Writing a Research Manuscript: Help From a New Series in the JAOA
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Gilbert E. D’Alonzo
Good scientific writing is not a matter of life and death; it is much more serious than that.
—Robert A. Day and Barbara Gastel1
In the March 2012 issue of JAOA—The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, the American Osteopathic Association's editor in chief and the JAOA's associate editors published an editorial titled “Realigning the JAOA: We Are Listening and Changing.”2 The editorial noted that the purpose of “this realignment initiative is not only to make the JAOA a shining jewel among the world's peer-reviewed journals; it is also for the JAOA to jump-start a more robust culture of research in the osteopathic medical profession.” In addition, “we want to attract all scholarly works that explore in some way osteopathic principles and practice.”2 Many talented investigators are currently involved in the process of exploring science through these principles, and future investigators are waiting in the wings.
We understand, though, that the skills needed to perform the research are not the same as the skills needed to document the research and results. And staring at a blank Word document does nothing to get the creative juices flowing. Therefore, the editorial staff of the JAOA are creating a series of articles designed to help you write scientific papers that are clear and concise and contain all the information necessary for editors and readers.
The first article in the series appears in this issue of The Journal. It is titled “Modern-Day Considerations for References in Scientific Writing”3 and begins on page . It addresses topics such as the following:
which version of a source to use
where to cite references in the text
how to create the reference list
which format to use for various information sources
how to cite electronic sources
how to avoid plagiarism and copyright infringement
As Day and Gastel1 noted, “a scientific experiment, no matter how spectacular the results, is not completed until the results are published. In fact, the cornerstone of the philosophy of science is based on the fundamental assumption that original research must be published; only thus can new scientific knowledge be authenticated and then added to the existing database that we call scientific knowledge.” We hope that this series of informational articles will help you add your scientific knowledge to the existing osteopathic data.
References
1 Day RA Gastel B . How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper. 7th ed.Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood; 2011.Suche in Google Scholar
2 D’Alonzo GE Jr Patterson MM Seffinger MA Fitzgerald ME . Realigning the JAOA: we are listening and changing. J Am Osteopath Assoc.2012;112(3):117-118.Suche in Google Scholar
3 Riordan L . Modern-day considerations for references in scientific writing. J Am Osteopath Assoc.2012;112(8):567-569.Suche in Google Scholar
© 2012 The American Osteopathic Association
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Artikel in diesem Heft
- Letters
- Graduating Osteopathic Medical Students' Perceptions and Recommendations on the Decision to Take the USMLE
- Response
- The Failed Theratope Vaccine: 10 Years Later
- Editorials
- Touch: Vital to Patient-Physician Relationships
- Writing a Research Manuscript: Help From a New Series in the JAOA
- Original Contributions
- Preventative Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment and the Elderly Nursing Home Resident: A Pilot Study
- Validation of a Triage Algorithm for Psychiatric Screening (TAPS) for Patients With Psychiatric Chief Complaints
- Medical Education
- Frequency of Specific Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment Modalities Used by Candidates While Taking COMLEX-USA Level 2-PE
- Special Communication
- Touch—More Than a Basic Science
- The Phoenix Physician: Defining a Pathway Toward Leadership in Patient-Centered Care
- Case Report
- Psoas Syndrome: A Frequently Missed Diagnosis
- AOA Communication
- 56th Annual AOA Research Conference—Abstracts, 2012
- Clinical Images
- Quadricuspid Aortic Valve With Aortic Regurgitation
- In Your Words
- The Plight of My Childhood Community
- Special Communication
- Modern-Day Considerations for References in Scientific Writing
- CME Quiz
- CME Quiz
Artikel in diesem Heft
- Letters
- Graduating Osteopathic Medical Students' Perceptions and Recommendations on the Decision to Take the USMLE
- Response
- The Failed Theratope Vaccine: 10 Years Later
- Editorials
- Touch: Vital to Patient-Physician Relationships
- Writing a Research Manuscript: Help From a New Series in the JAOA
- Original Contributions
- Preventative Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment and the Elderly Nursing Home Resident: A Pilot Study
- Validation of a Triage Algorithm for Psychiatric Screening (TAPS) for Patients With Psychiatric Chief Complaints
- Medical Education
- Frequency of Specific Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment Modalities Used by Candidates While Taking COMLEX-USA Level 2-PE
- Special Communication
- Touch—More Than a Basic Science
- The Phoenix Physician: Defining a Pathway Toward Leadership in Patient-Centered Care
- Case Report
- Psoas Syndrome: A Frequently Missed Diagnosis
- AOA Communication
- 56th Annual AOA Research Conference—Abstracts, 2012
- Clinical Images
- Quadricuspid Aortic Valve With Aortic Regurgitation
- In Your Words
- The Plight of My Childhood Community
- Special Communication
- Modern-Day Considerations for References in Scientific Writing
- CME Quiz
- CME Quiz
