Project Guidelines and Literature Review

Summer 2014

“How to Write a Paper in Scientific Journal Style and Format”

http://abacus.bates.edu/~ganderso/biology/resources/writing/HTWtoc.html • These are not the guidelines for a specific journal

Refereed Journal Article• Submission Format

– Determined by information for authors provided by specific journal

– Attention to detail is mandatory• Abstract

– Limited word count– Structured or Unstructured

• Introduction– Literature Review

• Methods & Materials– Detailed enough for another scientist to repeat your study

• Results– Clear description of results of analysis (no interpretation)

• Discussion– discuss the hypothesis in the light of the results– compare to other studies, Refer back to reviewed literature– future avenues of research

Journal Submission Guidelines

• Every journal has specific guidelines for manuscript preparation.

• Submission format does not look like publication format with double columns, tables and figures in the text etc.

• Submission format tends to be double-spaced, with figures and tables on separate pages following the text.

Journal Submission Guidelines

• This site will give you access to journal guidelines for about 3500 journals– Information for Authors for Various Journals

• For our course project a set of guidelines have been developed that are a composite of several journals.

• You MUST follow these guidelines for submission of your project.

Guidelines for Preparation of theBPK 304W Term Project Paper

Manuscript Components • Include these 7 sections:

– Title page– Abstract– Text (introduction, methods, results, discussion)– References– Table 1 – Table 2– Figure 1.Start each of these sections on a new page, numbered

consecutively, beginning with the title page. • The suggested maximum word limit for the text (excluding

references, tables and figures) is 1500 words.• The figures and tables are in sequence at the end of the document

and not included within the body of the text.

Guidelines for Preparation of theBPK 304W Term Project Paper

Manuscript Page Formats.• Use 12-point font size, double-space text, and leave right margins

unjustified (ragged).

Title Page• In addition to the title of the paper, the title page should also

include:– Word count for text only – Your full name– Student number– Course Number– University (SFU)– date of submission

Guidelines for Preparation of theBPK 304W Term Project Paper

Abstract • Include a structured abstract with appropriate headings

(background, objective, methods, results, conclusions) of no more than 200 words.

• Background: The abstract should begin with a sentence or 2 explaining the importance and relevance of the study question.

• Objective: State the precise objective or study question addressed in the report (eg, “To determine whether…”).

Guidelines for Preparation of theBPK 304W Term Project Paper

Abstract (cont.) • Methods: Describe the basic design of the study and

methods, including a short description of the subjects. • Results: results of the statistical analysis along with

significance criteria (P<0.05). • Conclusions: Provide only conclusions of the study

directly supported by the results, along with implications for clinical practice, avoiding speculation and overgeneralization.

TextIntroduction, Methods, Results, Discussion

• The four parts of the Text are continuously paged. Do not start each part on a separate page.

• Introduction• Opening statement on the relevance or importance of this work. Follow with brief

review of pertinent literature. End with statement of the objective of the study.

• Methods• You will be given a piece of text to paste into your methods section describing

the selection of the subjects and the measurement protocols for the anthropometric data, but you must write the statistical methods section

• Results• This was your writing assignment

• Discussion• State your results and interpret them with reference to other studies• End with a concluding statement

Project Marking Scheme

Title Page 5 marks

Abstract 10 marks

Introduction 20 marks

Methods (stats section only) 5 marks

Results (should be included as part of first submission of the project but will not marked until 2nd submission)

Discussion & References 30 marks

Tables & Figures (their content is marked as part of the results section, however they must be in place in proper location because that is part of the formatting mark below)

Overall (Presentation, formats, components in correct sequence etc)10 marks

Total 80 marks

Guidelines for Preparation of theBPK 304W Term Project Paper

ReferencesNumber references in the order they appear in the text; do not alphabetize. In

text, tables, and legends, identify references with superscript Arabic numerals. When listing references, abbreviate names of journals according to the journals list in PubMed. Note: List all authors and/or editors up to 6; if more than 6, list the first 3 followed by “et al.”

Examples of Reference Style:

(In REFWORKS choose Journal of American Medical Association style)1. Gheorghiade M, Abraham WT, Albert NM, et al; for the OPTIMIZE-HF Investigators and

Coordinators. Systolic blood pressure at admission, clinical characteristics, and outcomes in patients hospitalized with acute heart failure. JAMA. 2006;296:2217-2226.

2. Lynfield R, Ogunmodede F, Guerina NG. Toxoplasmosis. In: McMillan JA, Feigin RD, DeAngelis CD, Jones MD Jr, eds. Oski’s Pediatrics: Principles and Practice. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2006:1351-1362.

3. The key and critical objectives of JAMA. http://jama.ama-assn.org/about_current.dtl. Accessed December 11, 2006.

Guidelines for Preparation of theKin 304 Term Project Paper

Tables• Number all tables in the order of their citation in the text.

Include a title at the top of each in bold font. Tables should be able to stand alone and not require reference to the body of the text for definitions. Each table should be on a separate page.

Figures• Number all figures in the order of their citation in the text.

Include a title at the bottom of each in bold font. Figures should be able to stand alone and not require reference to the body of the text for definitions. Each figure should be on a separate page.

Literature Review

• Conduct a thorough search and review of the relevant research literature– REFWORKS is a reference database

management system freely available to SFU students.

RefWorks is a web-based bibliography and citation database manager. Access to RefWorks is free for all current students, faculty and staff.

RefWorks allows you to…Store your references online and format bibliographies instantly. Access your account from anywhere in the world with an internet connection.Export citations from a variety of article indexes and database service providers into your RefWorks account.

Relevant Literature for Summer 2014 Project

• Previous studies on 2D:4D ratio (particularly sex and competitive sport participation).

• Endocrine implications?

• Methods to assess success in competitive sports