“down to earth” academic workshop writing for publication laura roberts, m.d., m.a....

“Down to Earth” Academic Workshop

Writing for Publication

Laura Roberts, M.D., M.A.Editor-in-Chief, Academic Psychiatry

Professor & ChairmanCharles E. Kubly Professor

of Psychiatry & Behavioral Medicine Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Medicine

Professor of BioethicsMedical College of Wisconsin

Introduction

Coming up with an idea

Choosing your format, venue

Anatomy of a manuscript for publication

Editorial & publication process

Understanding peer review

Strategies for success

Ethical considerations

Special issues for case reporting

Coming up with an idea…

Identifying a “good” topic:• Salient

• Significant

• Well-defined, and

• Has received insufficient attention, or

• Is incompletely understood, or

• Requires replication, or

• New milestone/information sheds new light, or

• New technique permits new understanding, or

• Distinct perspective produces valuable meaning

Coming up with an idea….

What is interesting to write about? What is important to write about? What are you able to write about? What, with help, are you able to write

about? What are you motivated to write about? What must you write about?

Choosing your format…

Case reports Brief reports Review articles Empirical reports Commentaries Annotated bibliographies Letters to the editor Other: policy statements, guidelines…

Choosing your venue…

Target audience Ideal & “fall back” journals Resources

• The web

• The literature

• Mentors & colleagues

• Editors & editorial board members

Anatomy of a manuscript…

Empirical report structure• Abstract

• Introduction with literature review

• Methods

• Results

• Discussion

• Tables

• References

Anatomy of a manuscript…

Case report elements• Abstract

• Introduction with literature review

• Case study

• Analysis & discussion

• Conclusion

• References

Anatomy of a manuscript…

Title & abstract• Capturing the interest of the learner

• Accurate reflection of the work to be presented

• Asserting value of the work

Introduction• Creating meaning & context for the work

• Demonstrating a gap & providing a rationale

• Anticipating the significance of the work

Anatomy of a manuscript…

“Data”

• Methods: • careful description of methodological process, including

design, procedures, safeguards, analyses

• Results: • systematic, clear, accessible, compelling presentation of

the main findings of a scholarly endeavor

Anatomy of a manuscript…

Case• Systematic description of unfolding story

• Sufficient information of value for understanding the important “teaching points”

• Clarity of writing

• Appropriate disguising of material

• Appropriate documentation of safeguards

• Broad range of style permissible

Anatomy of a manuscript…

Discussion

• Explication

• Interpretation

• Implications

• Strengths & limitations References Tables, other resources

Anatomy of a manuscript… Diverse formats, but same logic & flow Multiple goals, multiple values at play Think carefully about:

• What the aims of your paper are & what you believe it can contribute

• Which format to undertake• Who your target audience is, what your target

journal should be• What other goals are accomplished through the

work• Who can help you do your best work

Some exercise…

Which best describes your view of writing?

A. “If the doctor told me I had only six minutes to

live, I’d type a little faster.”

B. “Writing is a lot like pulling off a band-aid.”

A – Isaac Asimov; B – unknown.

Some more exercise…

What was your most positive writing experience, personal or professional, ever? Why?

What was your worst? Why?

Editorial & publication process…

The “flow” of manuscripts through the process

Evaluative criteria for manuscripts

Collegial & role issues

The Editorial & Publication Process Manuscript preparation & pre-submission process

Submission of manuscript & accompanying materials

Triage/initial editorial review

Peer review Rejection

Editorial review & decision

Acceptance Revision Rejection

Resubmission & Editorial Re-Review

Acceptance Peer Re-ReviewRejectionPublicationpreparation Editorial Re-Review

Acceptance Rejection

Editorial & publication process…

Evaluative criteria for manuscripts:• Significance

• Relevance

• Contribution

• Clarity

• Integrity

Collegial & role issues

Peer review…

People who like this sort of thing will find this the sort of thing they like. 

Book review by Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)

Peer review…

Three goals• Assess the value of the work

• Assure the scholarly rigor of the work

• Assist authors & editors advance optimal work

Patterns in reviews• Do improve quality of work

• Checklists assist reviewers

• Negative comments dominate, even in “positive” reviews

• Recommendations based on global impressions

Some more exercise…

Which picture best shows an author’s hope for the peer reviewer?

A. B.

Some more exercise…

Which picture best shows the actual peer reviewer?

A. B.

Some more exercise…

Which picture best shows your style as a peer reviewer?

A. B. C.

Strategies for success…

Collaborating Coauthoring

• intersection of accountability, intellectual contribution, & “little red hen” principles

Persevering Resilience Finding meaning, finding joy

Respectful, sensitive use of language

Appropriate inclusion of stakeholders, “participants”

Confidentiality

Minimizing bias in interpretation

Appropriate authorship

Documentation of safeguards in human, animal studies

Redundant publication

Misconduct: plagiarism, fraudulent, inhumane

Ethical considerations…

Safeguarding privacy, sensitive material 1. disguising case material

changing basic informationconsidering consequences of changesavoiding true, unnecessary specifics

2. when appropriate, seeking consent3. arranging for “external checks”4. avoiding “over-disguising”5. indicating the safeguard steps in a cover letter

Special issues for case reporting…

Some unsolicited advice…

The only thing I can’t stand is discomfort. Gloria Steinem, 1977

I was gratified to be able to answer promptly, I said I don’t know.

Mark Twain

Questions & answers…