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Successful Scientific Writing and Publishing: A Step-by-Step Approach

John k. iskander.

1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia

Sara Beth Wolicki

2 Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health, Washington, District of Columbia

Rebecca T. Leeb

Paul z. siegel.

Scientific writing and publication are essential to advancing knowledge and practice in public health, but prospective authors face substantial challenges. Authors can overcome barriers, such as lack of understanding about scientific writing and the publishing process, with training and resources. The objective of this article is to provide guidance and practical recommendations to help both inexperienced and experienced authors working in public health settings to more efficiently publish the results of their work in the peer-reviewed literature. We include an overview of basic scientific writing principles, a detailed description of the sections of an original research article, and practical recommendations for selecting a journal and responding to peer review comments. The overall approach and strategies presented are intended to contribute to individual career development while also increasing the external validity of published literature and promoting quality public health science.

Introduction

Publishing in the peer-reviewed literature is essential to advancing science and its translation to practice in public health ( 1 , 2 ). The public health workforce is diverse and practices in a variety of settings ( 3 ). For some public health professionals, writing and publishing the results of their work is a requirement. Others, such as program managers, policy makers, or health educators, may see publishing as being outside the scope of their responsibilities ( 4 ).

Disseminating new knowledge via writing and publishing is vital both to authors and to the field of public health ( 5 ). On an individual level, publishing is associated with professional development and career advancement ( 6 ). Publications share new research, results, and methods in a trusted format and advance scientific knowledge and practice ( 1 , 7 ). As more public health professionals are empowered to publish, the science and practice of public health will advance ( 1 ).

Unfortunately, prospective authors face barriers to publishing their work, including navigating the process of scientific writing and publishing, which can be time-consuming and cumbersome. Often, public health professionals lack both training opportunities and understanding of the process ( 8 ). To address these barriers and encourage public health professionals to publish their findings, the senior author (P.Z.S.) and others developed Successful Scientific Writing (SSW), a course about scientific writing and publishing. Over the past 30 years, this course has been taught to thousands of public health professionals, as well as hundreds of students at multiple graduate schools of public health. An unpublished longitudinal survey of course participants indicated that two-thirds agreed that SSW had helped them to publish a scientific manuscript or have a conference abstract accepted. The course content has been translated into this manuscript. The objective of this article is to provide prospective authors with the tools needed to write original research articles of high quality that have a good chance of being published.

Basic Recommendations for Scientific Writing

Prospective authors need to know and tailor their writing to the audience. When writing for scientific journals, 4 fundamental recommendations are: clearly stating the usefulness of the study, formulating a key message, limiting unnecessary words, and using strategic sentence structure.

To demonstrate usefulness, focus on how the study addresses a meaningful gap in current knowledge or understanding. What critical piece of information does the study provide that will help solve an important public health problem? For example, if a particular group of people is at higher risk for a specific condition, but the magnitude of that risk is unknown, a study to quantify the risk could be important for measuring the population’s burden of disease.

Scientific articles should have a clear and concise take-home message. Typically, this is expressed in 1 to 2 sentences that summarize the main point of the paper. This message can be used to focus the presentation of background information, results, and discussion of findings. As an early step in the drafting of an article, we recommend writing out the take-home message and sharing it with co-authors for their review and comment. Authors who know their key point are better able to keep their writing within the scope of the article and present information more succinctly. Once an initial draft of the manuscript is complete, the take-home message can be used to review the content and remove needless words, sentences, or paragraphs.

Concise writing improves the clarity of an article. Including additional words or clauses can divert from the main message and confuse the reader. Additionally, journal articles are typically limited by word count. The most important words and phrases to eliminate are those that do not add meaning, or are duplicative. Often, cutting adjectives or parenthetical statements results in a more concise paper that is also easier to read.

Sentence structure strongly influences the readability and comprehension of journal articles. Twenty to 25 words is a reasonable range for maximum sentence length. Limit the number of clauses per sentence, and place the most important or relevant clause at the end of the sentence ( 9 ). Consider the sentences:

• By using these tips and tricks, an author may write and publish an additional 2 articles a year.
• An author may write and publish an additional 2 articles a year by using these tips and tricks.

The focus of the first sentence is on the impact of using the tips and tricks, that is, 2 more articles published per year. In contrast, the second sentence focuses on the tips and tricks themselves.

Authors should use the active voice whenever possible. Consider the following example:

• Active voice: Authors who use the active voice write more clearly.
• Passive voice: Clarity of writing is promoted by the use of the active voice.

The active voice specifies who is doing the action described in the sentence. Using the active voice improves clarity and understanding, and generally uses fewer words. Scientific writing includes both active and passive voice, but authors should be intentional with their use of either one.

Sections of an Original Research Article

Original research articles make up most of the peer-reviewed literature ( 10 ), follow a standardized format, and are the focus of this article. The 4 main sections are the introduction, methods, results, and discussion, sometimes referred to by the initialism, IMRAD. These 4 sections are referred to as the body of an article. Two additional components of all peer-reviewed articles are the title and the abstract. Each section’s purpose and key components, along with specific recommendations for writing each section, are listed below.

Title. The purpose of a title is twofold: to provide an accurate and informative summary and to attract the target audience. Both prospective readers and database search engines use the title to screen articles for relevance ( 2 ). All titles should clearly state the topic being studied. The topic includes the who, what, when, and where of the study. Along with the topic, select 1 or 2 of the following items to include within the title: methods, results, conclusions, or named data set or study. The items chosen should emphasize what is new and useful about the study. Some sources recommend limiting the title to less than 150 characters ( 2 ). Articles with shorter titles are more frequently cited than articles with longer titles ( 11 ). Several title options are possible for the same study ( Figure ).

Two examples of title options for a single study.

Abstract . The abstract serves 2 key functions. Journals may screen articles for potential publication by using the abstract alone ( 12 ), and readers may use the abstract to decide whether to read further. Therefore, it is critical to produce an accurate and clear abstract that highlights the major purpose of the study, basic procedures, main findings, and principal conclusions ( 12 ). Most abstracts have a word limit and can be either structured following IMRAD, or unstructured. The abstract needs to stand alone from the article and tell the most important parts of the scientific story up front.

Introduction . The purpose of the introduction is to explain how the study sought to create knowledge that is new and useful. The introduction section may often require only 3 paragraphs. First, describe the scope, nature, or magnitude of the problem being addressed. Next, clearly articulate why better understanding this problem is useful, including what is currently known and the limitations of relevant previous studies. Finally, explain what the present study adds to the knowledge base. Explicitly state whether data were collected in a unique way or obtained from a previously unstudied data set or population. Presenting both the usefulness and novelty of the approach taken will prepare the reader for the remaining sections of the article.

Methods . The methods section provides the information necessary to allow others, given the same data, to recreate the analysis. It describes exactly how data relevant to the study purpose were collected, organized, and analyzed. The methods section describes the process of conducting the study — from how the sample was selected to which statistical methods were used to analyze the data. Authors should clearly name, define, and describe each study variable. Some journals allow detailed methods to be included in an appendix or supplementary document. If the analysis involves a commonly used public health data set, such as the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System ( 13 ), general aspects of the data set can be provided to readers by using references. Because what was done is typically more important than who did it, use of the passive voice is often appropriate when describing methods. For example, “The study was a group randomized, controlled trial. A coin was tossed to select an intervention group and a control group.”

Results . The results section describes the main outcomes of the study or analysis but does not interpret the findings or place them in the context of previous research. It is important that the results be logically organized. Suggested organization strategies include presenting results pertaining to the entire population first, and then subgroup analyses, or presenting results according to increasing complexity of analysis, starting with demographic results before proceeding to univariate and multivariate analyses. Authors wishing to draw special attention to novel or unexpected results can present them first.

One strategy for writing the results section is to start by first drafting the figures and tables. Figures, which typically show trends or relationships, and tables, which show specific data points, should each support a main outcome of the study. Identify the figures and tables that best describe the findings and relate to the study’s purpose, and then develop 1 to 2 sentences summarizing each one. Data not relevant to the study purpose may be excluded, summarized briefly in the text, or included in supplemental data sets. When finalizing figures, ensure that axes are labeled and that readers can understand figures without having to refer to accompanying text.

Discussion . In the discussion section, authors interpret the results of their study within the context of both the related literature and the specific scientific gap the study was intended to fill. The discussion does not introduce results that were not presented in the results section. One way authors can focus their discussion is to limit this section to 4 paragraphs: start by reinforcing the study’s take-home message(s), contextualize key results within the relevant literature, state the study limitations, and lastly, make recommendations for further research or policy and practice changes. Authors can support assertions made in the discussion with either their own findings or by referencing related research. By interpreting their own study results and comparing them to others in the literature, authors can emphasize findings that are unique, useful, and relevant. Present study limitations clearly and without apology. Finally, state the implications of the study and provide recommendations or next steps, for example, further research into remaining gaps or changes to practice or policy. Statements or recommendations regarding policy may use the passive voice, especially in instances where the action to be taken is more important than who will implement the action.

Beginning the Writing Process

The process of writing a scientific article occurs before, during, and after conducting the study or analyses. Conducting a literature review is crucial to confirm the existence of the evidence gap that the planned analysis seeks to fill. Because literature searches are often part of applying for research funding or developing a study protocol, the citations used in the grant application or study proposal can also be used in subsequent manuscripts. Full-text databases such as PubMed Central ( 14 ), NIH RePORT ( 15 ), and CDC Stacks ( 16 ) can be useful when performing literature reviews. Authors should familiarize themselves with databases that are accessible through their institution and any assistance that may be available from reference librarians or interlibrary loan systems. Using citation management software is one way to establish and maintain a working reference list. Authors should clearly understand the distinction between primary and secondary references, and ensure that they are knowledgeable about the content of any primary or secondary reference that they cite.

Review of the literature may continue while organizing the material and writing begins. One way to organize material is to create an outline for the paper. Another way is to begin drafting small sections of the article such as the introduction. Starting a preliminary draft forces authors to establish the scope of their analysis and clearly articulate what is new and novel about the study. Furthermore, using information from the study protocol or proposal allows authors to draft the methods and part of the results sections while the study is in progress. Planning potential data comparisons or drafting “table shells” will help to ensure that the study team has collected all the necessary data. Drafting these preliminary sections early during the writing process and seeking feedback from co-authors and colleagues may help authors avoid potential pitfalls, including misunderstandings about study objectives.

The next step is to conduct the study or analyses and use the resulting data to fill in the draft table shells. The initial results will most likely require secondary analyses, that is, exploring the data in ways in addition to those originally planned. Authors should ensure that they regularly update their methods section to describe all changes to data analysis.

After completing table shells, authors should summarize the key finding of each table or figure in a sentence or two. Presenting preliminary results at meetings, conferences, and internal seminars is an established way to solicit feedback. Authors should pay close attention to questions asked by the audience, treating them as an informal opportunity for peer review. On the basis of the questions and feedback received, authors can incorporate revisions and improvements into subsequent drafts of the manuscript.

The relevant literature should be revisited periodically while writing to ensure knowledge of the most recent publications about the manuscript topic. Authors should focus on content and key message during the process of writing the first draft and should not spend too much time on issues of grammar or style. Drafts, or portions of drafts, should be shared frequently with trusted colleagues. Their recommendations should be reviewed and incorporated when they will improve the manuscript’s overall clarity.

For most authors, revising drafts of the manuscript will be the most time-consuming task involved in writing a paper. By regularly checking in with coauthors and colleagues, authors can adopt a systematic approach to rewriting. When the author has completed a draft of the manuscript, he or she should revisit the key take-home message to ensure that it still matches the final data and analysis. At this point, final comments and approval of the manuscript by coauthors can be sought.

Authors should then seek to identify journals most likely to be interested in considering the study for publication. Initial questions to consider when selecting a journal include:

• Which audience is most interested in the paper’s message?
• Would clinicians, public health practitioners, policy makers, scientists, or a broader audience find this useful in their field or practice?
• Do colleagues have prior experience submitting a manuscript to this journal?
• Is the journal indexed and peer-reviewed?
• Is the journal subscription or open-access and are there any processing fees?
• How competitive is the journal?

Authors should seek to balance the desire to be published in a top-tier journal (eg, Journal of the American Medical Association, BMJ, or Lancet) against the statistical likelihood of rejection. Submitting the paper initially to a journal more focused on the paper’s target audience may result in a greater chance of acceptance, as well as more timely dissemination of findings that can be translated into practice. Most of the 50 to 75 manuscripts published each week by authors from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are published in specialty and subspecialty journals, rather than in top-tier journals ( 17 ).

The target journal’s website will include author guidelines, which will contain specific information about format requirements (eg, font, line spacing, section order, reference style and limit, table and figure formatting), authorship criteria, article types, and word limits for articles and abstracts.

We recommend returning to the previously drafted abstract and ensuring that it complies with the journal’s format and word limit. Authors should also verify that any changes made to the methods or results sections during the article’s drafting are reflected in the final version of the abstract. The abstract should not be written hurriedly just before submitting the manuscript; it is often apparent to editors and reviewers when this has happened. A cover letter to accompany the submission should be drafted; new and useful findings and the key message should be included.

Before submitting the manuscript and cover letter, authors should perform a final check to ensure that their paper complies with all journal requirements. Journals may elect to reject certain submissions on the basis of review of the abstract, or may send them to peer reviewers (typically 2 or 3) for consultation. Occasionally, on the basis of peer reviews, the journal will request only minor changes before accepting the paper for publication. Much more frequently, authors will receive a request to revise and resubmit their manuscript, taking into account peer review comments. Authors should recognize that while revise-and-resubmit requests may state that the manuscript is not acceptable in its current form, this does not constitute a rejection of the article. Authors have several options in responding to peer review comments:

• Performing additional analyses and updating the article appropriately
• Declining to perform additional analyses, but providing an explanation (eg, because the requested analysis goes beyond the scope of the article)
• Providing updated references
• Acknowledging reviewer comments that are simply comments without making changes

In addition to submitting a revised manuscript, authors should include a cover letter in which they list peer reviewer comments, along with the revisions they have made to the manuscript and their reply to the comment. The tone of such letters should be thankful and polite, but authors should make clear areas of disagreement with peer reviewers, and explain why they disagree. During the peer review process, authors should continue to consult with colleagues, especially ones who have more experience with the specific journal or with the peer review process.

There is no secret to successful scientific writing and publishing. By adopting a systematic approach and by regularly seeking feedback from trusted colleagues throughout the study, writing, and article submission process, authors can increase their likelihood of not only publishing original research articles of high quality but also becoming more scientifically productive overall.

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge PCD ’s former Associate Editor, Richard A. Goodman, MD, MPH, who, while serving as Editor in Chief of CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Series, initiated a curriculum on scientific writing for training CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service Officers and other CDC public health professionals, and with whom the senior author of this article (P.Z.S.) collaborated in expanding training methods and contents, some of which are contained in this article. The authors acknowledge Juan Carlos Zevallos, MD, for his thoughtful critique and careful editing of previous Successful Scientific Writing materials. We also thank Shira Eisenberg for editorial assistance with the manuscript. This publication was supported by the Cooperative Agreement no. 1U360E000002 from CDC and the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health. The findings and conclusions of this article do not necessarily represent the official views of CDC or the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health. Names of journals and citation databases are provided for identification purposes only and do not constitute any endorsement by CDC.

The opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions.

Suggested citation for this article: Iskander JK, Wolicki SB, Leeb RT, Siegel PZ. Successful Scientific Writing and Publishing: A Step-by-Step Approach. Prev Chronic Dis 2018;15:180085. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd15.180085 .

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Writing a scientific article: A step-by-step guide for beginners

In the world of academia, scientific articles play a crucial role in disseminating knowledge and findings to the scientific community. These articles enable researchers to share their discoveries, discuss their methodologies, and contribute to the advancement of their respective fields. As a beginner, you may find writing a scientific original article to be a daunting task, but with the right guidance, you can produce a high-quality, well-structured manuscript that will enhance your credibility and reputation in your field.

Scientific articles play a crucial role in disseminating knowledge and findings to the scientific community.

Pre-Writing Stage: Planning and Preparation

Before starting to write a scientific article, it is essential to plan and prepare. This includes choosing a topic, conducting a literature review, determining the research question or hypothesis, and identifying the target journal.

Choose a topic: The topic should be relevant to the research question or hypothesis and should be of interest to the target audience.

Conduct literature review: A literature review is a critical analysis of previous research related to the topic of the article.

Determine the research question or hypothesis: The research question or hypothesis should be clear, concise, and relevant to the topic.

Identify the target journal: The target journal should be selected based on the scope of the research and the audience it caters to.

Writing Stage: Drafting the Manuscript

Once the planning and preparation stage is complete, the actual writing of the manuscript can begin. This stage involves creating an abstract, outlining the article, and drafting the various sections of the article.

Create an outline: The outline should include the main sections of the article and their order.

Materials and methods: The materials and methods section should describe the study design, data collection, and analysis methods used.

Results: The results section should present the findings of the study and include figures and tables to support the findings.

Discussion: The discussion should interpret the results, explain their significance, and compare them to previous research.

Conclusion: The conclusion should summarize the main findings of the study and explain their implications.

Write the introduction: The introduction should provide background information on the topic, state the research question or hypothesis, and explain the significance of the research.

References: The references section should include a list of sources cited in the article.

Write an abstract: The abstract is a brief summary of the article and should include the research findings, methodology, and conclusions.

Acknowledgments: The acknowledgments section should thank individuals or organizations that provided support or assistance during the research.

Post-Writing Stage: Revising and Editing

After completing the initial draft of the manuscript, it is essential to revise and edit it for clarity, coherence, and accuracy.

Review the first draft: The first draft should be reviewed to identify areas that need improvement.

Revise the manuscript: The manuscript should be revised to address the issues identified in the review process.

Edit the language and grammar: The language and grammar of the manuscript should be edited to improve its readability.

Proofread the final draft: The final draft should be proofread to eliminate any errors.

Submitting Your Manuscript to a Journal

Once you have revised and edited your manuscript, it is time to submit it to a suitable scientific journal. To maximize your chances of acceptance, you should:

Identify target journals: Research journals in your field and select those that align with your research topic and have a high impact factor.

Follow submission guidelines: Carefully read the target journal's submission guidelines, ensuring that your manuscript adheres to their formatting, citation, and content requirements.

Write a cover letter: Craft a professional cover letter that briefly introduces your study, explains its significance, and highlights why it is a good fit for the target journal.

Be prepared for revisions: If your manuscript is accepted with revisions, carefully address the reviewers' comments and resubmit your manuscript in a timely manner.

Responding to Reviews and Revisions

After submitting the manuscript, it may be subjected to peer review. The author may be required to respond to reviewers' comments and revise the manuscript accordingly.

Responding to reviewers' comments: The author should respond to reviewers' comments constructively and professionally.

Revising the manuscript: The manuscript should be revised based on the reviewers' comments and suggestions.

Writing a scientific article can be a challenging but rewarding experience. By following the steps outlined in this guide, beginners can learn how to write a clear, concise, and effective scientific article in English.

If you're looking to improve your scientific writing skills, consider using wisio.app , an online platform where you can get personalized feedback on your writing from AI. With wisio.app , you can get feedback on the structure, content, and language of your manuscript, helping you to improve the quality of your scientific articles.

Antonio Carlos Filho @acfilho_dev

How to write a scientific article: A step-by-step guide

The question, “How to write a scientific article?” will likely be on the minds of many aspiring or new researchers .

According to LuxRender , a scientific article is an original report that presents and describes experimental results, new knowledge or experiences based on known facts.

It’s a way for you to contribute your findings to students, scientists, researchers and doctors. They share and compare your results with their ongoing research or work. In short, your article contributes to the development of science.

So now that you’re familiar with what a scientific article is, how do you begin writing one? Drawing on information from Elsevier , we’ve prepared a guide on how to write a scientific article below:

Look at papers in highly reputed journals when you’re learning to write a scientific article. Be mindful that each sentence should serve a purpose. Source: Marc Wattrelot/AFP

How to write a scientific article

Getting started: what to do before writing one.

Before any writing can begin, you’ll need to conduct an adequate amount of preparatory work that will help you write a scientific article. Some pointers include : 

• Developing an understanding of your chosen topic
• Doing background research 
• Identifying your target medical journal to publish your study
• Identifying your target audience. Is it a group of specialists or a general audience? 
• Deciding your study’s objectives
• Determining the methods you’ll use for the study

These guidelines will give you a clear picture of what needs to be done. You can follow the “IMRAD” format (most scientific journals use this), which includes an introduction followed by multiple sections: methods, results, and a discussion.

As with every journal, you’ll need to include a bibliography, as well as tables and legends to any numbers. 

Step 1: Introduction

Your introduction should explain your chosen topic, and why you chose it. You’ll also have to address what you hope to achieve in the study. 

Here are a few things to take note of when writing your introduction: 

• Determine whether you should share simplistic or specific background details of your topic. This depends on your target audience. If you target a specialist group, your background can be more technical and detailed. 
• Every sentence should serve a purpose, as many journals have a limit on the length of paragraphs or pages.
• Ensure you’re using the correct tenses for your sentences. 

Step 2: Methods

This section should explain the methods used during the study, describing what you did in detail. 

Here’s what your methods should specify (in order): 

• The design of your method
• Your study population, including the procedures to identify it 
• The study’s primary and secondary endpoints
• Every blood test, intervention, operation, questionnaire, imaging technique, etc 
• A short note regarding ethical considerations
• Where necessary, include the manufacturer’s details
• The statistical analysis of your study

Regarding the tenses, you should mainly describe your methods using past (imperfect) tense (e.g.: we performed, we recorded, we measured, we tested). Only use the past perfect tense when describing events before your study (e.g.: ‘when thrombolysis had failed, we initiated).

No writing can begin without first conducting an adequate amount of preparatory work. Source: Jam Sta Rosa/AFP

Step 3: Results

This is a section for stating your observations on the methods used without any commentary or discussion. When stating your observations, avoid using phrases such as “interestingly” or “surprisingly”. Be clear about which method you’re referring to. 

If you would like to include a table for your results, the general rule is that your table should contain the most important results to give your readers a clear idea of your findings. This can be data consisting of baseline characteristics, outcomes or treatments, where the same variables are described for two or more groups. 

Elseview also notes that it’s essential to describe a result for every method that was outlined in the methods section. To make the paper easier to follow and read, it is also good practice to present the results in the same order as the methods. Subtitles can also be useful in breaking down the results into easy-to-follow sections.

Step 4: Discussion 

In this section, you should start your paragraph with a brief recap of your main findings of the study, followed by your interpretation and reasonings for your results, and how they fit into the wider picture of what has been reported on the same topic.

You should also  cite and compare results from other reports as well. However, remember to be diplomatic and avoid criticising other publishers’ work. Use precautionary, softer terms such as may, perhaps and likely. 

Think about any novel findings of your study and how they contribute to the state of knowledge; don’t be afraid to write an article reporting negative results as they still contribute to the current body of evidence.

Step 5: Abstract 

This section is a summary of your article that typically includes the background, methods, results and conclusion. Its primary use is for reference purposes in online bibliographic databases.

Having said that, a well-written abstract is essential, as it is the first item a publisher would read to determine if your article is the right fit for their journal. 

When writing your abstract, remember to keep it short, simple and attractive while also giving the publisher an inside look at your article. 

Learning to write a scientific article takes some practice. Source: Issouf Danogo/AFP

Step 6: Your article’s title 

Your title should contain keywords that reflect your topic and make your article visible in search results. 

Tip: Look at titles of papers in highly reputed journals for inspiration on how to write one. 

Step 7: References 

You’re probably familiar with references, or a section of all the sources you’ve used to prepare and build your research.

This could include books, journals, essays, and papers. Where possible, avoid citing internet sites, personal communication and unpublished data.

Follow the referencing format of the journal you are planning to submit your article to, so check the guidelines and instructions.

Ultimately, writing a scientific article can seem daunting if it’s your first time, but these tips can ensure you cover important sections for your article.

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Writing a scientific article: A step-by-step guide for beginners ScienceDirect

1. Background Every researcher has been face to face with a blank page at some stage of their career, wondering where to start and what to write first. Describing one's research work in a format that is comprehensible to others, and acceptable for publication is no easy task. When you invest a lot of time, energy and often money in your research, you become intimately and emotionally involved. Naturally, you are convinced of the value of your research, and of its importance for the scientific community. However, the subjectivity that goes hand in hand with deep involvement can make it difficult to take a step back, and think clearly about how best to present the research in a clear and understandable fashion, so that others-likely, non experts in your field-can also appreciate the interest of your findings. Even today, the old adage ''publish or perish'' remains valid. Many young researchers find themselves under pressure to produce scientific publications, in order to enhance their career prospects, or to substantiate requests for funding, or to justify previous funding allocations, or as a requirement for university qualifications such as a Masters degree or doctoral thesis. Yet, often, young doctors do not have much training, if any, in the art of writing a scientific article. For clinicians, in particular, the clinical workload can be such that research and scientific writing are seen to be secondary activities that are not an immediate priority, and to which only small amounts of time can be devoted on an irregular basis. However, the competition is already quite fierce amongst all the good quality papers that are submitted to journals, and it is therefore of paramount importance to get the basics right, in order for your paper to have a chance of succeeding. Don't you think that your work deserves to be judged on its scientific merit, rather than be rejected for poor quality writing and messy and confusing presentation of the data? With this in mind, we present here a step-by-step guide to writing a scientific article, which is not specific to the discipline of geriatrics/gerontology, but rather, may be applied to the vast majority of medical disciplines. We will start by outlining the main sections of the article, and will then describe in greater detail the main elements that should feature in each section. Finally, we will also give a few pointers for the abstract and the title of the article. This guide aims to help young researchers with little experience of writing to create a good quality first draft of their work, which can then be circulated to their co-authors and senior mentors for further refinement, with the ultimate aim of achieving publication in a scientific journal. It is undoubtedly not exhaustive, and many excellent resources can be found in the existing literature [1-7] and online [8]. Many young researchers find it extremely difficult to write scientific articles, and few receive specific training in the art of presenting their research work in written format. Yet, publication is often vital for career advancement, to obtain funding, to obtain academic qualifications, or for all these reasons. We describe here the basic steps to follow in writing a scientific article. We outline the main sections that an average article should contain; the elements that should appear in these sections, and some pointers for making the overall result attractive and acceptable for publication. ß

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How to write well about science

• Writing a scientific article: A step-by-step guide for beginners F. Ecarnot, M.-F. Seronde, R. Chopard, F. Schiele, N. Meneveau, (2015). Writing a scientific article: A step-by-step guide for beginners, European Geriatric Medicine, Volume 6, Issue 6, 2015, Pages 573-579,

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Cited by 35 publication s

References 6 publication s, the top 100 cited discourse studies: an update.

The editorial review of the top 100 most cited articles on discourse in the subject area of ‘linguistics and language’ aims to define the dominating trends and find out the prevailing article structures for JLE authors to follow as the best practice-based patterns and guidelines. The top 100 quoted articles were singled out from Scopus database, filtered through subject areas (social sciences; arts and humanities), language (English), years (2015-2019), document type (article) and keywords (discourse; discourse analysis; critical discourse analysis; semantics). The research finds out that educational discourses and news media coverage discourses are the most popular themes with 23 publications each; other prevailing topics cover media, policy-related, ecology discourses, metaphors, racism and religion in discourses. As the top 100 cited articles include mainly original articles (both theoretical and empirical), the study focused on the article structure, calling JLE authors’ attention to the journal editors’ stance on article formats.

La redacción científica como herramienta para cualificación del estudiante de pregrado

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Essential Steps for Algerian Researcher to Target ISI Journals

Abstract:One of the most potent factors widely used in judging the quality of academic institutions is publication. High impact journals are targeted by scientific research groups around the globe by improving the quality of their work. Clearly, researchers perform investigations to address scientific, economic and even political institutions through writing and publishing. Mastering the skills and mechanism of writing scientific article from idea to publication is highly required especially for universities that witness poor research performance. Algerian universities are among the academic institutions that attempt to reach the goal of publishing in high impact journals. This article comes to encourage Algerian researchers to target high quality journals and highlights the necessary steps toward achieving this target. In this paper, the performance of Algerian scientific community was discussed. The importance of publication by answering some essential questions was reported. Moreover, the definition of Impact Factor (IF), Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) and Journal Citation Report (JCR) were stated. Additionally, skills of writing a scientific article and submission process were highlighted. At the early stage of this research, there were few research papers available in the literature dealing and analyzing scientific research activities in Algeria. Further investigations and practical activities such as workshops on how to write scientific article are highly recommended. This paper targets in particular science and engineering researchers. However, other researchers could benefit from it general ideas.

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[A Beginners' Guide to Scientific Writing and Critical Reading]

Affiliation.

• 1 Department of Neurotherapeutics, Yamaguchi University School of Medicine.
• PMID: 35437283
• DOI: 10.11477/mf.1416202038

Writing a scientific paper is a time-consuming task that requires enormous effort, especially for beginners. However, novel scientific discoveries or useful clinical information obtained from a single patient may not be shared with the scientific and medical community if they are not published. This short article is intended to inform beginners and their tutors on how to write a scientific paper/case report in the field of neuroscience in Japanese. In addition, the methods used to conduct the peer review process are briefly mentioned. To write a scientific article, authors are required to use simple and direct expressions to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings. The introduction section must be attractive and flow from providing general to specific information, and the final discussion section should pertain to specific matter and end with general statements. A paper will be successful if the readers appreciate this "scientific arch" as a cardinal message of the article. Intensive reading of colleagues' papers also helps develop the beginners' writing skills. Although young researchers/physicians have rare opportunities to review scientific articles, peer-review experiences are useful for writing papers in the future.

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Writing a scientific article: A step-by-step guide for beginners

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