Writing and Publishing “Best MCH Practices”

Milton Kotelchuck, PhD, MPH

September 30, 2002

CityMatCH

Los Angeles, California

Objectives1. To understand a professional journal’s functions and

missions and how it relates to the MCH field’s broader dissemination activities

2. To understand the broad steps of the editorial process by which a submitted article is reviewed, improved and published

3. To understand the special challenges and opportunities of publishing practice-based articles in the MCH Journal

4. To appreciate the characteristics of successful and non-successful submission

5. To have an opportunity ask questions about the MCH Journal editorial process and procedures

6. To have an opportunity to discuss potential manuscript submissions from CityMatCH members

Why might you want to publish a Journal article about the

“Best MCH Practices”?

Reasons to Publish Share your experiences Inform colleagues of a new program Gain positive publicity Validate a program’s success Advance practice or scientific knowledge Personal reward/advancement Enjoy writing Job requirement And lots of other motivations

Barriers to Publish

Not rewarded for publishing Don’t have experience Don’t have an advanced academic degree Don’t know the “Rules” Don’t have the time Hard to get practice articles published Afraid to try And lots of others

Why are MCH-focused Journals critical to our field?

Why is CityMatCH a co-sponsor of the Maternal and Child Health

Journal?

Why was there no MCH Journal until 1997?

MCH is politically and professionally a “weak” field

No consensus about the unifying basis of the MCH field

MCH has no traditional of publications The MCH (Title V) developed before

current focus on accountability and MCH epidemiology

Need for MCH Journal

To advance the MCH field professionally To better help define the MCH field Be a common forum for discourse across

the entire MCH field Capture our advancing MCH practice,

research and policy knowledge To be an advocate for MCH community

Maternal and Child Health Journal was initiated in 1997 after several years of planning and negotiations

Founding Sponsors of the MCH Journal

CityMatCH AMCHP ATMCH MCH Section APHA (unofficial)

Maternal and Child Health JournalFive Key Areas of Focus

1. MCH epidemiology, demography and health status assessment

2. Innovative MCH service initiatives

3. Implementation of MCH programs

4. MCH policy analysis and advocacy

5. MCH professional development

Maternal and Child Health

Types of Articles

Full Articles Brief Reports Methodological Notes Notes from the Field News from the Field Letters to the Editor Editorials Special Issues

Professional Journals Are/Should Be Only One Part of a Project’s

Dissemination Strategy A good dissemination strategy should

define specific audiences and target them with specific messages

Multiple venues exist for dissemination– Brochures, Websites, NCEMCH, Newsletters,

Conference Presentations,…

Professional Journal’s are only one site for presenting information about a project

Positive Features of Professional Journals

Peer reviewed Prestigious/part of scientific coin of the realm On MEDLINE and other computer-based

bibliographic data retrieval systems Archived/not part of gray literature Disseminates our experiences, minimizes

reinventing wheel Reaches larger audiences Creates professional community linkages Empowers our field

Negative Features of Professional Journals

Often less interested in practice; more narrowly research-focused; more quantitatively rigorous

Small audiences/wrong readership Formats are too constrained/less interesting

style of writings Often linked to professional groups, who

may be more institutionally conservative

CityMatCH experiences/projects should be published!

Editorial Process in MCH (and Most Other) Journals

Overview of Steps Preparation of the article Submission Review and initial decision Improvement and final decision Publication

Preparation and Planning Decide to write an article

– Before, During, After Project Completion

Develop a dissemination plan– But don’t plan too many articles – or none get done

Decide on each article’s message or goals Decide who should write the article

– Authorship, Single or Multiple Writers, … Decide on a target Journal

– Read the Journal’s Guidelines!!– If unsure of appropriateness, contact the editor

Create time/space for writing

Writing The Hardest Step is the First Step

The first draft is the hardest The second draft is the hardest The final draft is the hardest

If possible have a non-project member read the article for its editorial style and content

A Good Manuscript Tells a Good Story

An introduction that tells why this article is needed (what’s new, what is its contribution)

Clearly stated objectives and aims A design or approach that can address the

objectives A fully presented methodology

(with critical variables defined clearly, and a (statistical) analysis section showing how the objectives will be met)

A Good Manuscript Tells a Good Story (cont’d)

A result section (that was logically guided by the prior methods/statistics section; with no-irrelevant analyses included)

And a discussion section which answers/discusses the original aims, plus includes sections on limitations and linkages to MCH practice

There should be a coherence structure and flow to the manuscript

Tell only one story per article

Submission

Submit clean carefully proofed manuscripts– Form implies substance

Cover letter to editor– Short, note any special concerns, suggest

reviewer’s/non-reviewers, …

Submission logged into computer tracking system/expect acknowledgement

Initial Review and Decision Process

1. Editor (or associate editor/editorial committee) will initially decide if manuscript is appropriate (in content and quality) for further journal review

2. Appropriate external reviewers will be selected (using reviewer database, prior authors, suggested reviewers, COS, new people, …)

3. The article will then be sent (blinded) to three or more external reviewers

Initial Review and Decision Process (cont’d)

4. After nudging (using internal tracking system) receive reviewer forms will be reviewed, and an editorial review package for editor will be prepared

5. Initial editor review Manuscript decision (accept, accept with minor

changes, revise and resubmit (minor/major), reject) Disagreement among reviewers Decision on article type Initial communication with author (timing, variation

among journals, content, …) Appeals to editor for reconsideration

Article Improvement (Revision Process)

The revision process varies by journal In the MCH Journal, it is a critical stage; MK is an activist

editor In general, articles under revision not yet been officially

accepted Initial comments of Editor may reflect publication type,

content analysis, and editorial/stylistic suggestions Comments of external peer-reviewers provided Revision of Articles

– Decide if willing/capable of making revision– Make acceptable changes (literally and in spirit)– Right to disagree with proposed suggestions

Cover letter to Editor, with resubmission The goal is to improve the article to better enhance its

scientific and practice value to MCH field

Second Review and Decision Process

Editor re-reviews revised manuscript– internal and/or external review

Second decision process Further rounds/cycles of revision

– This can be a lengthy process

– Deadlines maybe imposed

– Major initial revision usually results in another round of revision

– Many practice articles also require several revisions

The further into process the more likely to be published (but not yet assured)

Acceptance Rate

Year Accepted Open (R&R)

Rejected/

Inactive

To Be Decided

Total

1996 12 0 17 0 29

1997 28 0 28 0 56

1998 37 3 40 0 80

1999 43 16 24 0 83

2000 36 16 24 0 77

2001 26 14 28 0 68

Percent 46 13 41

Publication (Author Acceptance)

Acceptance letter Finalization of article in journal style Preparation of final package (3 copies,

computer disk, transfer of copyright) CELEBRATE!!!

Publication (Editorial Office)

Preparation of issue (four issues per volume/year)

Editorials requested Communication with publisher Submission of issue

Publication (Publisher Issues) Receipt and acknowledgement of issue Copy editing Type setting Pre-publication galleys sent to author and editor for

their review– Usually 6 weeks after issue submitted– Minor changes permitted– Check accuracy, especially of tables!– Purchase pre-prints

Publication– 6 weeks later

Automatically added to MEDLINE Prepare PR/news stories, if desired REJOYCE!!!

And Then Start Your Next Article!

Challenges and Opportunities in Writing “Best MCH Practices”

Challenges and Opportunities in Writing “Best MCH Practices”

The MCH field needs them MCH Journal wants them CityMatCH (and others) are the source of

the best and most current MCH practices There are numerous excellent examples of

MCH practice articles But practice articles are hard to write And most have been rejected

Reasons Why Practice-Based Articles Are Rejected

Description only No effort to show how they contribute to the advancement

of MCH field and MCH literature It is repetitive of other articles, nothing new is presented No evidence to support claim of their effectiveness Written as brochure/PR piece – only positives mentioned It is replication of government report – with no further

analyses Absence of thoughtful analysis of pro’s and con’s of its

implementation (write manuscript for other MCH practitioners)

Lessons learned in its implementation are not discussed

CityMatCH Support for Community-based

“Best MCH Practice” Articles

CityMatCH Special Issue(s)

1. Urban MCH Data Use Institute

2. Perinatal Periods of Risk National Practice Collaborative

3. Perinatal HIV Prevention Urban Learning Clusters

NACCHO and CityMatCH 2001 Local Health Department Survey

1. Eliminating racial and ethnic disparities

2. Women’s health

3. Data capacity and epidemiology

The MCH Journal would welcome more articles from

CityMatCH to strengthen our Journal and our field

Journal Publishing in 21st Century

Dramatic changes in works– Instantaneous electronic publication– Automatic linkages to references (CrossRef)– Inclusion of instruments, appendices– Inclusion of sound, films, etc.– Electronic access– Customized journals, text books, course packets

Improved interactive website– For subscription– For submission– For review and editorial functions– For enhanced communication

MCH Journal is available Online

By typing “Maternal and Child Health Journal” in your browser you will be directed to Journal’s website

or You can go directly to

– http://www.kluweronline.com/issn/1092-7875

Special Challenge of Writing Articles in Public Agencies

Create Writer Support Group

Journal as Pedogogic Resource

To expose students to exciting topics in the field

To model writing for students

Summary