COMMON MISTAKES BYASIAN MEDICAL AUTHORS
Wilfred CG PehSingapore Medical Journal,
National University of Singapore,& Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, Singapore

INTRODUCTION• Not sure if there are mistakes
are specific to Asian authors• Focus on my own experiencein teaching medical writingin Southeast and South Asia

INTRODUCTION• Teaching medical writing on75 occasions since 2000
• Singapore (25), Malaysia (30),Philippines (8), Brunei (3),Thailand (3), Vietnam, SriLanka, UAE, Cambodia,China, India

INTRODUCTION• Diverse groups: doctors –general and specialist, medicaland bioscience researchers,
postgraduate students, nurses,
dieticians and other allied
health professionals

COMMON MISTAKES
1. Unrealistic expectations
2. Problems with manuscript
submission• Specific components• General comments

EXPECTATIONS• Know thyself!
• Know your material well
• Select the journal that is most
likely to publish your work
• Correct choice of paper
category

EXPECTATIONS• Make a realistic list – in orderof likelihood of acceptance
1. Renown top journals
2. Top 10 in your subspecialty/
specialty/ field of interest
3. Journals listed in PubMedEXPECTATIONS• Make a realistic list
4. Journals listed in WPRIM/
other databases
5. Any journal
Aim is to get published!

EXPECTATIONS• Choose the right paper category• Be clear about type of paper
you are planning to write• Construct manuscript exactly
according to guidelines forthe specific paper typeEXPECTATIONS• Finding a good andexperienced mentor is really
useful• Will help save a lot of time,effort and heartache• Sustain your interest over thelong term

ORIGINAL ARTICLE• Format and requirements arecompletely different from:• Thesis• Book chapter• Technical report• Other article types

ORIGINAL ARTICLE• Format• Structured abstract• Body of paper• IMRAD structure• limited number of references• limited tables/figures

One double spaced manuscript page = 250 words

JAMA:
Maximum 3000 words = 12 manuscript pages
Maximum 5 table and/or figures

Lancet:3000 words = 12 manuscript pages
30 references

NEJM:
2700 words = <11 manuscript pages
40 references, 5 tables/figures

MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION• Failure to follow• Uniform requirements formanuscripts submitted tobiomedical journals• Journal instructions toauthors exactlyMANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION• Title• Does not reflect paper contents• Should be specific, accurate,
attractive

MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION• Abstract• Should be structured• Have a clear objective andconclusion that “matches” theobjective

MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION• Introduction• Background leading to why
study was conducted – not clearor lacking• Purpose not clearly stated

MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION• Materials and methods• IRB/animal care committeeapproval missing• Insufficient detail i.e. notreproducible by others

MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION• Materials and methods• Study population (patients,controls, animals) - how
recruited - not clearly defined• no inclusion/ exclusion criteria• no control group

MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION• Materials and methods• Samples – how obtained• not clearly defined• need to be precise• consider every possible factor
that may introduce bias

MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION• Materials and methods• Details are important• Animals• genus, species, strain• age, gender, nutrition, physiologicand pathologic state• environment

MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION• Materials and methods• Apparatus/equipment• model, manufacturer, protocol• Drugs/chemicals• exact dosages, administrationmode, generic name

MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION• Materials and methods• Wrong statistical test used
• Failure to consult statistician• during study planning stage• during manuscript preparation

MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION• Materials and methods• Remember: majority ofmanuscript rejections are due
to major flaws in this section

MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION• Misplaced information• Data that appears in the Results
section have not been describedin the Materials and methods
sectionMANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION• Misplaced information• Results not reported for all theitems studied in the Materials
and methods

MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION• Inappropriate use of Table/Graph• Information that can be easily
and simply described in 1-2
sentences of text
• Remember: text as default

Could be replaced by“Only 1% of theimmediate films
are useful for IVU”

MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION• Failure to use Tables and Figures• Tables• complex data, large numbers• Figures• trends and patterns• visual impact

MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION• Appropriate use of Tables andFigures• Helps shorten manuscript• Clearer presentation of results• But does not duplicate textualinformation

MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION• Discussion• Mere repetition of results
instead of interpretation• Lack of comparison with otherrelated studies

MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION• Discussion• No discussion of limitationsof present study• Conclusion much too long
• should answer objectives• should be focused

MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION• References• Too many errors• Lack of consistency• Failure to follow authorinstructions exactly

MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION• General comments• Contradictory statements/
information: text/tables &figures, results/discussion,text main body/abstract

MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION• General comments• Be careful about possible
plagiarism• give credit to sources• avoid “cut and paste”- paraphrase instead

MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION• General comments• Too much jargon• use clear and simple words• Either British or American
spelling – not both

MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION• General comments• Abbreviations not spelt out
when first used
• Wrong use of tense• Past tense: Materials andmethods, Results

MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION• Insufficient revision, double
checking and self-editing• Submissions should be as
perfect as possible• Keep manuscripts short

MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION• Get help from an experienced
and good medical writer• Avoid multiple submissions!

SUMMARY• Be familiar with your work
• Know your target journal• Follow author instructions exactly• Rectify problems ahead of submission• Make your submitted manuscript
perfect

THANK YOU FOR YOURATTENTION
Some recent
medical writingworkshops
Cebu 2012
Ho Chi Minh City 2011

Manila 2013
Brunei 2012

Phnom Penh 2013