Publishing particulars: Part 2. Tips for effective manuscript development

Abstract

In Part 2 of this Perspective on Publishing Particulars, I share several recommendations with early-career stage investigators for how to successfully develop a competitive manuscript for publication. In the initial section, I first discuss how to organize content most effectively for an original research article by creating a “storyboard” of the key results, including the sequence in which they will be presented. I then emphasize the importance of rigorously outlining all the information to be presented in the manuscript before attempting to write the text. In the second section, I comprehensively discuss tactical approaches for developing the specific component parts of an original research paper, including the Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results and illustrations, and Discussion, as well as strategies for referencing the text. In the final section, I provide suggestions for how to best develop a compelling review article. The topics discussed include how to view the opportunity; selecting authors and defining their respective roles; identifying the foundational components of the text; conducting a comprehensive review of the target published literature; and organizing, writing, and illustrating the article.