How to Get Published Webinar Series: How to write an article Q&A

By Jessica Lipowski and Jennifer Lovick

In our free monthly webinar series, we receive hundreds of questions from attendees and we try to answer as many as possible during the webinar. We selected a few of the most common questions regarding how to write an article, and here is what our experts had to say:

How long should a manuscript be? How many references should I include? 

The length of a manuscript and the number of references is based on the article research and article type. Typically, original research articles will have 9 or more references. We recommend looking at the author guidelines for the type of manuscript you are interested in submitting and tailoring your manuscript accordingly. The length can vary by manuscript type and by journal. 

How can I deal with word constraint challenges? 

Keeping your article within the word limit may be challenging when you start writing your first or second manuscript in the earlier stages of your career. You can improve your writing style by using more concise terms and making it a more cohesive story. You can break down your project into multiple publications if you have more than one topic to discuss. You can use writing services or academic editing services to help you to improve your first rough draft to bring it within the word limit. If you don’t have access to those services, please use whatever free resources available through your institution or on the web.  

Another way is to write and revise multiple times and you can judge your own writings and cut down any jargon or material which seems irrelevant to your main theme. Lastly, there are some journals that publish online only which have no required word limit and may consider publishing a manuscript that covers multiple topics. . A good manuscript may not be considered good based on the length, its quality always depends on the succinct and focused content. 

See if you can better represent text with a table or figure, or vice versa. For some publishers, every figure counts as 300 words, so be sure every figure is necessary. Take advantage of the supplemental material option (if applicable). Supplemental material refers to files related to a specific article, which authors supply for publication alongside their article and is not in the main body of the article. They should generally be additional pieces to the article that could not be included in the issue or print version, such as appendices, tables, and audio and video material that is impossible to produce within the article.  There may also be instances, such as certain podcasts and videos, where they are not directly attributable to a specific piece of research. These do not count in the word limit. Check to be sure there are no references included that are not cited. References are included in the word count, so be sure you are using all of them. 

What is the difference between conceptual versus theoretical framework? 

Before we link these two, we need to understand what these frameworks are. A conceptual framework is a description of an expected (and may be unexpected too) relationship between variables used in a study. Variables are simply the characteristics or properties that you want to study. The conceptual framework is generally developed based on a literature review of existing studies, and some speculations or theories about the topic. The conceptual framework is composed of a basic objective, fundamental concepts, and recognition, measurement, and disclosure concepts. 

On the other hand, the theoretical framework of a research study is the structure that can hold or support a theory of a research study. The theoretical framework introduces and describes the theory that explains why the research problem under study exists. It is the foundation from which all knowledge is constructed (metaphorically and literally) for a research study. This framework could be the problem statement, the purpose, the significance, and the research questions. 

Once you know what these research questions are, it is easy to bring in the existing knowledge and speculate the outcome.  

Both theoretical frameworks and conceptual frameworks have some common features. They point to the reliability of the study from the previous research findings and theories. Both explain the future course of the research study justifying the reliability of the study. 

Could you clarify whether the interpretation of results need to be in the discussion or the results section?  

The results section should be objective and describe the findings. This is not the section to speculate or interpret the findings. The discussion section is the place to interpret the findings, put them in context of the research field, and explain the significance of the findings in the context of prior similar research. 

Can you talk about meta-analyses and if a paper can be solely based on review of other people's work? 

Yes, a paper can be a review of other people’s work. The goal of a meta-analysis is to perform a systematic analysis of data from multiple studies. It is an opportunity to address a broader question and analyze findings from multiple studies to attempt to answer the question. A meta-analysis involves using statistical methods to assess the data. As this is a very structured type of review, it is recommended to follow the PRISMA guidelines as well as register the meta-analysis with either PROSPERO or INPLASY prior to submitting the meta-analysis. You may find this article helpful for getting started writing a meta-analysis. 

When should we use active versus passive voice? 

Always try to use the active voice when possible, as this creates a strong, clear tone. The active voice also uses fewer words, which makes the writing more concise and efficient and conveys a faster-moving narrative. This makes for more engaging reading.  Using the active voice also helps prevent grammatical mistakes. However, there are times the passive voice is useful and called for, for example when you want to focus on a particular part of the sentence. For example, in the carpenter sentence, the passive voice sentence construction would be helpful if the ‘wood’ was the focus of your writing and not the ‘carpenter’. Always try to put most sentences in the active voice unless you truly cannot write the sentence in any other way. 

How can you make your article title unique to attract the editor or reviewer? What part of the abstract should have something to attract the reviewers?  

You will be asked to supply a title, short title, an abstract, and keywords to accompany your article. The title, keywords, and abstract are key to ensuring readers find your article online through online search engines such as Google. Ensure the main key phrase for your topic is in your article title. Make sure your title is descriptive, unambiguous, accurate, and reads well. Remember people search on key phrases not just single words e.g., ‘women’s health’ not ‘health’. Also, try to include the topic as close to the start as possible. If you're using a 'creative' title, make this a subtitle to a more descriptive title. A descriptive title is also good for making an article more searchable in MEDLINE or Web of Science. The title is usually 20-30 words at most. We have a blog with tips here. 

The abstract is a summary of your article and, after the title, is the first part of the article that people read. The abstract is easier to write after the article is written. The abstract should be short, usually no more than 250 words. The title and abstract are what is shared with potential reviewers. If the title and abstract are easy to read and clearly outline what the manuscript is about, reviewers will be more likely to agree to review your manuscript and reduce the time your manuscript is in peer review. Also, as the abstract is the first introduction to your article once it is published, a well-written abstract may increase the likelihood of someone reading it. Some journals require a structured abstract covering a brief overview of the introduction, discussion, results, and conclusion. 

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