Writing a Peer Reviewed Article

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Writing a Peer Reviewed Article

• Gailen D. Marshall, MD PhD
• Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics
• Director, Division of Clinical Immunology
  Allergy
• Editor-in-Chief (2006)
• The Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology

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Peer Reviewed Article

• Method of communicating with peers
• Categories
• Original research
• Reviews (invited vs. not)
• Case reports/series

3
Peer Review Research Article

• Doing the research
• Tabulating the data
• Writing the Paper

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First Steps

• Identify intended journal
• Obtain instructions for authors
• Carefully follow format (including references)
• Consider editing programs
• EndNote
• Reference Manager
• Have internal review before sending manuscript

5
Writing the Paper

• Introduction
• Materials and Methods
• Results
• Discussion
• References

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Introduction

• Background
• Need for the report
• Hypothesis

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Materials and Methods

• Should be able to repeat the study
• Subjects
• Animal species, special conditions
• Humans gender, age, special circumstances
• IRB approval
• Informed consent obtained
• Reagents
• Experimental methods
• Statistical methods

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Results

• Methodical expression of data
• Prose (should be able to stand alone)
• Figures/tables (should be able to stand alone)
• Statistical analysis
• including power analysis and/or sample size
  calcualtions

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Discussion

• Hypothesis restated
• Data discussed in context
• Significance of the data
• Application of the data
• Limitations of the data
• Future/continued study

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What happens after submission

• Manuscript mailed/emailed to Editor
• Assigned for peer review
• Recommendations back to editor
• Reject/revise/accept
• Galley correction
• Assignment to specific issue
• Sent to printer

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Revisions

• Read the overall critique
• Categories
• Minor changes make them and resubmit
• Major changes from everyone consider another
  journal
• Mixed review
• Answer critiques carefully/thoughtfully
• Be nice
• Pick your battles
• Pay attention to details

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Practical Tips for WritingSummary

• Identify specific journal
• Looks at what is published
• Review Instructions for Authors
• Be direct and succinct
• Use good grammar and straightforward english