Publish or Perish: Step by Step Process for Writing a

Manuscript Alayna E. Loiselle, PhD

June 27, 2016

WheretoStart

•  Whyareyoutryingtopublishthiswork?•  logically,notchronologically•  Context-convincethereviewerstocare

•  WHATISYOURPOINT?

Outline

•  Whatisyourcentralmessage?Alwayscomebacktothis

•  Whatarethemethodsyouused?•  SummarizetheQ’sandproblems-whydidyoudothisstudy?

•  Whatareyourresults?•  WhataretheimplicaKonsofthesedata?•  Wheredoesthisfitintothe‘bigpicture’,literature?

Figures

Letyourfiguresbeyourguide1.  Knowyouraudience

-Broadorsub-specialtyjournal?2.  IdenKfyyourmessage

-usethefiguretoyouradvantage3.  Adapttothemedium4.  CapKonsarenotopKonal5.  Donottrustthedefaults6.  UsecoloreffecKvely7.  Donotmisleadthereader8.  Avoid‘chartjunk’

-everythingmusthaveapurpose9.  Messagetrumpsbeauty10. Gettherighttool

Results

•  NOTADISCUSSION•  ProvideaheadingforeachsubsecKon•  Canprovidebriefcontext,butnointerpretaKon

•  Sequenceshouldtellastory•  Proceedinthesameorderasyourfigures•  Refertoyourfiguresinthetext•  ObjecKve

Introduc6on

•  WhatwasthemoKvaKonforthestudy?ConvincemethisisanimportantproblemWhatisthe‘gapinknowledge’?Whathaveyoudonetoaddressthisgap?Briefly,whatareyougoingtoshowme?

Funnel:Bigpicturetosmalldetail

Materials&Methods:ARRIVE

Nc3rs.org.uk

Discussion

•  NOTTHERESULTSSECTION•  Don’tignorethingsthatarecountertoyourcurrentdata/conclusion.ExplainwhytheymaybedifferentandwhatyournewinterpretaKonis

•  Howdidyoufillinthosegapsinknowledgefromtheintro?

•  Howdidyouaddressyourhypothesis?•  LimitaKons•  WhatistheapplicaKon/translaKon?

Abstract

•  Writethislast•  UsuallythefirstinteracKonw/reviewers

Edi6ng

•  Donotsimplyskimoreditlightly

•  ReadcriKcally-thinkabouteachsentenceandifitsayspreciselywhatyoumeantosay.

ChoosingaJournal

•  Consider:audience,editors,reviewKmes•  comparisonvspapersyouarereferencing•  ‘Aims&Scope’

Authorship•  Anauthorshouldhavemadeasubstan'al,direct,intellectualcontribuKon

•  Thefundingandprovisionoftechnicalservices,paKents,materialsalonearenotsufficient

•  EveryonemakingasubstanKalintellectualcontribuKontotheworkshouldbeanauthor

•  EveryonemakingothersubstanKalcontribuKonsshouldbeacknowledged

•  Allauthorsshouldreviewmanuscriptdrajsandapprovethefinalversion

•  Transparency•  CollaboraKon ICMJEguidelines