This presentation shows the ways and steps to start writing to reach publication. Omar A. Abo Shady ( Menoufia Faculty of Medicine - Egypt) 14 May, 2013.

1. Scientific Writing:
Road and Tips
Omar A. Abo Shady
Menoufia Faculty of Medicine (MFM) – Egypt.
omr.ali@med.menofia.edu.eg
14 May 2013

2. Said..
“Scientists are rated by what
they finish, not by what they
attempt”

3. Said..
“There is no way to get
experience except through
experience.”

4. Said..
“ What is written without
effort is in general, read
without pleasure.”
Samuel Johnson

6. Paper
Reviewer Reader

7. What is a strong manuscript?
 Novel
 Clear
 Useful
 Exciting
 Well presented
 Readable easily

8. What editors want?
Good quality science!
 Follow ”Guide for Authors”
 Original interesting research in active area of research
 Clear study design and methodology
 Well presented results and data
 Clear and concise English
Editor Is Busy !

9. What editors want?
 Is the manuscript sufficiently novel?
 Is the manuscript of broad enough interest?

10. What Readers want?
Good quality science!
 Direct comprehensive results
 Easily readable
 Clear study design and methodology
 Well presented results and data
 Clear and concise English
Reader Is Busy !

12. Experience

13. Peer Review Process

14. Peer Review Process

15. The Next is not solid
science,
it is our experience

16. Planning …
Determine
you Goals !
Reading
your paper
Strategy & frame work
Writing

17. Reading
1

18. Reading…
Reading
know
criticize
Write

19. How ?!
 Read as possible as you can
 Read Title and Abstract first
 Read Discussion for interpretation
 Refer to Introduction and Methods only if necessary
Importance?
 your article situation!
 current state of understanding?
 gaps in the knowledge
 KEY paper in this field
 New ideas
Read to Know

20. How ?!
 Read at least 5 direct paper with same goals
 Read with deep analyzing thinking (compare)
Importance?
 Research questions
 Appropriate methods
 Context
 Target journals
Read to Criticize

21. How ?!
 Choose framework
 Take the idea you like ( with its reference )
 Merge ideas
Importance?
 Give you the framework for ideas
 give you vocabulary bank
 Provide the most common methodology and results with
its analysis
Read to Write

22. Road Map
Collect
papers
Read
all
Choose
master
pieces
Read
them
again
deeply
Formulate
framework
of ideas
Read each
item
separately
Collect
ideas in
paragraphs
Discuss
your
colleagues
Write on
your words
Discuss
your
colleagues
Re-edit &
revise
Primary
draft
The rest of
general
map
Know Criticize
Write

23. Framework
2

24. Frame of the ideas
Do you have an organizational system?
If you don‟t, create one that suits you!
Spend more time organizing and less time writing. It‟s just
plain less painful!
Develop a road-map
Arrange key facts and citations from the literature into a
crude road map/outline BEFORE writing the first draft.
Think in paragraphs and sections…

25. Frame of the ideas

26. Very Very Important : Documentation
 Highlight
 Make other word documentation
( sentence + reference + date)
 Revise

27. Files Arrangement

28. Paper Numbering

29. Highlight & Make Notes

30. Record in Word

31. Writing 1st draft
3

32. Writing …
“True ease in writing comes
from art, not chance, as
those who move easiest
have learnt to dance.”
Alexander Pope

33. Notes
 Don‟t be a perfectionist!
 The goal of the first draft is to get the ideas down in
complete sentences in order.
 Focus on logical organization more than sentence-level
details.
 Writing the first draft is the hardest step for most people.
Minimize the pain by writing the first draft quickly and
efficiently

35. Sentence
“only 4% of readers understand a 27-word sentence
first time”
Reader objectives
• Only need to read once
• Do not have to read slowly
• Can understand author logic immediately
Do:
 Easy to read articles had an average sentence length of
around 15-20 words
 Not more than four 30-word sentences in the whole
manuscript
 Think about „reader expectation‟ and match the
expectation with the contents

36. Paragraph
 1 paragraph = 1 idea
 Give away the punch line early
 logical flow of ideas
 Sequential in time (avoid the Memento approach!)
 General then specific (take-home message first!)
 Logical arguments (if a then b; a; therefore b)
 Transition words used
 Emphasis at the end!
Your reader remembers the first sentence and the last
sentence best. Make the last sentence memorable.
Emphasis at the end!

37. Collect & Merge
3

38. Merge
 Collect all paragraph in each item of designed framework
according to journal style
 Re-arrange in logic and easy manner
 Revise and revise

39. The First Draft
Your first draft

40. References
 McGowan, D. “How to Write for and Get Published in Scientific
Journals.” PowerPoint presentation. Edanz Group. March 2012.
 Newman, A. “How to Write Great Papers From title to references
From submission to acceptance.” PowerPoint presentation.
Universiti Putra Malaysia. November 2012.
 Sainani K., “Writing in sciences.” PowerPoint presentation.
Coursera, California. December 12, 2012.
 Adair T., ““Writing and publishing a research article.” PowerPoint
presentation. University of Mississippi. August, 2006
 Peat J., Elliott E., Baur L., Keena V., “Scientific Writing: Easy when
you know how .“ London: BMJ Publishing Group, 2002. Print.

41. Questions ?