Over-arching for you manuscript: Clarity
- How clear is your idea?
- Have a colleague, especially one outside your area, read the manuscript before you submit to make sure the main conceptual point is understandable.
Title
- First point of contact
- Avoid jargon
- Simple & succinct
- Part of the discoverability of your article - researchers often search for articles by looking for keywords & phrases in titles and abstracts
Abstract
- Commercial for the paper
- Part of the discoverability of your article - researchers often search for articles by looking for keywords & phrases in titles and abstracts
- Maintain accuracy but avoid spin e.g. do not overstate your findings
- Different journals have different styles or formats for their abstracts - verify what the journal you intend to submit to requires
Introduction
- Give justification for this study
- Include relevant background information that someone outside your immediate field would need to know to understand the purpose of this study;
Results
- Be accurate with statistics and figures
- Editors and peer reviewers will evaluate this section to understand the actual science that has been done
Discussion
- Important to discuss limitations
- Wraps up the paper, what you have done, and what needs to happen next
References
- Avoid excessive self citations
- Make sure there are current references; references that are all too old are a red f;ag for editors and reviewers
More info:
International Committee for Medical Journal Editors Recommendations for Manuscript Preparation
“Preparing and Publishing a Scientific Manuscript” Journal of human reproductive sciences vol. 10,1 (2017): 3-9.
Health Sciences Writing Centre at the University of Toronto: support & resources for writing; individual student instruction
