For almost 10 years, I have had the privilege of teaching an online medical writing course for two health science universities. The premise is that health professionals must be able to present their work clearly and proficiently. Excellent educational material and important research data, however, are sometimes buried in poorly written papers.
The truth is, writing a good medical paper is a complex task. It requires inspired energy, quiet reflection, and yes, time in which to do it. Now that I’ve lost most of you (ha ha) ….
The first question I ask my students is what prevents them from writing. The six biggest impediments are time constraints and/or competing interests; limited experience in writing/inadequate knowledge of the process; fear of inadequacy; lack of passion; procrastination; and lack of mentorship. If this sounds familiar, and you’d like to break through these barriers, please allow me to offer some guidance derived from more than 30 years’ experience.
The first question we have to answer is: Why write, anyway? There are many reasons; six are listed in the box below.
Once you’ve decided you want to try your hand at medical writing, it is essential to develop a plan for carrying it out. It can be a long and arduous process, but without a strategy, it is nearly impossible to complete. Following are eight steps to ease the process—or at least make it palatable.
1. Find the topic that you are most passionate about, whether it is a particular case that you want to share with others or a topic you want to learn more about. The first article I wrote (circa 1979) was on Hodgkin’s disease. My father had recently died of that condition, and I wanted to better understand it. Topics, of course, should be of relevance from either a medical, practice, or academic standpoint. Be creative but realistic—topics should be focused and feasible. Above all, you should have something interesting to say.
2. Look at past issues of your professional journals to see what types of articles they accept. Some may not accept original research, while for others that is the primary focus. Also, visit the “Instructions for Authors” page (CR’s can be found at http://bit.ly/16OmNW9) and review that information. You should follow the guidelines to the letter unless otherwise instructed by the editor. In fact, it is a good idea to contact the editor and share your idea before you begin your work.
3. Start writing. A blank page is very intimidating. Get your ideas down on paper early (giving yourself permission to revise later!). Think about the main message of your article and what you hope to achieve by writing it. What is the one provocative thought you would like to leave with your audience? And who is that audience: the general public or medical professionals? Create a general outline with an introduction, discussion, and conclusion.
4. Perform a focused literature review. A literature review—basically an account of what has been published on a topic by accredited scholars and researchers—can help you narrow your focus. It also gives the reader confidence that you have understood the main theoretical positions of the subject matter and can integrate that material coherently into your own article. The literature review also provides an idea of the scope of published work in your field, enabling you to identify gaps in knowledge and avoid repetition—lending greater credibility to your work.2
5. Revise! Good papers are the product of many revisions—usually in response to feedback from others. That means you need to get over your fear of criticism and ask colleagues for advice. (I have two trusted colleagues—they know who they are!—who are critical to a fault of my drafts. But I thank them for it!) Since readability is crucial, you might even want to read your work out loud to determine whether your points are clearly made and easily understood.3 Then give yourself time to step back, digest your colleagues’ feedback, and re-read with a new perspective.
Revision also entails checking for consistency, eliminating redundancy, and deleting unnecessary information. Make sure every sentence and paragraph has a purpose. Yes, it’s time-consuming, and time is often at a premium. But if you undertake to write an article, make the time to do it correctly. Don’t rush the process.
6. Create your “accessories.” The title and abstract are the first—possibly the only—parts of your paper that an editor (and, if you’re successful, a reader) will read. Spend some quality time developing them so they accurately and adequately express the focus of your article, as well as why the subject matter is beneficial to readers. Another key element is figures and tables; visuals draw attention, so ensure you have some compelling data to present in this format. They can also be vital “take-aways” for readers to refer to in the future.