Scientific papers, getting published Scientific papers, getting published and reviewing the work of othersand reviewing the work of others

(or How to avoid getting kicked )(or How to avoid getting kicked )

Professor Michael Gelfand(1912 - 1985)

University of Zimbabwe

Overview and Goals Overview and Goals

• How to avoid kicks

–writing a decent paper

• How to respond when kicked

- responding to reviewers

Magic happensMagic happens

The magic of the pen lies in the concentration

of your thoughts upon one object.

Lewes, George Henry1817-1878 British Writer

Sweat Think Organize Practice

TITLETITLE

• Title - 3 routes

Describe the Battle • The effect of X on Y

Declare Victory• X increases Y

Declare you Won the War• X cures cancer

AUTHORS - Make friends or enemies?AUTHORS - Make friends or enemies?

• Authors ?– Does everyone qualify?– Have you left anyone out? – Order? – Seen it? – Never forge a signature

AbstractAbstract

– Only thing most people read – Structured abstract– Data

Introduction Introduction

• Introduction– Why did the study? Not a literature

review – Have to sell the idea (why should I

care?)– If haven’t hooked the reader you are

lost

METHODS and RESULTSMETHODS and RESULTS

• Methods– IRB and informed consent– How you did the study – How you analyzed the data

• Results – What you found. Tell a story – Emphasize the positive– Don’t repeat data

Discussion

– So What ? – Tell a story, avoid bias - you’ve seen the same

movie (the data) – Not a literature review (but think)– Avoid Industry style – The function of statistics is to tell you if findings

are statistically significant

CONCLUSION CONCLUSION

Conclusion – Based on your data – Brief – How much speculation can you get away with ?

• References – Primary source often but not always – Reasonable number, avoid narcissism, Refman – Do you cite the journal submitting to? Style?

• Tables – Self Standing. Careful with Abbreviations – Data in Tables and text must match– Reasonable number

• Figures – Reasonable number – Abbreviations– Quality – Measures of spread

DetailsDetails

• Which Journal ?– Aim high or low?– Appropriate? – Instructions

• Cover Letter – responsibilities of the author– Not a book

• Don’t bug the Editor too much Success = 1. new 2. interesting,

3. important and 4. valid

Kisses of Death Kisses of Death

• “We thus confirmed …”(New)

• No story (Interesting)

• Story and data do not match

Kisses of DeathKisses of Death

• Reader can’t understand what you did

• Fails the “So what test” (can’t understand

why you did it) (Important)

• Salami publication

• Invalid – Design, Analysis (Valid)

Kisses of Death Kisses of Death

• Make your paper as dense and intelligent (but

unintelligible) as possible.

• Use lots of abbreviations “In vivo high-resolution CEMRI is capable of quantitatively measuring the dimensions of the intact FC and LR-NC. These new parameters may be useful to evaluate plaque vulnerability and provide continuous variables for characterizing the intact FC and LR-NC in progression and regression studies.” Circulation 2005:112: 3437 -3444

Bad FormBad Form

Sloppy

Missing pages

Illegible pages

Wrong version

Typos

Comments visible

Poor English etc

Very Bad Form

• Submitting to 2 journals at once

• Blindsided authors• Salami publication

GOING TO JAIL FORM

• Duplicate

publication • Making up data

Telling a story Telling a story

• In the beginning ……

• So what?

• One sentence telegraphs the next

• One paragraph telegraphs the next

• Imaginary Headings

• Proffread

STOP

SUMMARY SUMMARY

• How to avoid kicks –writing a decent paper

SWEAT, THINK, ORGANIZE, PRACTICE

• How to respond when kicked - responding to reviewers

SWEAT, THINK, ORGANIZE, PRACTICE