Basic AIMRD structure

1. THE TECHNICALITIES OF WRITING PAPERSProfessor Roger Jones, Editor, British Journal of General Practice

2. Basic AIMRD structure • Abstract • Introduction • Methods • Results • Discussion

3. Preparatory work • Choice of journal – pre-submission enquiry • Careful reading of Instructions for Authors • Word Count • House style – abstract, section headings, references • Figures and diagrams • References • ICMJE guidance • COPE guidance

4. The title • House style • Important because of citation and archiving, as well as attracting readers • Clarity rather than levity in the main title • Clear indication of the methodology and setting in the sub-title • Running head • Key words

5. Authors • ICJME has authorship criteria • Essential to agree on authorship before putting pen to paper • Power relations can be problematic –departmental policy if appropriate, otherwise some structure for mediation • Gift authorship • Order of names • Contributorship should be clearly stated and may be printed

6. Abstract • Word count and structure specified by journal • May not exactly parallel the IMRD structure • Increasingly important as paper short/web long increases • Involved in some citation counts

7. Introduction • An arresting first sentence • Say enough to show that you know the field but don’t over-do it – 10 or so key references? • Tell the story which takes the reader to the need for this piece of research, and end the section by stating the research question

8. Methods • “What the abstract giveth, the methods taketh away” • Sufficient detail to allow replication • Reference, rather than describe in full, the measuring and analytic tools you will use • Pre-specification of end points and analysis (ITT, per protocol, grounded theory, thematic analysis, etc)

9. Results • Main findings • Detailed findings • Reporting guidance/frameworks eg CONSORT, STARD, PRISMA: the EQUATOR network (equator-network.org) • Figures and tables • Avoid duplication of text and tables • Additional on line material – data tables, questionnaires, interview schedules • Specific aspects of the presentation of quantitative and qualitative data – eg numerical/statistical precision, quotations in boxes

10. Discussion • Structured • Headline findings….”for the first time….” • What’s new • Comparison with other literature • Strengths and weaknesses • Implications for practice and research • Conclusion if necessary

11. Tailenders • Acknowledgements • Funding source • Ethical permission • Authorship/ contributorship • Conflicts of/ competing interests • References – convention, dois and papers – use web references sparingly and wiki not at all

12. New and contentious topics • Open access publishing: author/funder pays the article publishing fee • Predatory open access journals • Paper short/very short: web long, eg BMJ Picos, BJGP 2-page summaries • Continuous online publication • Online only journals • Open data/ Fair data: prior publication • Dissemination – doesn’t stop at the paper