How to organize and structure your manuscript for

publication

Sharif University of Technology

Warren Raye, PhD

Senior Editor

Edanz Group

20 February 2013

Manuscript structure

You need to tell a story

Beginning ���� Middle ���� End

• Must be easy to read and easy to understand

Manuscript structure

‘Tell them three times’

• Beginning

– Assertion

– ‘tell them what you are going to tell them,’

• Middle

– Evidence

– ‘tell them,’

• End

– Affirmation

– ‘tell them again what you told them’.

Manuscript structure

IMRaD

• Introduction

• Methods

• Results

• and

• Discussion

Assertion

Evidence

Affirmation

Manuscript structure

Title

Abstract

Introduction

Discussion

Methods

Results

The ‘write’ order

• For maximum clarity and consistency:

After selecting target journal

During your research

Write last

AbstractsWho’s hungry?

First impressions can

make a difference

First impressions can

make a difference

AbstractsFirst impressions count

Your abstract

Importance of

your results

Validity of

conclusions

Relevance of

your aims

Judge your

writing style

Likely the only part

that will be read

AbstractsGeneral guide

• Concise

– Aim for less than 250 words

• Problem(s) addressed (10%)

• Objectives/hypotheses (20%)

• Techniques (10%)

• Most important results (40%)

• Concluding statement (20%)

AbstractsSample abstract

Seo et al. Biomaterials 2012, 34:1764‒1771.

Securing robust cell adhesion between cells and biomaterials is one of key considerations

for tissue engineering. However, the cell adhesion investigation by the biophysical effects

such as topography or rigidity of substrates has only been recently reported. In this study,

we examined the spatial property of focal adhesions by changing the height of

micropatterns in two kinds of microtopography (grid and post) and the stiffness of the

substrates. We found that the focal adhesion localization is highly regulated by

topographical variation (height) of gird micropattens but not the rigidity of substrates or

the function of actin cytoskeleton, although the latters strongly influence the focal adhesion

size or area. In detail, the change of the height of the grid micropatterns results in the

switching of focal adhesion sites; as the height increases, the localization of focal adhesion

is switched from top to bottom areas. This study demonstrates that the localization of focal

adhesion on well-defined micropatterned substrates is critically determined by the

topographical variation in the micropatterns.

The switching of focal adhesion maturation sites and actin filament activation

for MSCs by topography of well-defined micropatterned surfaces

AbstractsSample abstract

Securing robust cell adhesion between cells and biomaterials is one of key considerations

for tissue engineering. However, the cell adhesion investigation by the biophysical effects

such as topography or rigidity of substrates has only been recently reported.BackgroundBackground

AbstractsSample abstract

In this study, we examined the spatial property of focal adhesions by changing the height of

micropatterns in two kinds of microtopography (grid and post) and the stiffness of the

substrates.

Securing robust cell adhesion between cells and biomaterials is one of key considerations

for tissue engineering. However, the cell adhesion investigation by the biophysical effects

such as topography or rigidity of substrates has only been recently reported.BackgroundBackground

Aims/MethodsAims/Methods

AbstractsSample abstract

In this study, we examined the spatial property of focal adhesions by changing the height of

micropatterns in two kinds of microtopography (grid and post) and the stiffness of the

substrates.

We found that the focal adhesion localization is highly regulated by topographical variation

(height) of gird micropattens but not the rigidity of substrates or the function of actin

cytoskeleton, although the latters strongly influence the focal adhesion size or area. In

detail, the change of the height of the grid micropatterns results in the switching of focal

adhesion sites; as the height increases, the localization of focal adhesion is switched from

top to bottom areas.

Securing robust cell adhesion between cells and biomaterials is one of key considerations

for tissue engineering. However, the cell adhesion investigation by the biophysical effects

such as topography or rigidity of substrates has only been recently reported.BackgroundBackground

Aims/MethodsAims/Methods

Important

results

Important

results

AbstractsSample abstract

In this study, we examined the spatial property of focal adhesions by changing the height of

micropatterns in two kinds of microtopography (grid and post) and the stiffness of the

substrates.

We found that the focal adhesion localization is highly regulated by topographical variation

(height) of gird micropattens but not the rigidity of substrates or the function of actin

cytoskeleton, although the latters strongly influence the focal adhesion size or area. In

detail, the change of the height of the grid micropatterns results in the switching of focal

adhesion sites; as the height increases, the localization of focal adhesion is switched from

top to bottom areas.

Securing robust cell adhesion between cells and biomaterials is one of key considerations

for tissue engineering. However, the cell adhesion investigation by the biophysical effects

such as topography or rigidity of substrates has only been recently reported.

This study demonstrates that the localization of focal adhesion on well-defined

micropatterned substrates is critically determined by the topographical variation in the

micropatterns.

BackgroundBackground

Aims/MethodsAims/Methods

Important

results

Important

results

ConclusionConclusion

Abstracts

ReferencesReferences AbbreviationsAbbreviations

Jargon/slangJargon/slangNon-essential

numbers & statistics

Non-essential

numbers & statistics

General rules

Do not

include …

Do not

include …

AbstractsStandard abstracts

Collagen type IV-specific tripeptides for selective

adhesion of endothelial and smooth muscle cells

Kanie et al. Biotechnol Bioeng 2012, 109:1808‒1816

AbstractsGraphical abstracts

Introductions

Guide your reader

What problem was studied?

The answer to this question should be in

your Introduction

Beginning ���� Middle ���� End

Introductions

Provide context

General

Specific

Objectives

Introductions

Beginning

• Sufficient background information

• Comprehensive literature review

• Cite previous publications

– Review articles

– Original articles

• What is the problem?

Introductions

Middle

• Rationale

– The reason(s) for doing this work?

– Why is it important the problem is addressed?

• Explain how you addressed the problem

• Do not state your results

• General statement regarding methods

Introductions

End

• Clearly and explicitly state the specific aim(s)

of your study

Customer ServiceMethodsMethods

• Subheadings

• Order should be logical

• New methods must be described in sufficient

detail, so that they can be reproduced

• Established methods can be referenced

– Save yourself time and effort

Coverage and

Staffing PlanResults Your findings must be

clear

• Past tense to describe your results

• Do not explain the results

• Avoid duplicating data among figures,

tables and text

Coverage and

Staffing PlanResults

Display items

• Present data quickly and efficiently

• Keep it simple—use separate panels if necessary

– Related data in panels

• Label all parts of your figures

• Legends must be able to ‘stand alone’

Coverage and

Staffing PlanResults

)

Abbreviations

defined

Clear concise legend/caption

Data

formatted

for clarity

Tables

Coverage and

Staffing PlanResults

Figures

Clear, ‘stand

alone’ legend

… shows silver staining of two representative glomeruli in

biopsy specimens from patients. In Patient 4 (left),

mesangiolysis (single arrow), prominent endothelial swelling

(arrowhead), red-cell fragments (double arrows), and

thrombi are visible in some capillary loops …

Eremina et al. NEJM 2008, 358:1129–1136

Separate

panels

Clear

indicators

Customer ServiceDiscussions

What do your findings mean?

The answer to this question should be in

your Discussion

Beginning ���� Middle ���� End

The explanation

Customer ServiceDiscussionsBeginning

• Avoid just restating results

• Answer the research question(s) posed

• Emphasize the major finding(s) first

• State your major conclusion

– Based on results presented

Customer ServiceDiscussionsMiddle

• Interpret your results

– Compare with other studies

• Same or different?

• Explain unexpected results

• Describe limitations

– How could experiments be improved?

Customer ServiceDiscussionsEnd

• Restate major conclusion(s)

– In summary … or In conclusion …

• Possible applications and implications

• Suggest future work

“Clinical and research priorities include furthering our understanding of thepathogenesis of M. pneumoniae-associated CNS disease, development ofmore reliable serologic assays, and defining the role of quantitative PCR indistinguishing acute infection from asymptomatic carriage and prolongedpost-infection shedding”

Bitun & Richardson Curr Infect Dis Rep 2010, 12:282–290

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