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Some advices to write a good scientific paper.
First advice: writing paper is like intubation. If you read 100 books about
intubation, this does not means that you can intubate. Intubation is try and
error, but reading books will tell the basics and some tips. The same for
writing papers, you must do it and fail but net try !in shaa "llah# you will
succeed. In the following pages, I will mention some tips for good writing.
1# $hy do we write a paper% &f course for tar'ya but !for seek of "llah#
you can add to that the intension to spread since.
'# Is good writing is important% (nfortunately, good writing is more
important than the scientific content. I know a talented writer. )e published
a faked study in "nesthesiology. )owever, I don*t know how he will answer
"llah +uestion of spreading faked since.
,# $hen should you start writing% &nce you have an idea, write it dawn. It
is like a music tune- write it down before you forget it forever.
.# $hat is the goal of the study !why do we do a study#% The study starts
with a problem facing you. The goal of the study is either to prove eistence
of this problem, to eplain why this problem happens, to assess how big
the problem is, or to solve this problem.
e.g I may study the incidence of /0/) after spinal anesthesia in obstetric
patients, you may study the effect of different needle types on the incidence
of /0/), other may study the effectiveness spinal catheter to treat the
/0/), 1.ect
The goal of the study must be clear in your mind and in your manuscript. If
you evaluate many parameters, you have to identify which one is the main
goal !which is also called primary outcome# while other measured
parameters are called secondary outcomes. The primary outcome will be
used to calculate the sample si2e. "ll the paper !introduction, method,
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result and discussion# will circulate around the primary outcome. The
conclusion include only !or mainly# the primary outcome.
eg. If you study the effect of adding deametha2one to ropivacaine for
femoral block, you may evaluate many parameters as block success rate,
onset, duration and safety !nerve in3ury#. 4ou must identify which one of
these . parameters is your primary outcome. If you chose the safety as a
primary outcome, your sample si2e must be hundreds or thousands. If you
chose the success rate as a primary outcome, the sample si2e will be
about .0, but in this case, your conclusion will be about the success rate
but you cannot comment on the safety.
General writing tips.
5 The priority is always to be clear. (se simple words. Form simple short
sentence. (se the least number of words to give the eact idea.
5 compare the following ' sentences:
a# the needle tip was withdrawed and then reintroduced superficial
and deep to the nerve in order to place the 6" accurately all around7
b# the needle tip was repositioned to achieve ade+uate 6" spread 7
50on*t use comple sentence. $hen you revise your manuscript, if you find
a comple sentence, break it into ' or , simple sentences.
58ach sentence must give one meaning. If it has more than one meaning,
change it. 9it" and 9which" must be carefully used eg:-.
5"drenalin added to ropivacaine for femoral block after sciatic block
makes it unsafe. This it refers to what% To adrenalin, ropivacaine,
femoral block or sciatic block% so everybody may understand this
sentence in different ways, and this totally not accepted
5"lso 9 the gene of the '. chromosome which may be fatal in
:aucasian is rarely present 7 actually this sentence means that the
'. chromosome is fatal. If you want to say that the gene is fatal
you should that instead of which. To me it is better to not use both
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and write as following 9the gene of the '. chromosome is fatal in
:aucasian but it is rarely present7
5"fter reading you manuscript many times, you cannot detect mistakes any
more. ;o give it to a friend to read it to detect any mistake.
5<ood written paper can be understood by anyone can read 8nglish. ;o if
your little brother understands the paper this means it is good written. If not,
your paper needs more simplifications
5There must be a connection between each sentence and the net one and
also between each paragraph and the net one. If you do so, the study will
be like a story, so everybody will be happy to read it.
=# $hat are the study parts% > parts : a# ;tudy design !appears within the
method but is the most important# b#The introduction where you indentify
the goal of your study. c# The method: is what to you did to solve this
problem d# The results: your findings e# discussion is what does this finding
mean and f# the abstract where you summari2e all the above parts.
># $hich part should be written first % "lways starts with the method !which
based on the design#. Then write the discussion !collect results of previous
studies in paragraphs#. Then write the result. Then read3ust the discussion
!to fit your result#. Then write the introduction and lastly write the abstract.
Study design: wrong design makes it is impossible to publish a paper.
Take care ethical issues may causes re3ection of the study. eg you cannot
compare the effect of 2ofran !on /&?@ after middle ear surgery# versus
placebo. This is totally unethical, because the control group must receive a
treatment !for eample primpran#. The same, you cannot study the
analgesic effect of epidural versus placebo. "lso, you cannot test the effect
of in3ecting drug !eg 2ofran# intrathecally without a pervious study
validates its safety !at least on animals#.
The method of randomi2ation, blinding, steps of the study, assessment
must be clear in your mind !before you start the study#
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:alculate the sample si2e in each group before the study
In our university most of the studies are controlled randomi2ed double blind
study. In these studies we usually compare effect of cretin drug !or
techni+ue# versus other drug or placebo. 8cept the tested drug, all
patients in all groups must receive same everything !as possible#
eg if you compare 2ofran versus primpran: all pt must receive do same
surgery, same induction agent, same muscle relaant, same narcotic,
same airway device, same mode of ventilation and same ventilation
parameters, same inhalational agent and same ?& concentration, same
antibiotic and same reverse and same etubation techni+ue and same
postoperative pain killer, the one who assess the /&?@ must be the same.
if you can, make all surgery performed with same surgeon. This will give
more reliable results. The only difference should be only that one group
received 2ofran and the other received primpran
?.A 0ouble blind means that both the patient and one who do assessment
do not know which drug was given to the patient !2ofran or primpran#.
Introduction:
5;how how serious and how common is the problem you face
5;how briefly the pervious eisting solutions for this problem and the
shortages of these solutions
5Introduce your solution to this problem
5lastly, state the aim !the goal# of the study clearly
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Method
In the method, you describe eactly what you did !as if you are eplaining
to ineperienced physician how to repeat your work#
First paragraph include: ethical statement !committee approval and pateint
consent# inclusion and eclusion criteria. sample si2e, randomi2ation
method, groups names
;econd paragraph contains: steps performed in order, the used drug
Bconcentration, volume, dose, timing, manufacture1C, the used e+uipment.
what was the treatment received in each group%, 1..ect
?.Ab non related issues must be mentioned but in berif !for eample if you
study the effect of femoral block after TDE performed under <". 4ou
should describe <" briefly but describe the femoral block in details. Aut if
you study the effect the 2ofran on /&?@, you have to mention all details of
<".
Third paragraph : ;tate clearly what you measured !eg success rate, onset
and duration, A/, @";,11# and define each measure !ie you have to
define the successful block,11#. )ow assessment was performed, when,
and who did it . )ow blinding was performed%
;tatistic paragraph:
In which you eplain how the sample si2e was calculated. how the results
were analy2ed !what testes and what software were used# and how data
are presented in the result section.
?.A: The statically analysis is solve one +uestion 9Is the difference between
groups is due chance !non5significant# or due to the difference of treatment
!significant#%7 Fost 3ournals ask you to mention the confidence interval of
your result. It represents the reproducibility of your result.
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ResuIts
(sually you get many findings. These findings should be mentioned
!arranged# chronologically or according to its importance !the most
important of curse is the primary outcome#
4ou can present your result using tets, figures or tables. (se the easiest
and more reprehensive one. Aut in the tet don*t repeat the findings shown
in the figures or tables
?.A negative findings are some times more important than positive finding,
because negative finding will make us stop doing things that we though it
will improve outcome. For eample, you study the effect of adding fentanyl
to 6" in femoral block and you find there no difference in success rate. This
is so important as this result tell everyone don*t do this miture again.
Discussion
It usually starts with the result of the primary outcome.
In discussion, you describe the mean of your results and its implications.
4ou should mention result of previous studies that similar to yours
4ou should also mention the studies that contradict your results. Then try to
eplain why this contradict occurs. To eplain this contradicts, read the
method of these studies. "ny difference between their method yours may
be a cause for the contradict. For eample you use ropivacaine for sciatic
nerve and your success was G0 H but in pervious study it was I0H. 6ook
to previous study method to find the difference. The difference may be:5
!you study young pt but the other studied old#, block techni+ue !you used
labat but they used Fansor#, locali2ation method ! you use ultrasound but
they used nerve stimulation#, in3ection end point !you in3ect with current J
0.,m" but they in3ect with current J0.=m"#, 1..etc.
Take care all dissection must be built on your finding. 0on*t discuss some
thing you didn*t evaluate.
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8very sentence in the discussion !and introduction# must be based on
clinical evidence. This evidence may be in your results, or previous studies
!mention the reference of that study#
(nder rare condition, you can tell your own opinion !without reference# in
this case, this sentence must contain a probability verb as 9 May,...7
eg. The sciatic block failed in , cases !in spite of being performed under
ultrasound guidance#. This failure may be related to 11
(nless it*s a holy book, no manuscript is 100H perfect. ;o in the last
paragraph of the discussion, you must comment of the pitfalls and
limitations of your study. 8plain why pitfalls occurs !this will etremely
protect you ! KLM NOPQ RST UV WX YZ[\ N]L^Z #.
These pitfalls must be unavoidable !avoidable pitfalls mean study
re3ection#. (navoidable pitfall may be 9*this study should be double blind
however due lack of enough personal it was non5blind7 other limitation may
be 9most of the studied patients have small AFI and this may limit
application of our results in obese patients,11.etc .
ConcIusion
If you study the effect of drug on a billion patients, this does not grantee
that your results will fit the other = billion. ;o the conclusion must conation
a probability verbs !may, could, should#. 0on*t use !is, are, must#
eg :ompared with primpran, 2ofran may provide a better control of /&?@
after middle ear surgeries.
"bstract is structures !ie formed of . parts#:
1 back ground: in which you state the aim study !same sentence at end of
the introduction.
' method: state sample si2e, study type, groups, the main steps performed
and what you measured.
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, result: mention the important findings !not all findings#. If you mention
numbers, use the eact number in the result ! _`aZ bc[deUV fgOhij kZ[laij #
.: conclusion: repeat the same conclusion
?.A some 3ournals !as "nesthesia# named abstract 9summary7, others don*t
like structured abstract. In this case you write the above . parts eactly as
describe but one paragraph without mentioning words background,
method, result, conclusion