper outline is a useful tool to aid in the writing process , providing a structure to follow with all information to be included in the paper clearly organized.

A quality outline can make writing your research paper more efficient by helping to:

• Organize your thoughts
• Understand the flow of information and how ideas are related
• Ensure nothing is forgotten

A research paper outline can also give your teacher an early idea of the final product.

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Research paper outline example, how to write a research paper outline, formatting your research paper outline, language in research paper outlines.

• Definition of measles
• Rise in cases in recent years in places the disease was previously eliminated or had very low rates of infection
• Figures: Number of cases per year on average, number in recent years. Relate to immunization
• Symptoms and timeframes of disease
• Risk of fatality, including statistics
• How measles is spread
• Immunization procedures in different regions
• Different regions, focusing on the arguments from those against immunization
• Immunization figures in affected regions
• High number of cases in non-immunizing regions
• Illnesses that can result from measles virus
• Fatal cases of other illnesses after patient contracted measles
• Summary of arguments of different groups
• Summary of figures and relationship with recent immunization debate
• Which side of the argument appears to be correct?

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Professional editors proofread and edit your paper by focusing on:

• Academic style
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• Style consistency

See an example

Follow these steps to start your research paper outline:

• Decide on the subject of the paper
• Write down all the ideas you want to include or discuss
• Organize related ideas into sub-groups
• Arrange your ideas into a hierarchy: What should the reader learn first? What is most important? Which idea will help end your paper most effectively?
• Create headings and subheadings that are effective
• Format the outline in either alphanumeric, full-sentence or decimal format

There are three different kinds of research paper outline: alphanumeric, full-sentence and decimal outlines. The differences relate to formatting and style of writing.

• Alphanumeric
• Full-sentence

An alphanumeric outline is most commonly used. It uses Roman numerals, capitalized letters, arabic numerals, lowercase letters to organize the flow of information. Text is written with short notes rather than full sentences.

• Sub-point of sub-point 1

Essentially the same as the alphanumeric outline, but with the text written in full sentences rather than short points.

• Additional sub-point to conclude discussion of point of evidence introduced in point A

A decimal outline is similar in format to the alphanumeric outline, but with a different numbering system: 1, 1.1, 1.2, etc. Text is written as short notes rather than full sentences.

• 1.1.1 Sub-point of first point
• 1.1.2 Sub-point of first point
• 1.2 Second point

To write an effective research paper outline, it is important to pay attention to language. This is especially important if it is one you will show to your teacher or be assessed on.

There are four main considerations: parallelism, coordination, subordination and division.

Parallelism: Be consistent with grammatical form

Parallel structure or parallelism is the repetition of a particular grammatical form within a sentence, or in this case, between points and sub-points. This simply means that if the first point is a verb , the sub-point should also be a verb.

Example of parallelism:

• Include different regions, focusing on the different arguments from those against immunization

Coordination: Be aware of each point’s weight

Your chosen subheadings should hold the same significance as each other, as should all first sub-points, secondary sub-points, and so on.

Example of coordination:

• Include immunization figures in affected regions
• Illnesses that can result from the measles virus

Subordination: Work from general to specific

Subordination refers to the separation of general points from specific. Your main headings should be quite general, and each level of sub-point should become more specific.

Example of subordination:

Division: break information into sub-points.

Your headings should be divided into two or more subsections. There is no limit to how many subsections you can include under each heading, but keep in mind that the information will be structured into a paragraph during the writing stage, so you should not go overboard with the number of sub-points.

Ready to start writing or looking for guidance on a different step in the process? Read our step-by-step guide on how to write a research paper .

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Gahan, C. (2023, August 15). How to Create a Structured Research Paper Outline | Example. Scribbr. Retrieved April 7, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/research-paper/outline/

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Research trends on writing scientific manuscript research from Scopus Database

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Utama Alan Deta , Yetty Septiani Mustar , Ahmad Wachidul Kohar , M. Abdul Ghofur; Research trends on writing scientific manuscript research from Scopus Database. AIP Conf. Proc. 5 April 2024; 3058 (1): 040028. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0201513

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Writing a scientific paper is one of the essential skills for a Researcher. We investigate the research trend of Writing Scientific Manuscript Research from the Scopus Database. The study was conducted on October 1, 2022, using bibliometric analysis. Based on the data collected from Scopus Database, we found 1,197 documents using “Writing Scientific Manuscript” keywords from 1960 to 2022. Data were analyzed using VOSviewer software to show the keywords map and correlations between the keywords. Generally, based on the data, there are 5 cluster keywords, namely: “scientific manuscript” (red cluster), “editing” (blue cluster), “report” (purple cluster), “evidence” (yellow cluster), and “history” (green cluster). The scientific manuscript correlates directly with guideline, preparation, submission, reviewer, revision, skill, art, and responsibility. Another interesting finding is the existence of “evidence” cluster. The research must base on the evidence or phenomena. Furthermore, the Research paper must reflect the history of the research development to find the state the art. In conclusion, the research about Writing Scientific Manuscript needs to be explored deeply since this research is still in good trend until the recent year.

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Preparing a manuscript for publication: A user-friendly guide

Noni e macdonald.

1 Division of Infectious Diseases, IWK Health Centre and Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia

Lee Ford-Jones

2 Division of Infectious Diseases, The Hospital for Sick Children, and University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario

Jeremy N Friedman

3 Division of Paediatric Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, and University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario

Judith Hall

4 BC’s Children’s Hospital and the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia

“Whatever you dream, begin it, for boldness has power, magic and genius in it.” — Goethe

All of us are connected to medical journals, whether it is through reading, writing, reviewing or suggesting topics to be addressed. The purpose of the present commentary is to encourage potential new writers by suggesting ways to smooth the sometimes bumpy path between having an idea for a paper and reaching the finish line of publication.

While there are many reasons for writing a paper – such as to share clinical and research observations; to submit one’s observations, ideas and conclusions to critical evaluation by peers; to provide guidance to improve the health care of children and youth; to advocate for policy change; and to support personal academic advancement – writing also provides an excellent learning experience, promotes critical thinking and enhances the ability to be more concise in written communications. These all help to make one a better physician.

STEP 1: FINDING THE TIME TO THINK

To write, one needs something to say, which requires thinking time. There are many times in the day that are ideal for thinking, such as while doing rote tasks that do not require one’s full attention (eg, riding the bus or walking to work, shovelling snow, gardening or taking a shower). Develop the habit of using some of these times to think about writing.

What to think about?

In preparing to write, think about the answers to the following questions:

• What do you want to say about this topic – what is your key message?
• Why do you care about this?
• Who is the intended audience, and therefore, what format and type of journal should this piece be submitted to?
• Why would this audience be interested?
• Who might want to work on this paper with you?

Capture these ideas in a notebook, a file folder or your personal digital assistant, or by sending e-mails to yourself. Review and refine the answers. Regularly review this ‘ideas file’. Once your ideas are focused, you are ready to write.

STEP 2: FINDING THE TIME TO WRITE

‘Five minutes here and five minutes there’ does not work for writing. You need ‘real’ time set aside to write. The solution: schedule time for writing by making an appointment in your weekly planner – a one- or two-hour block once or twice a week.

When and where to write?

Writing is a complex task that requires you to be at your best. Are you a morning person or one who works best at night? Do you need a warm-up period (ie, a preliminary task, perhaps dictating your case notes) to set you up to write or are you a quick study? What type of environment do you find most conducive to a complex task – a quiet room, background music, a cup of tea, etc? To minimize distractions and interruptions while writing, where is the best place for you to write – your workplace office, your home office or the library? A ‘do not disturb’ sign may help.

Getting started

You have been using your thinking time and your ideas folder. You have writing time scheduled. The next step is to find a ‘personal editor’ and a ‘writing buddy’. The former is a friend or colleague who already is a successful writer and who is willing to work with you on your writing. This person does not need to be physically located near you because much can be done by e-mail. Your ‘writing buddy’ is someone like yourself who also wants to write, and needs support and encouragement to do this.

Now select your best idea and set yourself a deadline to get your first draft done. Focus on your key message. Write a brief overview to organize your thoughts and arguments. This can form the basis of the later abstract and will help to guide your writing. Remember the AIMRAD format: abstract, introduction, methods, results and discussion. Write your first draft. Ensure that you focus on your key message(s). Select your journal for first submission (see below).

Discuss your first draft with your writing buddy. Make revisions. Show your second draft to your personal editor. Rewrite and refine. Be as succinct and clear as possible. Tables offer a means to present a large volume of data in a concise and readable form. Thoughtful and critical review of the manuscript by all authors, and writing and rewriting several times before submission are critical. Many authors find it useful to set the paper aside for a week and then come back to it – flaws may then be more glaring. Remember, no piece of writing will ever be perfect, but work hard to make it of high quality. When you, your writing buddy and your personal editor determine that your paper is ready to go, send it to your coauthors for a final review. Do not procrastinate too long. One can overpolish!

Still not started? See Table 1 for tips for overcoming common stumbling blocks and excuses for not writing.

Tips for overcoming obstacles to writing

Caution 1: The last check before submission

Remember to do a last spell, grammar and reference check, as well as ensuring that the paper is in the format requested by the journal selected for submission. Also ensure that all of your coauthors have signed off on the final draft.

Remember that ghost writers, generally pharmaceutically funded, must be disclosed as such, and that this may be a potentially fatal flaw, precluding publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

STEP 3: PREPARING A CASE REPORT

This is an excellent starting point for busy trainees and clinicians. For a detailed list of tips on how, why and which cases to write up, see the accompanying article by Jeremy Friedman in this issue of the journal (pages 343–344).

Caution 2: New realities – Consents and ethics

The Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans ( 1 ) is the ethics guide for human research in Canada. Patients need to be aware that their cases are being published. Discussion with the parent or child, followed by their review of the manuscript, noting the same in their chart is ideal, if possible. Some journals require documentation that this has been done. Your hospital’s research ethics board may have additional recommendations and requirements. As of July 2005, all clinical trials in Canada must be registered with Health Canada ( 2 ).

STEP 4: SELECTING A JOURNAL FOR SUBMISSION

Your manuscript needs to be a ‘best fit’ with the target audience and mission of the selected journal. Advice on journal selection is provided in Table 2 .

Selecting a journal

Another consideration in journal selection is the ‘impact factor’ ( 3 ). This reflects the number of times an article from that journal is cited in other papers (the citation index). Recent examples of impact factors are as follows: New England Journal of Medicine – 38.570, Journal of the American Medical Association – 24.831, Pediatrics –3.781, Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry –3.779, Journal of Pediatrics – 2.913, Pediatric Infectious Diseases Journal – 2.262 and Pediatric Annals – 0.318 ( 4 ). The impact factor may be important in the promotions process in some faculties, but in terms of the impact on the health of children and youth (ie, practice or policy change), there is much less correlation. Notable examples include publication of the seminal reports of congenital rubella syndrome and methodology for polymerase chain reaction in ‘low-impact’ journals.

Opportunities for contribution to Paediatrics & Child Health are many ( 5 ). Your work will reach and be read by a wide audience of Canadian paediatricians, family physicians and others with a strong interest in the health of children and youth because Paediatrics & Child Health is one of the most highly read Canadian specialty journals.

Caution 3: Prepublication use of data

If information in the paper has been presented at an earlier scientific meeting, this must be noted in a footnote on the title page.

Some journals offer ‘fast-tracking’, with the electronic version of the paper appearing in real-time (ie, when accepted) and the print version moved forward on the wait list of ‘to be printed’ papers. Timing of publication can be important because the material in the article cannot be discussed with the media while it is ‘in press’ (ie, not yet submitted, under review or accepted but not published) in a peer-reviewed journal.

Caution 4: Authorship

Qualifications for authorship have been the subject of much discussion, and criteria have been developed ( 6 ). Remember that contributors who are now geographically remote or have moved away should be included. A spirit of generosity may ultimately be more helpful to improving the health care of children and youth than a highly restricted approach to authorship.

STEP 5: SUBMITTING YOUR PAPER

The journal’s editor first notes whether the topic of the paper is a fit for the journal. If not, a rejection letter is sent. If it is a fit, the editor selects peer reviewers with recognized subject area expertise. An instructional guide for peer review of biomedical manuscripts can be found at < http://www3.us.elsevier-health.com/extractor/graphics/em-acep/index.html > ( 7 ).

The review is divided into two specific sections, one ‘for the editor only’ and another for the author(s) (also seen by the editor). Reviewers identify problems with the methods, the results (including whether the numbers add up), the interpretation and the conclusions (are they justified? are the limitations fairly stated?). Tables and figures are examined for clarity and accuracy, and references are checked, including verifying that the most current ones are included. The abstract is reviewed to determine whether the major results and conclusions are well stated. The decision on acceptance is made by the editor, based on the advice received from the reviewers and other factors, such as how well the paper fits with the journal’s mission, the timeliness of the topic, whether the paper is of a substantial nature rather than the ‘least publishable unit’ and the availability of journal space.

The generosity of reviewers for Paediatrics & Child Health merits special comment. Many are willing to review a manuscript several times and suggest in great detail how a manuscript can be improved so that it may then merit publication. This can be especially helpful for new writers, and is rarely or never done by most journals.

The most common problems noted by editors with all types of submitted papers are summarized in Table 3 . The reasons for rejecting research papers are similar ( 8 ). In particular, lengthy rambling papers hold less appeal for both editors and readers. Also, beware of hyperbole. While passionate advocacy pieces about child and youth health issues are critical for mobilization of societal action, hyperbole without evidence will not be accepted.

Common problems with manuscripts

There are some absolutes in manuscript submission – eg, duplicate submissions are not acceptable, and another journal can only be approached after the review (and rejection) from the previous journal has been received. To avoid charges of plagiarism, every reference must be cited. When a review paper has led you to new references, cite both the original and the review paper. The manuscript must also have been read and approved in its final form by all authors, by all sources of cited personal communication, as well as by those acknowledged. This also holds true for resubmissions.

STEP 6: DEALING WITH REVIEWS

Whether your paper is accepted or rejected, carefully look at all reviewers’ comments. Do not take these personally because revisions are required for virtually every manuscript in every peer-reviewed journal. Use these comments as guides to improve your manuscript. If the paper is conditionally accepted or invited for resubmission pending revisions, ensure that all of the reviewers’ concerns have been addressed before sending the revised paper back to the editor.

An accompanying letter outlining these changes, as well as explaining why any reviewers’ comments have not been addressed, is helpful to the editor.

STEP 7: DEALING WITH A REJECTED MANUSCRIPT

First, recognize that acceptance rates across journals are low, often less than 20% ( 9 ). Do not be discouraged. Take heart, all writers have had many rejected papers. Second, unemotionally consider the reviewers’ and editor’s comments. Third, take time to think about how the paper may be revised and improved. A discussion with your personal editor may be helpful as you try to address each comment. Consider submission to another journal in which the topic may be of greater interest. Sometimes, condensing your paper into a brief ‘Letter to the Editor’ may be a more appropriate way of conveying the information.

You may also wish to develop new collaborations with more experienced writers or take some specialized training to improve the quality of your work. Journal clubs and critical appraisal groups all provide excellent sources of learning experiences for improving your knowledge about good writing. If further methodology and research training is desirable, all academic centres can provide direction to helpful courses and programs. For those with more limited timelines or finances, provincial and territorial medical associations and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada have some resources for furthering training.

The strength of paediatrics in Canada is expressed in many ways, including in our publications. For those who do make contributions through writing, efficiency may be improved by careful selection of the first-choice journal in advance of manuscript preparation, boldly and swiftly initiating the writing process, being as clear and succinct as possible, anticipating the peer-review findings, and then writing and rewriting the manuscript with collaborators.

Paediatrics & Child Health welcomes the opportunity to provide leadership in advocacy, education and translation of research findings for clinical practitioners. We also welcome and encourage first-time writers through our supportive manuscript review process.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The assistance of Elizabeth Uleryk in describing the impact factor is greatly appreciated.

Presented in part as a workshop at the CPS Annual Meeting, Vancouver, British Columbia, June 24, 2005

NOTE: Access to the Thomson ISI Journal Citation Reports is subscription controlled. The print version of the data is published annually as the Science Citation Index Journal Citation Reports . The database version – ISI Web of Science, Journal Citation Reports – is available directly from the publisher or some commercial vendors such as Dialog. Most university library systems and some hospital libraries subscribe to the print and electronic versions of this database. Inquire in your library if you need to search the database or consult the print edition. Please note that while it appears that Google Scholar and Scopus contain cited reference information and journal impact factors, neither search the full Thomson ISI Journal Citation Reports database. Searches in either of these sources do not provide the most complete information.

• Manuscript Review

Essential for High-Quality Paper Editing: Three Tips to Efficient Spellchecks

• 3 minute read

Table of Contents

Before submitting your paper, it is essential to check the spelling of words carefully, to avoid semantic ambiguity caused by spelling errors affecting the chances of publication. But sometimes, some minor spelling errors are not easy to detect, especially for non-native English writers. In this article, we will share three tips to check spelling comprehensively, hoping to help you improve your checking efficiency and facilitate successful publication. Let’s take a look !  

  1. Double check the errors marked by the spellcheck tool¹

It is essential not to solely depend on the spellcheck tool and assume every flagged error or suggested change is accurate. For instance, spellcheck may overlook errors like homophones (“who’s” and “whose” or “you’re” and “your”), or it might offer incorrect alternatives for technical terms (e.g., suggesting “DAN” instead of “DNA”).  

As you conduct spellchecks regularly, you may notice recurring patterns in the errors you make. Once you identify these common mistakes, remain vigilant in spotting them during every spellcheck. If you use certain technical terms regularly that the spellcheck flags as errors, you can use the “Add to dictionary” option. This ensures that the term is not flagged by the spellcheck in future.  

  2. Read the error in context ¹

When using tools like Microsoft Word’s automatic spellcheck, it is advisable to read not only the sentence containing the error but also the sentences before and after it. This ensures that the error is evaluated within the correct context and any changes made align with the surrounding text. For instance, if correcting a noun to its plural form within a sentence, ensure that the verb agrees with the plural noun to maintain grammatical accuracy.  

  3. Divide the manuscript into manageable sections and check one type of error at a time ¹  

It is advisable to run spellcheck in sections for large documents to maintain focus. Allocate time to thoroughly spellcheck.  

Dividing the spellcheck process into multiple rounds can also be an effective approach, as it allows you to focus on different types of errors in each round, thus reducing cognitive load.  

For instance, in the first round, concentrate solely on spelling and typographical errors. In the second round, shift attention to grammatical errors. Finally, in the third round, focus on refining writing for conciseness.   

Additionally, ensure consistency in the use of either British English or American English, as required. Professional editing services like Elsevier Language Services allow you to choose your preferred language style and edit accordingly, making the process hassle-free.  

Bottom Line  

Spellchecks are a key step to create a high-quality paper which requires a lot of work and strong language proficiency. A precise control of language details can leave a good impression on the reviewers, and thus help increase the chances of publication. However, for some researchers, due to differences in language and cultural backgrounds, spelling errors are hard to avoid. In this case, you can consider seeking help from a professional paper polishing agency.  

Elsevier Language Services ‘ editors are native English speakers with expertise in various disciplines. They rely on their 100+ academic backgrounds and rich experience in polishing and publishing to find out the spelling and grammar errors that are not easy to detect in the paper, and carefully adjust the consistency of language style. We control the quality in each paper to be at par with the standards of top journals, and we are willing to help you with your high-quality paper writing and its successful publication.  

Type in wordcount for Standard Total: USD EUR JPY Follow this link if your manuscript is longer than 12,000 words. Upload

Reference:  

• Touro University. (n.d.). Seven effective ways to proofread writing. https://www.touro.edu/departments/writing-center/tutorials/seven-steps-to-effective-proofreading/  

• Manuscript Preparation

Make Hook, Line, and Sinker: The Art of Crafting Engaging Introductions

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