You've considered where to publish your manuscript and have learned what journal editors are looking for. Now it's time to get organized and sort out important issues like authorship, word limits, and considerations around submitting your manuscript.
Developing Your Manuscript
Organization and Preparation
Before you begin writing, think about your organizational approach. Establish authorship early and clearly communicate any changes throughout the writing process. Consider these questions as you get started: What is the essence of your study and how will that be reflected in your writing? Who will be the authors of your manuscript, and what will be the authorship order?
Authorship
What is the Essence of a Study?
How to Avoid Data Overinterpretation
Resources
Writing Your Manuscript
Contemplate the structure and organization of your manuscript, and establish a writing system that works for you. Make sure that you have a plan for who will review your work, how often they will review it, and how you will incorporate feedback into your writing. Be sure to communicate and confirm that plan with your reviewers.
Develop a System that Works for You
Deconstructing the Manuscript
(Click to enlarge)
To develop a system for writing a manuscript, start early. Determine authorship first, then organize data. While you are doing this, start to assemble references. Then, construct key figures and tables. Then write the results, write and review methods and write the introduction. Next, write the discussion, then the abstract and, finally, determine the title for your manuscript.
Image courtesy Elliott Antman, MD
Before Submitting
Conforming to Word Limits
When During Research Should I Submit?
Reflection Questions
Reflect on the questions below as you develop your manuscript. Before you begin writing, spend time thinking about and researching your own answers, and review this question list with your mentors and colleagues.
Have you decided on authorship?
- Who should be the authors? What are the minimum intellectual contributions for authorship?
- What will be the authorship order?
- Have all parties agreed to the authorship order?
Who will review your work?
- Do you have a mentor to help with your writing?
- Have you established deadlines and/or a regular meeting schedule to review your writing with your mentor?
When should you submit your manuscript?
- Is it better to publish several smaller papers or to wait to publish a larger paper?
- Are there any special requirements regarding your intellectual property that you need to consider?