Why authors have to use a rigid format for their journal articles

Abstract

‘Proper words in proper places make the true definition of style.’ Jonathan Swift Medical writing is a creative process. It combines rhetoric and science to produce a piece of work that connects the scientific community with the general public. However, despite pressure to publish, many researchers dread the thought of medical writing. It can be an intimidating journey and hard work – and after all, where does one learn how to write a good science paper? Is there a recipe for success? The answer lies in the IMRaD (Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion) structure. This allows authors to organise and structure their work in an effective manner, which maintains the emphasis on the matter of good science. Some may think applying such a structure is too formulaic and breeds mediocrity. Others may believe IMRaD allows authors to organise thoughts and ideas as well as helping them to remember to convey critical elements. That it makes evaluation of a manuscript easier for editors and reviewers and also allows readers to locate specific information without going through the entire article is less contentious. Although the IMRaD structure may not reflect the order of scientific enquiry and activities, most journals continue to apply it to medical articles. It appears that having such a discipline to writing opens the doors to those who have not yet overcome their writer’s block. In the third article of the publishing series, Elisabeth Heseltine informs readers ‘how to write’. Elisabeth became a scientific editor through science rather than language. She has worked as a researcher on the BBC science programme Horizon, as a proof-reader and then as a copy-writer. She is head of publications at the World Health Organization International Agency for Research on Cancer, in Lyon, France. She has edited many documents for other United Nations agencies and for research institutes around the world. She also runs workshops in scientific communication in over 30 countries. JYOTI SHAH Commissioning Editor