Guidelines for publishing an article

1. How to Write a Good Research Article?
July 18th , 2020
Ruth R Robert, RN, Ph.D., MBA, MHSM, Harvard Executive Leadership,
FNP-C, CMSRN, PCCN
Regional Director of Professional Development –Austin/Round Rock Region
Nursing Continuing Education Department
Ruth.Robert@BSWHealth.org
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2. Writing a Research Article
What
…is the research question?
…is the right format for the study?
…does the audience needs to know?
PICOT: Population, Intervention, Comparison,
Outcome and Time (duration)
Among patients with COVID19, is hand washing more effective than
the use of sanitizers in preventing the spread of COVID 19 over the
period of a patient’s hospital stay?
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3. Why?
Research evidence is important for improving quality patient
care (Generating New Knowledge).
How?
Systematic approach to get the message out (dissemination)
For Whom?
Reach to the right Audience (Stakeholders)
Writing a Research paper
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Among patients with COVID19, is hand washing use more effective than the
use of sanitizers in preventing the spread of COVID 19 over the period of a
patient’s hospital stay?
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4. The IMRaD Model: Structuring Research
• Introduction: What was the question?
• Methods: How did you try to answer it?
• Results: What did you find?
• And
• Discussion: What does it mean?
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Introduction
Methodology
Results
Discussions
IMRaD Formula

5. 7/20/20 5

6. Let’s Slice & Dice each component...
6
Introduction
Methodology
Results
Discussions
IMRaD Formula

7. Research Title
This determines whether the research paper gets read or not.
Title format:
Analgesic effect of breastfeeding vs skin-to-skin contact on
pain related to heel prick in neonates.
(Confusing)
Among patients with COVID19, is hand washing use more
effective than the use of sanitizers in preventing the
spread of COVID 19 over the period of a patient’s hospital
stay?
(Directional and clear)
“The role of heat in melting ice”
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8. Secrets to Writing the Title of a
Research Paper
• Keep it Concise: “PCR Nasal Swab test for the diagnosis of COVID 19”.
• Keep it Specific: “Vitamin deficiency and risk for COVID 19 in the elderly
population over 65 years of age.”
• Use a Descriptive/Neutral title: “Seven Days vs Ten Days Antibiotic
Therapy for Culture-Proven Neonatal Sepsis: A Randomized Controlled
Trial.”
• Avoid Interrogative or declarative titles: “Prevalence of
Cryptosporidium in HIV-infected Children with Diarrhea” OR
“Cryptosporidium is the Most Common Enteric Pathogen in HIV-infection”
• Avoid acronyms/abbreviations in the title: “Diagnosis of ARF in
Children”.
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9. A balanced title needs to be “SPICED”
Setting: “Mortality in Severe Acute Malnutrition in Children Under-five: A Hospital-based Study.”
Population: “Prevalence of Depression in the Elderly” OR “Prevalence of Osteoporosis in
Postmenopausal Women.”
Intervention: “Therapeutic Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation in Children with Severe Asthma:
A Randomized Controlled Trial”.
Condition: “Serum Folate Levels in Pregnant Indian Women: An Observational Study” (Here the
condition is pregnancy.)
Endpoint: The outcome is sparingly used in the title, unless we wish to use a declarative
title. It refers to the change or type of change the condition undergoes after being
subjected to intervention.
Design: Including the study design in the title itself makes the title complete. This is
usually placed after a colon. Example: ”(Seven Days vs Ten Days) Antibiotic Therapy for
Culture-Proven Neonatal Sepsis: A Randomized Controlled Trial”.
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10. Abstract
• It helps editors, reviewers, and others decide whether to
read the rest of the research paper.
• It gives a first impression
• It is relatively widely read
• It briefly summarizes the research paper
• The abstract can be written as a traditional paragraph or
as a structured summary
• Recommended to be a single paragraph
• Word limit varies from Journal to Journal
• Nursing Research lists the following headings:
Background, Objectives, Method, Results, Discussion,
and Key Words
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11. Introduction
It provides the background of the study, its purpose,
and its importance to help readers in:
• understanding the research study
• appreciating the importance of the research
It helps to identify the question the research addresses
(Oermann, 2002, p. 115).
The author should begin with a discussion of a specific
problem that includes a statement to pique the
audience’s interest.
The introduction should be clear and organized and
should establish a blueprint for the remainder of the
manuscript.
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12. Literature Review
• Usually a part of the ’Introduction’ but is
sometimes a separate section.
• It directs the development and
implementation of the study (Burns & Grove,
2005).
• It is comprehensive and includes studies that
provide a balance of both supportive and
contradictory research.
• It should clearly synthesize the literature to
illustrate how it supports the topic
• The literature review must be current with a
time frame of 3 to 5 years
• Make logical connections between studies
• Use a Summary table when comparing studies
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13. Framework
•The framework guides the organization of the
study and logically connects each section.
•It may be classified as either theoretical or
conceptual.
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14. Methods
It should allow other researchers:
To replicate
✔In order to test (GENERALIZE for other settings if
possible)
✔In order to do further research
To evaluate
✔To determine whether the conclusions seems valid
✔To determine whether the findings seem applicable
to other situations
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15. Methods
Major areas to include (Polit & Beck, 2004)
•Research design
•Sample and Setting
•Data collection instruments
•Procedures and data analysis
In quantitative studies, the type of research design and the
specific category of the design (e.g. descriptive, correlational,
and quasi-experimental).
The independent and dependent variables are enumerated
to strengthen the study.
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16. Method: Experimental Research
It should include:
✔Setting
✔Sample
✔Population
✔Sampling plan specified (probability or nonprobability)
✔Sampling method (e.g. stratified random)
✔Final sample size (USING power analysis)
✔Inclusion and exclusion criteria
✔Evidence of reliability and validity for each instrument
✔The selected level of significance
✔The particular statistical tests, and their use by
addressing the specific type of data obtained by the study.
Experimental Research
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17. Results
Include basic descriptive data:
• Text for story
• Tables for evidence
• Figures for highlights
Data analysis:
•Organized, Interpreted, and Reflected as study findings.
•Avoid non-essential tables and figures
•Findings should be logically organized and summarized in paragraph
format
•Descriptive statistics are listed before results of inferential testing.
•Don’t start discussions in the Result section
In quantitative studies:
•Support the study purpose and research questions
•Include statistical summaries of data collection and describes the
results of significance testing (Pyrczak, 2005).
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18. Results: Common Mistakes
• Misplaced information between the methods
and results section
• Illogical Sequence of data presentation
• Repetition of data
• Inappropriate presentation of data
• Overuse and abuse of tables and figures
• Attempts to draw conclusions- this should be
covered in the discussion section
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19. Discussion
• It should answer the question stated in the introduction
• It should interpret results and explain what the findings
mean in relation to the purpose of the study (Oermann,
2002, p. 134).
• It should begin with a brief summary of the main
findings.
• This section unifies the other areas of the study and lists
major study findings
• The limitations and implications for practice and further
research are also specified
• One of the most difficult parts to write because of the
variety of possible additions (open to discussion).
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20. Discussion: Common Mistakes
• Repetition of data presented in the results
section
• Incorrect interpretation of the findings
• Importance of results inadequately
discussed or omitted
• Conclusions not supported by findings
• Irrelevant and faulty discussion points
• Failure to identify any weakness
• Omission of key and relevant references
• Explanations too long or verbose
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21. Conclusion
Conclusions may be separate or may be included in
the discussion section.
It should:
•Answer the question posed in the introduction
•Summarize major study findings and the implications for
nursing practice.
•Support the results and relate to the purpose of the study.
•Discuss weaknesses and discrepancies
•Be concise and not overstated’ (Wooten & Ross, 2005, p. 27).
Common mistake:
•Repeating results in this section
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22. References
• Each listed reference must be cited within the body of
the RESEARCH manuscript.
• There is no time limit for a reference that is
considered a landmark study.
• The format of the reference list is determined by the
publisher.
• Most often than not, the references appear in
alphabetical order at the end of the manuscript.
Journals, like Nurse Educator, list the references in the
same order as cited in the manuscript.
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23. Table
• Each table included in the manuscript must
be referenced in the text (Macnee, 2004)
• A balance of the statistically significant and
non-significant results should be presented
to avoid misleading the reader (Gillis &
Jackson, 2002).
A table is a summary that focuses on the relationships or themes of the results,
which “would be monotonous to present in the text’’ (Polit & Beck, 2004, p. 609).
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24. Figures
• Figures are another way ‘‘to describe the data in
question’’ (Brockopp & Hastings-Tolsma, 2003,
p. 380).
• Common types of figures include graphs and
charts to show the relationships of the
variables.
• Each figure must have a succinct and clear title
and has to be referred to in the text of the
manuscript.
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25. Publication Tips
Strong Introduction
• Engage the reader
• Set the scene, explain why the work is important, and state the
aim of the study
Clear, logically organized, and complete Methods
• Provide enough information to allow assessment of results (Could
someone else repeat the study?)
Results
• Be clear and concise; avoid repetition between text, tables and
figures
Relevant Discussion
• Start strongly – were aims achieved?
• Discuss significance and implications of results
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26. What to avoid in the paper
• Superficial literature search
• Do not claim that “very little” research has been
done in an area if you are not sure!
• Sweeping generalizations
• Claims that cannot be substantiated
• A rhetorical style that does not match that of the
journal
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27. Become a “node” in networks
• Become a member of professional
organizations
• Be present at their annual meetings
• Stand for election of executive
committees
• Accept invitations to become a
member of editorial boards of journals
(after regular reviewing)
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28. Categories of Editors
Main categories:
• Editor-in-chief (and sometimes associate
editors etc.)—concerned mainly with content
• Managing editor(s)—concerned mainly with
administration of the journal
• Manuscript editor(s)—improve the writing
and maintain a consistent style
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29. What editors look for in a manuscript
•Quality
•Well planned, well executed study
•Significance and originality
•Consistent with scope of journal
•Demonstrated broad interest to readership
•Well written ‘story’
•Author’s passion
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30. Acceptance of Research Paper
Remember:
A good beginning makes a good
ending.
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31. A Final Step
Celebrate the
Publication of
Your
Research Paper!
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32. References
Brockopp, D. Y., & Hastings-Tolsma, M. (2003). Fundamentals of nursing
research (3rd ed.). Boston: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
Carlson, S. Dorothy; Masters Carolyn; and Pfadt, E (2008). Guiding the
Clinical Nurse Through Research Publication Development. Journal
for nurses in staff development, Vol 24, No:5, p 222-225
Dewan, P & Gupta, P. (2016). Writing the Title, Abstract and Introduction:
Looks Matter! Indian Pediatrics, 53(March 15), 235-241
Gillis, A., & Jackson, W. (2002). Research for nurses: Methods an
interpretation. Philadelphia: F. A. Davis Company.
Khanna, S. Arora & Shah, D. (2018). Writing Methods: How to Write What
You Did? Indian Pediatric, 53 (APRIL 15), 335-340
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33. References
Macnee, C. L. (2004). Understanding nursing research: Reading and using research in
practice. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Mukherjee, A & Lodha, R. (2016). Writing the Results. Indian Pediatric, 53(MAY 15.
409-415)Oermann, M. H. (2002). Writing for publication in nursing. Philadelphia:
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Oermann, M. H. (2002). Writing for publication in nursing. Philadelphia:
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Polit, D. F., & Beck, C. T. (2006). Essentials of nursing research: Methods, appraisal, and
utilization (6th ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Polit, D. F., & Beck, C. T. (2004). Nursing research: Principles and methods (7th ed.).
Philadelphia: Lippincott
Wooten, J. M., & Ross, V. M. (2005). How to make sense of clinical research. Registered
Nurse, 68(1), 22–28.
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