Start early—A substantial portion of the manuscript can be written before the project is completed. Even though you will revise it later, starting early will help document the methods and guide the analysis.
Focus on high-visibility components—Pay attention to what readers are most likely to look at: the title, abstract, tables, and figures. Strive to develop a set of tables and figures that convey not only the major results but also the basic methods.
Develop a systematic approach to the body of the paper—A standard framework can make it easier to write the introduction, methods, results, and discussion. An obvious organization with frequent subheadings and consistent labels makes the paper easier to read.
Finish strong—Improve the paper by sharing it with others and by learning how to elicit and receive their feedback. Take the time to incorporate useful feedback by revising frequently.
Preparing a manuscript for publication in a medical journal is hard work. Authors must strike a balance between being comprehensive and being clear. They must engage the reader’s interest and communicate results succinctly. And, to continue to have the time to do research, they must develop a systematic approach to manuscript preparation.
Without a systematic approach, the effort can easily become haphazard. This consumes more time and produces an inferior product, which frustrates authors, editors, and readers alike. Worse, good researchers can easily become discouraged—resulting in unwritten research or unpublished papers.
Although others have provided useful guidance in the proper style and structure of scientific writing, this article offers a different level of guidance: how to develop a systematic approach to manuscript preparation. The emphasis is on writing original research articles, but this guidance also applies to other kinds of papers. My goal is simple: to make it easier to prepare a manuscript and to explain how to make manuscripts easier to read.
