A general overview of composing a scientific article for publication in a peer reviewed journal

1. Scientific Writing 101 “ In science the credit goes to the man who convinces the world, not to the man to whom the idea first occurs.” -Sir Francis Darwin Parham Mirshahpanah 20 July, 2007

4. Journal Selection Aims & Scope Reference Relevance Impact Factor Editorial Board Scientific class: i.e. biology, chemistry, etc… Clinical application: derm, oncology, cardiology, etc… Quality of data: novelty, value to scientific community Utilize familiar names: references & associations Correspondence type: letter, original article, review… Similar journal as the majority of your references

6. Getting started: formatting JBC Contact Dermatitis Gene Therapy Different journals have varying aesthetic properties that are handled by publisher and not to be considered by author

7. Getting started: formatting Submission Proof

9. Getting started: data Choose the course of presentation based on the highest added value to the scientific community, which will also yield the optimal journal Develop an outline & order data to support story What information do you have and how can you best present it? Animal model Chemistry Molecular biology

11. Figures: breaks & dual axes Thickness Weight no info small window Dual axes allows incorporation of two relevant parameters into a single graph, which allows for better comparison break decreases the amount of space used for irrelevant info and allows for expansion of point of interest sparse graph

21. Introduction: format Basic background: what clinical implication does your study fit into? Introduce history Past studies and their results; what information is still unknown/ what questions arose? Description of specific parameters addressed in your study, align reader with language and readouts State your objective, process and allude to the significance your results aim to provide

24. Discussion: constituents results literature theory clinical applications Discussion contradictions patterns future studies

25. Discussion: format Summarize your findings Discuss each major result in the context of previous studies, pointing out supportive and contradictory findings Suggest implications and practical applications of results; extend to other species if appropriate Provide “big picture” conclusion of results; integrating results, literature, theory and future direction for further studies

37. EndNote: remote searches Multi-field searching capacity allows for specific location of topics by various search fields and associations

38. EndNote: output styles Edit  Output Styles  Edit “current style” (use the style closest to your journal of interest)

40. SigmaPlot: scaling resize scales to maximize data presentation

41. insert break to enhance differences SigmaPlot: breaks

42. SigmaPlot: enhancement Basic Plot (original) Aesthetically Enhanced Plot

45. General Writing: example A good paragraph generally possesses several key features that contribute to its clarity and effectiveness in presenting information. The first feature is a topic sentence that provides the reader with a general overview of the topic covered in the ensuing paragraph. The body of the paragraph should provide substantial information with references and evidence supporting the topic sentence. The final sentence serves to wrap up the ideas and prepare the reader for material to follow in the next paragraph, also known as a transition sentence. Upon reading the final sentence, the reader should be able to name the topic of the following paragraph. Topic Sentence Body: supporting evidence Concluding/ transition sentence