Writing for Scientific
Publication
Laurence J. Kirmayer, MD
Editor-in-Chief, Transcultural Psychiatry
Write for a Specific Audience
– Write with a congenial reader in mind
– Write for a specific journal with high impact
– Write for a journal you want to read
– Write to join a conversation in which you want to
take part
– Write to reach a specific audience, to have a
specific impact
Write for a Specific Journal
– Rank order several journals to identify where
you may send it (based on type of material
they publish and impact factor)
– Read in the journals where you plan to publish
to understand the state of the field, the current
issues, and your place in the conversation
– Publish in the best journal you can but do not
let it stifle your creativity (more specialized
journals may give you more scope)
Write for a Specific Audience
– Write a detailed outline for the paper and for
each section
– However, in the process of writing you may
clarify your thinking and discover new ideas
– Hence, it is important to have a period in the
writing process to write ‘freely’, without
concern about your own ‘inner editor’
Structure of a Scientific Article
• Title, Authors, Contact information
• Abstract (structured or not)
• Keywords (in addition to obvious descriptors in
title)
• Body Text
• References
• Tables & Figures
Structure of the Text
• Introduction (topic, rationale, objectives)
• Background, literature review
• Hypotheses
• Methods (setting & sample, instruments and
measures, procedure, ethical considerations)
• Data Analysis
• Results
• Discussion
• Conclusion
Plan of Writing
• Results (Tables)
• Discussion
• Methods (setting & sample, instruments and measures,
procedure, ethical considerations)
• Data Analysis
• Background, literature review
• Introduction (topic, rationale, objectives)
• Conclusion
• Abstract
Editing & Revision
• Put it away for a few days and then read it again as
though it is someone else’s work
• Revise carefully
• Ask 2 or 3 colleagues to read it (at least one who is expert
in the area and one who is a general reader). Ask them to
identify areas that are unclear or difficult to follow.
• Revise it again.
• If needed, hire a technical editor to edit the grammar &
style.
• Review and revise again.
Journal Submission
• Follow journal style carefully (APA format, etc.)
• Use bibliographic, style editing software (e.g.
Endnote)
• Submit required number of copies in requested
format (in hard copy or electronically)
• Use simple cover letter to attest to authorship
and originality; mention if paper has some unique
characteristic (e.g. ‘the first study of X in Y’) or if
linked to recent articles or debate in journal
mention this to editor
After submission…
• Wait 3 weeks for an acknowledgment of receipt
• Contact journal by telephone if no
acknowledgement received.
• Wait 3-4 months for editorial response (interval
depends on the journal) contact if none received.
• Respond to request for revisions promptly and
send revised paper in.
• The whole cycle (to publication) can take many
months to years.
Conditional Acceptance
• Accepted with corrections: essentially your paper is
accepted if you can comply with the requested changes
• Do requested corrections or changes promptly
• Write a letter to the editor clearly explaining how you
responded to each of the reviewers’ comments or
suggestions (number and quote the reviewers and your
own revised text)
• If you choose not to make some changes recommended
by the reviewers state why clearly and with references if
necessary
Revise and Resubmit
• No guarantee that your paper will be published but the
journal editor is trying to encourage you (you have a “foot
in the door”)
• Decide if you can address the major concerns or if you
should consider re-submitting to a different journal
• Undertake thorough revision (may need to do new reading
and new data analysis)
• Include cover letter as with conditional exception but even
more detail—this is your chance to show the reviewers
and the editors that you have listened carefully and taken
their critique seriously
• Do not do just a “cosmetic job”
Rejection
• Everyone experiences this—even excellent scientists and writers.
Do not despair, do not give up
• Review the reasons for rejection and divide them into those you
agree with and those you do not accept
• If there are few valid criticisms, reformat the paper and send it out
right away to the next journal on your list
• If there are valid criticisms that you can address, revise the paper
accordingly before sending it out again
• If there are fundamental flaws in design or presentation then go
back to the drawing board: read more literature, re-design the
study, collect new data, re-analyze the data, or find a new angle on
your existing data that makes it interesting
• Do not despair, do not give up: there is a home for every good
piece of work
Your Manuscript is Accepted
• Send any missing information requested by the journal
• Let journal know where you can be reached so that they
can send you editorial queries
• Review galley proofs carefully and make any needed
corrections
• Obtain reprints or pdf file and send copies to colleagues
and supervisors (maintain mailing list)
• Respond to reprint requests and queries with your
relevant publications
• Apply what you have learned from the publishing
experience to providing constructive reviewers for other
potential authors
Resources on Writing
• Day, R. A. (1983). How to Write and Publish a
Scientific Paper (Second ed.). Philadelphia: ISI Press.
• Barker, A. & Manji, F. (1997). Writing for Change:
An Interactive Guide to Effective Writing, Writing for
Science, and Writing for Advocacy, Ottawa: IDRC.
Available online in English, French and Spanish:
[Link]
• Becker, H. S. (1986). Writing for Social Scientists.
How to Start and Finish Your Thesis, Book, or
Article. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Resources on Presenting
Quantitative Results
• Lang, T. A., & Secic, M. (1997). How to Report
Statistics in Medicine. Annotated Guidelines for
Authors, Editors, and Reviewers. Philadelphia:
American College of Physicians.
• Nicol, A. A. M., & Pexman, P. M. (1999).
Presenting Your Findings. A Practical Guide for
Creating Tables. Washington, DC: American
Psychological Association.