Lecture 22

what is an abstract?

"Structured abstract" has become the standard for research papers (introduction, objective, methods, results and conclusions) - While reviews, case reports and other articles have non-structured abstracts. - The abstract should be a summary/synopsis of the paper.

What should the methods or material and methods section include?

1) Context and setting of the study 2) Specify the study design 3) Population (patients, etc. if applicable) 4) Sampling strategy 5) Intervention (if applicable) 6) Identify the main study variables 7) Data collection instruments and procedures

What are some questions that can be asked for Critical Revising or Critical Reviewing a Scientific or Medical Research Report from a Journal Perspective

1) Is the submission original? 2) Does the paper fit the scope of the journal? 3) Would the paper be of interest to the readership of the journal? 4) Does the paper help to expand or further research in this subject area? 5) Does it significantly build on (the author's) previous work? 6) Do you feel that the significance and potential impact of a paper is high or low? 7) Is the paper complete? Is there an abstract or summary of the work undertaken as well as a concluding section? 8) Is the methodology presented in the manuscript and any analysis provided both accurate and properly conducted? 9) Are all relevant accompanying data, citations, or references given by the author? 10) Should it be shortened and reconsidered in another form? 11) Would you recommend that the author reconsider the paper for a related or alternative journal? 12) Is the submission in Standard English to aid the understanding of the reader?

what should the discussion section include?

1) Main findings of the study 2) Discuss the main results with reference to previous research 3) Policy and practice implications of the results 4) Strengths and limitations of the study

At the end of the paper, a ____ should be used

1) Paper Reference List or 2) Reference Citations or 3) Citations Used

what should the result section include?

1) Report on data collection and/or recruitment 2) Participants (demographic, clinical condition, etc.) 3) Present key findings with respect to the central research question 4) Secondary findings (secondary outcomes, subgroup analyses, etc.)

What is a scholarly source?

1) Scholarly or peer-reviewed journal articles are written by scholars or professionals who are experts in their fields. In the sciences and social sciences, they often publish research results. 2) Substantive news articles are reliable sources of information on events and issues of public concern. 3) Popular articles reflect the tastes of the general public and are often meant as entertainment. 4) Sensational and tabloid articles intend to arouse strong curiosity, interest, or reaction. They do not follow the standards of journalistic ethics. They are not factually accurate.

What are some reasons to publish scientific or medical research?

1) Your research is valuable, but it has to be presented to the rest of the scientific or medical community, and be available for the public to review. 2) Written, documented and reviewed communication is necessary to make your research available and useful. 3) Making yourself matter "Publish or perish" 4) Career building 5) Funding and formal requirements 6) Improving your skills 7) Adding to the body of medical or scientific knowledge 8) Promoting yourself as a recognized expert in your field 9) Help develop or improve existing policy or information in your field of expertise 10) Publishing to help you advance your career 11) Gaining inner satisfaction

what is a bibliography?

A Bibliography is a list of the books referred to in a scholarly work, usually printed as an appendix... or a list of the books of a specific author or publisher, or on a specific subject. - A bibliography is NOT a literature cited section and a bibliography has a different function than does a Literature Cited section.

what is the references section?

Complete citations for any articles or other materials referenced in the text of the article.

Structure of a Medical or Scientific Research Article: Reports of research studies usually follow the _______

IMRAD format.

What is a CrossCheck?

In 2008, Crossref and the STM publishing community came together to develop CrossCheck, a service that helps editors to verify the originality of papers. - CrossCheck is powered by the Ithenticate software from iParadigms, known in the academic community as providers of Turnitin.

IMRAD stand for?

Introduction, Methods, Results, & Discussion IMRAD is a mnemonic for the major components of a scientific paper. Individual journals may vary this structure and different types of publications will also vary this structure; case reports as an example.

Journals with a broad audience and high impact factor are ___?

Journals with a broad audience and high impact factor are not necessarily the right target journal for every study. Your research may reach more of your target audience if it is published in a smaller journal with a more specific topic focus or a lower impact journal that is widely read in your field.

how many CrossRef members collaborated?

Over 200 CrossRef members collaborate by donating full-text journal articles and book chapters to create a unique database of over 50 million articles. - Note that even this database is not entirely exhaustive: research published by non-participating publishers or before the digital era may be absent.

what is the discussion section?

Place for interpreting the results. This section should be called: A Discussion of the Results. - It is in this section you should discuss all the major findings...the results, using outside published sources to support your statements. - You need to support your opinions/interpretations of the data with other published reports

What is plagiarized research?

Plagiarized research is an especially egregious form of plagiarism. If the research is medical in nature, the consequences of plagiarism could mean the loss of peoples' lives. This kind of plagiarism is particularly heinous.

Is informal source citable?

Rarely - formal source are citable

what is the conclusions section?

[occasionally optional or not required]. Do not reiterate the data or discussion. - Can state hunches, inferences or speculations. - Offer perspectives for future work. - You should be able to conclude from your research hypothesis or question in 3 sentences or less.

Manuscript Submission process:

- All journals have guidelines that the author must follow. - When you choose your target journal (or top 2-3 journals), go to the journal website and look up the Author Instructions or Author Guidelines. Most journals will detail: 1) How to write a cover letter and how to get author permission signatures 2) Manuscript type such as short report, original research, review papers, perspectives, case reports 3) Submission process 4) Article formatting - from abstract to summary 5) Peer review process 6) Excluding peer reviewers 7) Ethical considerations 8) Open access policy 9) Page costs or page charge waivers 10) Article revision policies

You can copy and paste the citation versions on Google scholar and send it to?

- EndNotes - RefWorks - Bib TeX

What is the consequence of plagiarism?

- Plagiarism can get you expelled from your course. Plagiarism can result in your work being destroyed. - Plagiarism can result in expulsion from or fired from your academic institution. - Plagiarism can result in legal action. Plagiarism can end your career.

What are some of the thing Critical Revising or Critical Reviewing a Scientific or Medical Research Report are looking for in a Author Perspective

- Structure and Content - Style and Clarity Every paper should tell a "story" that has: 1) a beginning -- the introduction sets the stage 2) a middle -- the methods and results say what happened 3) an end -- the discussion provides a conclusion that ties all the parts of the story together - The first step in editing is to make sure that the big picture is clearly communicated

what is the methods or material and methods?

- The procedures used in the study, materials and techniques, methods of analysis and such are included. - This section should be in such detail that someone else could replicate your study just from what is listed in this section. - Sometimes even suppliers of reagents and batch numbers need to be given. - Explain how the data was collected, how the study size was estimated and ethical criteria and considerations.

What does the title page consist of?

1) Title: Tells the reader what to expect in the paper. 2) author(s): Most papers are written by one or two primary authors. The remaining authors have reviewed the work and/or aided in study design or data analysis Check the Instructions to Authors for the target journal for specifics about authorship. 3) keywords: [according to the journal] 4) corresponding author: Full name and affiliation for the primary contact author ( can be used for persons who have questions about the research) 5) financial and equipment support: Specific information about organizations, agencies, or companies that supported the research. 6) conflicts of interest: List and explain any conflicts of interest.

what is the acknowledgements section?

Names people who contributed to the work, but did not contribute sufficiently to earn authorship. - You must have permission from any individuals mentioned in the acknowledgements sections. - Also, acknowledge any grant or support information, facility or institutional support and such.

what is an example of in-text citations with using number?

Some journals may use just a number and that number would refer to the number of the citation in the list of references used... Example: The infection rate of Ascaris lumbricoides in children under 12 years of age in the Dominican Republic was twice that reported for Honduras. 12, 13

what are examples of in-text citations?

Some journals use the APA format, follow the author-date method of in-text citation. - This means that the author's last name and the year of publication for the source should appear in the text Example: (Jones, 1998), and a complete reference should appear in the reference list at the end of the paper.

what is the result section?

The "what did you find" of your paper. - It may include numbers, tables, charts, illustrations, photographs. - The results need to contain only the data WITHOUT and interpretation of the data. - Summarize the key findings and how they relate to the study objectives

what is an introduction?

The "why did you do the study"; - setting the scene or laying the foundation or background for the paper. - The introduction gives background on the topic....important unique vocabulary, terms, concepts, history and noteworthy major published works. - The end of the introduction is the transition to your study....main AIMS and why/where the study took place.

what are the Factors in Selecting a Target Journal or Target Journals?

The most important factors in selecting a target journal depend on your publishing goals; it may be most important to select a journal with: a) A high impact factor, b) Fast publishing time, or c) Specific target audience. - Even after considering your specific field of research, you may have several journals to choose from. - When you have a short list of 3-5 good candidate journals, think about your publishing goals to help narrow the list. - Consider factors shown above to select the best target journal.

how should you cite the information?

There are several ways to cite information...each journal you write for will tell you the style they will want you to use - You must use care and be absolutely accurate with your citations otherwise you may be charges with plagiarism and your paper may be rejected.

What should be cited in the paper?

a) Any book, article, research report, internet source or other informational medium that you use MUST be cited after the idea, thought, description that you have used in your paper. b) If the information is not yours....you must cite it in your text and also give the citation in your references used section at the end of your paper.

what are some successful writing strategies?

a) Develop sequential strategies for writing such as prewriting, organizing, drafting, revising, and editing. b) Writers who compress these potentially distinct activities when they compose a final draft in one quick sitting often do not succeed at writing tasks. c) Writing a research manuscript is an intimidating process for many novice writers in the sciences. One of the stumbling blocks is the beginning of the process and creating the first draft. d) Writing an outline first forces you to begin your work in an organized manner. This is an ABSOLUTE!

Citation: Research reports must contain....?

accurate references about the sources that informed or supported the methods, findings and conclusions of a new study

The consequences of plagiarism are _____

far-reaching and no one is immune. Neither ignorance nor stature excuses a person from the ethical and legal ramifications of committing plagiarism. - Before attempting any writing project, learn about plagiarism. Find out what constitutes plagiarism and how to avoid it. The rules are easy to understand and follow. - Journals check all submitted manuscripts for plagiarism.