Writing an Original Article for Medicine and Health Sciences

Abstract

Research in this age is of great importance. In the areas of product manufacturing and knowledge, the effect of research can be clearly seen. Thus, teaching how to write a scientific article can help. A point that is very important in writing a scientific paper is the individual’s interest in the subject of research. If the researcher is not interested in the subject, it will be difficult for him. Hence, the researcher’s knowledge about the topic is important. A scientific paper has a structure consisting of several sections including introduction, methodology, results, discussion, conclusion, acknowledgment and references. Awareness of these sections and how they can be written can help writers and researches to write valuable articles.

Full text

Iranian Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery
Mahdavi Mohtasham, MSc et al. Vol 16, No 2 (Serial No 61), Spring 2018, p 258-264
258
Writing an Orginal Article for Medicine and Health Sciences
**Hamid Mahdavi Mohtasham; MSc, *Seyyed Morteza Kazemi; MD,
Research conducted by an author is of paramount importance, and the
findings broaden the horizons of new knowledge in the field of the
research. In the modern era, research findings of an author become the
products that affect economy(1,2). In order to reap benefits from the
endeavors of researchers, the findings must be implemented within a
specific framework. Scientific articles are published in journals with various
formats, and the structure of an article is explained in the ‘authors’ guide’
section of every journal.
Most scientific articles follow the IMRaD format, which was first proposed
in the field of medicine and health by the International Committee of
Medical Journal Editors in 1978 (Table 1). In the IMRaD format, the
sequence of the sections of an article is introduction, materials and
methods, results, and discussion(3,4).
.
The title of an article is the first part that is
read by the audience, which requires further
evaluation than the other sections of an article
since it contains the essence of the research.
Normally, the number of the readers is
reduced by a factor of 10 from one secon to
another in the writing of an article. In other
words, per each 10 readers who review the
title of the article, one reader reviews the
abstract, and per each 10 readers who review
the abstract, one reader reviews the results
section, particularly the tables and figures. As
such, per each 10 readers who review the
results section, one reader goes through the
entire article; as a result, the title of an article
is oen read 1000 mes(4). This highlights the
importance of the title in an article and its
selection(5).
How could we select the most appropriate title
for an article? It is best to choose the subjects
that you are most familiar with to smooth the
progress of article writing(6).
Abstract
Research in this age is of great importance. In the areas of product manufacturing and knowledge, the
effect of research can be clearly seen. Thus, teaching how to write a scientific article can help. A point that is very
important in writing a scientific paper is the individual’s interest in the subject of research. If the researcher is
not interested in the subject, it will be difficult for him. Hence, the researcher’s knowledge about the topic is
important. A scientific paper has a structure consisting of several sections including introduction, methodology,
results, discussion, conclusion, acknowledgment and references. Awareness of these sections and how they can
be written can help writers and researches to write valuable articles.
Keywords: Article; Strategies; Tips; Writing;
Received: 9 months before printing; Accepted: 1 month before printing
Introduction
*
Orthop
a
edic Surgeon
Shahid Beheshti University
of Medical Sciences,
Tehran, Iran
**MSc. Sports Injuries and
Corrective exercise -
Director of Research Affairs
at Bone, Joint and Related
Tissue Research Center
(BJRTrc)
Corresponding author:
Bone, Joint and Related
Tissue Research Center,
Shahid Beheshti University
of Medical Sciences,
Tehran, Iran.
Email:
Seyyedmortezakazemi@
yahoo.com
Title
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Vol 16, No 2 (Serial No 61), Spring 2018, p258-264 Writing an Orginal Article for Medicine and Health Science
259
Table 1. Main secons of an arcle based on IMRaD
format
Section
Objective
Title
What is the article about?
Authors
Names and affiliations
Keywords
The words properly representing
the article (not shown in the title)
Abstract
An abstract of the article
Introduction
The reason to choose the article,
explaining about the issues and
questions regarding the subject
matter
Methodology
How was the study conducted?
Results
What were the findings?
Discussion
What did the findings indicate
(interpreting the data)? What
should be done afterwards?
Conclusion
Possible consequences
Acknowledgements
Who contributed to the article
and how? Who funded the
research?
References
Details on the references
Appendix
Complementary data
A proper title is concise, containing the least
number of words and numbers. Most journals
have a word limit of 10 for the tle, so that it
would be comprehensible and quickly convey
the essence of the study. In addition, the title
should not contain any acronyms or
abbreviations, and expressions such as ‘study
of’, ‘observations in’, ‘evaluation of’, and
‘research on’ should not used in the title(4).
The subject of the research must be prioritized
in accordance with the style of the journal(4).
The subject should be exclusive and attained
through the following questions:
1) Who are being investigated in the
research?; 2) what is the main subject (gap)?;
3) what are my views (the researcher) toward
the subject?; 4) why is the subject important?;
5) how; 6) where; 7) when has the subject
(issue) arisen?; 8) how could it be resolved?
(6). An example is this regard is as follows: The
knee joint is the most important joint in the
human body (in broad terms); in which
individuals is this joint important? The elderly;
what is the associated gap? Reduced daily
activities; what are my views? This is an
important issue that decreases mobility,
leading to musculoskeletal disorders; what is
the solution? Performing physical activities;
what is the significance of the issue? It is
associated with a higher risk of arthritis in the
elderly; how, where, and when does it occur?
The elderly feel an intense, deep pain in their
knee at the start of the day; what is the
solution? Performing physical exercises.
Eventually, the title related to this article could
be the “Effects of Physical Exercise on the
Reduction of Knee Pain in the Elderly” (Figure
1). To select an appropriate subject, narrow it
down into the mentioned questions using
different approaches and determine a clear
title at the final stage(7).
Some journals require a ‘running title’ or ‘short
title’ in the articles. A running title is the
shortened title, which is placed on top of the
pages of the article with variable word limits
depending on the journal (maximum: 40
characters)(4). In a study by Adrian Letchford et
al. (2016) entled “The advantage of short
paper tle”, 140,000 highly-cited articles
during 2007-2013 in Scopus database were
compared with the number of the citations.
According to the results, citation rate was
higher in the articles with running titles
compared to those without a short title(8).
Figure 1. Narrowing down the tle
Authors of scientific articles are those who
play the main roles in the planning, design,
preparation, and presentation of the article(4).
Authors must mention their last academic
degree although it is not published by some
journals. Moreover, the university, institution
Authors
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Iranian Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery
Mahdavi Mohtasham, MSc et al. Vol 16, No 2 (Serial No 61), Spring 2018, p 258-264
260
or organization to which the author is affiliated
must be noted. Among the other mandatory
information of authors are the contact routes
(email, contact number)(3,4). According to the
recommendations of the ICMJE, the Open
Researcher and Contributor Identification
(ORCID) must be noted in fron of the names of
the authors(3). The guidelines in this regard are
available on the ICMJE website(9).
In the past, the names of the authors would be
alphabetically sequenced, while this is
obsolete nowadays(4). The first author is the
one with the most contribution to the
research(10,11), and the co-authors are those
who assist the first author in the writing of the
manuscript, data collection, and data analysis.
The last author is mainly involved in the
consultation, guidance, and editing of the
manuscript; it is notable that the order of the
authors is usually determined upon
agreement(4,12). The first author often has
higher academic degrees compared to the
other authors (e.g., MSc, advisor), and some
journals recognize the last author as the
“corresponding author”, who is scientifically
accountable(4,12,13).
Calculation of the influence score of articles is
often identical for all authors in foreign
journals(14); for instance, (15,16). However,
influence scores of articles are verified
differently in the universities in Iran despite
following to a specific framework (Table 2)(17).
Table 2. Calculaon of influence scores of arcl
es in
Iran
Number of
Authors
Share
of
Each
Author
from
the
Calculated Score
First
Second
Third
Fourth
Fifth
1
100%
2
90%
60%
3
80%
50%
50%
4
70%
40%
40%
40%
5
60%
30%
30%
30%
30%
More
than
five 50%
125%
divided
by
the
number
of
the authors
Keywords are the words that are related to the
main subject and represent the basic contents
of the research. Keywords follow the abstract
of the article and are the most commonly used
words and phrases throughout the research. It
should be noted that the words used in the
title of the article must not be repeated in the
keywords. Despite the variations in different
journals, there should be 5-7 keywords in an
article(3).
To select the most appropriate keywords, the
phrases should be in the MeSH format in the
outlines of medical subjects. MeSH is used for
the indexing of articles and bibliographies in
the national website of the biomedical and
health data, allowing your article to be
properly indexed in electronic science
databases(18). For access to MeSH, you could
refer to the PubMed website
(https://meshb.nlm.nih.gov/search).
Abstract is a shortened version of the
article(19). According to the American National
Standards Institute (ANSI), a good abstract
helps the reader to quickly and accurately
realize the main contents of an article(20).
Therefore, an abstract is similar to a window
that opens to the foremost findings of an
article in the most precise manner(4).
The abstract is often written separately on the
second page of the article. It could be
structured or unstructured depending on the
style of the journal. An unstructured abstract is
a paragraph, in which the contents are
presented successively. In a structured
abstract, the contents are categorized into
various paragraphs, including the introduction,
methodology, results, and conclusion. In some
journals, the abstract should also include the
objectives and limitations of the study(21). If
the article has been prepared on a grant or
fund, it should be noted after the abstract(3).
The length of an abstract varies in different
journals, and the word limit is generally 150-
250(4,22,23). One of the reasons for this word
limit is that databases such as PubMed have
determined a word limit of 250, which has
recently been disregarded(24). Refrain from
Abstract
Keywords
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Vol 16, No 2 (Serial No 61), Spring 2018, p258-264 Writing an Orginal Article for Medicine and Health Science
261
using acronyms and referring to other articles,
tables, and figures in the article. This section
should only include a report without any
interpretation or evaluation.
Since the abstract is a short version of the
article, the verb tenses used in this section
should differ from the other sections of the
article. As such, the introduction,
interpretation of the results, discussion, and
conclusion in the abstract are written in the
present tense, while the results and
methodology are written in the past tense(4).
Introduction is the first section of an article,
which presents the background about the
research subject and clearly denotes the
recommended hypotheses in this regard. This
section of the article must provide the readers
with fundamental information, so that they
could comprehend the subject and judge the
article. In addition, the introduction shows the
interest of the author in the subject of the
research, as well as the reasons for the
selection of the topic(4).
A good introduction is often short, and most
journals suggest the minimum word limit of
500(4). An introduction includes theoretical
concepts (background), research
question/hypothesis, previous research, and
the necessity of the research(2,22,25,26). In terms
of the format, the introduction resembles a
cone; in other words, it begins with broad
terms and concepts, followed by the
narrowing down of the concepts, and
concluding with the research question and
objectives(5).
The beginning of the introduction is the most
important part since it should motivate the
reader by explaining the significance of the
subject. The introduction begins with a brief
background regarding the main topic of the
article, followed by the statement of the
problem and the ‘gap’. When the gap has been
clarified, the author should review the
previous studies that have focused on the gap
and elaborate on the relationship of these
studies and his/her own research. A common
problem among authors is the lack of clear
explanation in this regard. Only a few studies
(four or five) should be presented in the
introduction, so that the readers would not be
confused(26). Another theme in the
introduction section is to determine the
objectives of the research and the
methodologies chosen for bridging the gap.
Afterwards, the author should mention the
significance of the subject, ending the
introduction with the objectives of the
study(3,4,22).
The introduction is written in the past and
present tense; the part regarding the
motivation behind conducting the study is
often in the present tense, and the part that
reviews the previous studies and research
objectives is in the past tense(4). Some of the
main problems in authorship include not
mentioning the objectives and references of
the previous studies, using the pronoun ‘I’ in
the introduction, and overuse of the keywords
in the introduction part.
Novice authors may only write down what is
on their mind without regard for the audience,
coherence of the article, and adequacy of their
knowledge on the subject of the research. To
address this issue, it is recommended that the
author ask a few experts to review the article
after the first draft in order to obtain feedback.
Methodology (materials and methods) follows
the introduction in a paper, which describes
the implementation of the research, features
of the samples, applied tools and instruments,
and methods used in the research. This section
of the article should be prepared in such way
that the readers and other audience would be
able to repeat the procedures in further
investigation(24).
In writing the methodology section, the order
of the stages in the study should be observed;
the main stages should be sequenced as
Introduction
Materials and Methods
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Mahdavi Mohtasham, MSc et al. Vol 16, No 2 (Serial No 61), Spring 2018, p 258-264
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sample population, applied tools and
instruments, and research processes. Data on
the studied sample population are presented
in the first sub-section, which is entitled
‘participants’ or ‘subjects’ in italicized letters.
Details on the type of the research, sample
population, limitations of the study, studied
variables, and inclusion/exclusion criteria of
the subjects are also presented in this sub-
section.
The following sub-sections are entitled
‘measures’ or ‘materials’ in italicized letters,
which includes the data on the applied tools,
type of treatment or intervention, and the
validity and reliability of the research
instruments.
In the final sub-section, the ‘procedures’ are
described, and details are provided on the
data collection, performing the study, research
ethics, and use of statistical methods for data
analysis(3,4,20,22,23,26-28). If the applied
methodology is based upon the methods used
in the previous studies, a brief explanation is
required in this regard(5). It is also noteworthy
that in some journals, the sub-sections have a
specific format, while the methodology section
is written as a whole in other journals as well.
The methodology section should be written in
the past tense(4).
In this section of the paper, new knowledge
must be presented; therefore, it is the
foremost section of the article. The previous
sections mainly serve the results section. The
value of a scientific article lies in the results
section, in which the findings of the study must
be expressed clearly without any
interpretation(3,4).
Results could be presented in the form of text,
tables, figures, diagrams or a combination of
all these media(23,26). In the case of using
medical images, such as magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT)
scan, the area in question must be highlighted
on the figures with an arrow or alphabetical
letters(7). Avoid repeating data and providing
redundant information. Provide references to
the tables and figures in the text; to refer to
tables, the number of the table or figure could
be mentioned between parentheses (e.g.,
Table 5), and refrain from using sentences
such ‘The information are completely provided
in Figure 2”. Do not mention similar data in the
tables, figures, and diagrams.
The results section is written in the past tense,
with an active or passive voice. It is notable
that the tables and graphs should be
presented in accordance with the specific
guidelines of journals(3,4,19,22,25,29-31).
In this section of the paper, the author
interprets the results of the study. The
discussion includes theoretical and scientific
principles, findings, and methodology (26, 32).
Moreover, the author should compare the
results of the study with the previous findings,
discussing the similarities and discrepancies
and their causes. The strengths and limitations
of the study should also be reviewed in the
discussion section, which could be about the
selection of the sample population, research
instruments, study design, intervention, and
data collection methods. Afterwards, a few
recommendations or suggestions could be
provided (3, 4, 16, 19, 22, 24-26, 30, 31, 33).
Discussion must address a few questions:
“What is the significance of the obtained
results?” and “What are the applications of
these findings?”
Writing of the discussion is more difficult
compared to the other sections of a paper, and
certain points should be noted in this regard,
including the avoidance of repeating the
previous findings and elaborating on the
correlation of the obtained results with the
research question in the introduction part.
The discussion is written in the present and
past tense. The present tense is applied while
reporting the current data (studies by other
researchers), and the past tense is used while
Results
Discussion
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263
discussing and assessing the new data (findings
of the author)(4).
The conclusion section largely depends on the
style and recommended format of journals;
some journals consider a separate part for
conclusion, in and some papers, it is the final
paragraph after the discussion. In the
conclusion section, the general idea of the
article is presented briefly, and the significance
of the findings are also emphasized(4,23).
Acknowledgements are one of the final
sections of a paper. Some journals recommend
an obligatory format for this section, while it
could be an optional part in other journals. In
the acknowledgements, the author
appreciates the co-authors, financial
supporters, affiliated institutions, and the
cooperating organizations, as well as the other
individuals who assist the author in conducting
the research(4,22,24).
The number and format of the references
depend on the style of journals. In the journals
where there is a limited number of references,
the author must adhere to the guidelines. In
the references, the author must use new
references as far as possible, which are
relevant to the subject of the research.
References must be arranged in accordance
with the guidelines of the journal.
Similar to the acknowledgments, the appendix
may or may not be obligatory depending on
the journal. In this section, the author provides
all the information on the research, such as
the applied questionnaires and complete
images of the interventional processes (4).
Writing a scientific article is a difficult task.
According to Hayes, writing a scientific paper is
a relative task that requires motivation, while
it is also an intellectual activity that needs
mental and cognive processes (34). To begin
every task, there should an overview and
proper planning, which provide information on
the following stages of the task. As such,
planning is required before writing an article in
two stages; initially, the author should address
five quesons, and in the second stage, 12
quesons must be addressed (tables 3 & 4).
Based on these questions, the author follows
the steps to writing an article (30).
Table
3.
First
overview
of
writing
an
article
1
.
What is the title of my article?
2. Why is this title important?
3. How can I present my hypothesis?
4. What are my results?
5. What are my foremost findings?
Table
4.
Second
overvie
w
of
writing
an
article
Introduction
1. Why is my paper important?
2. What are the current data on my topic?
3. What is my research question/hypothesis?
4. What are my objectives?
Materials and Methods
1. What instruments have I used?
2. Who are my sample population?
3. What type of study have I used?
4. What was the methodology?
Results
1. What are the significant findings of the
research?
2. What are the key findings of the study?
Discussion and Conclusion
1. What are the important findings?
2. What conclusion was drawn from the results?
Co
nclusion
Acknowledgements
References
Appendix
Overview of writing an article
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