What to do & what not to do for publication?-An Editor’s advice to practitioners & Medical students.

Volume 3 Issue 6 June, 2013

In a lighter vein, often I am asked to write on sex and its problems. Things are changing to some extent and recently requests are on issues related to publishing! However, I see both have something in common!! It is like ‘use or lose’ concerning both brain and sex. Likewise ‘publish or perish’ for every clinician and applies equally to a student or a consultant or a medical practitioner and I would like to call it “P-P-P (Prepare-practice- publish)”.

This brief account is to help one, to translate his practical observations and ideas into a written form and which can lead to publication. This can be achieved if you follow some of the basic principles:

Art of medical writing, which also includes motivation, conceptualization, mechanics of writing and frustration tolerance. Hence the medical knowledge alone is not sufficient. Mastering ‘body of information and technical skills of writing’ is important. In addition to writing ‘just for publication and citation’ it is necessary to make it self-readable and understandable.
Different models of writing: Decide before hand whether it is review, research paper, case report, letter to editor, book chapter, etc.
Learn how to get Publishing: See whether it is for public or for general use or for a specialty journal. Reading published articles is crucial to learn the pattern and presentation style. It is necessary to have the data, original research being very demanding. Choose an area of writing which helps you being recognized as a writer. Starting from letters, commentaries, reviews and progressively to higher order is a best option. Some of the major mistakes done by writers in the begins are:
a. Trying to do it alone.
b. Starting to write without preparation is like trying to run without walking.

Basic Steps for an author to strengthen are:

Mastering basic writing skills idea, allowing idea to incubate, focusing the topic, building article structure, constructing words, sentences, paragraphs, attending to language rules.
Article concepts and structure, collecting and organizing data – notes, outlines books, electronic, internet and references, reviewing for substance, style clarity and finally the final draft.
Technical issues in preparing tables, figures, graphs, algorithms, copy right citations.
Nature of publication: Journal which our broad based, peer reviews, specialty oriented journal, controlled circulation journals, online journals, open access or otherwise, indexed with or without impact factor.
Be attentive to comment from reviewers, editors. Attend to queries.

I would personally advise a writer to a) be smart enough to have a mentor – head of department, professor or an academician to help you. b) be organized c) be a reader d) be a good time manager e) be an effective in network building f) be humble to accept rejection and bold to attempt again after reworking with zeal g) be persistent which assures success.