ABSTRACT
This chapter explores key aspects of manuscript preparation, identifies alternative formats for journal submissions, and discusses ethical issues for journal manuscripts. Supplementing this information, an appended template provides a working model for preparing a typical Scientific Journal from research findings. In addition to the standard Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion (IMRAD) format, publication manuscripts can be constructed in alternative formats, depending on the underlying purpose. Typical categories for involvement of medical writers include review articles, case reports, and letters to the editor. Familiarization with the differences of these alternative formats, relative to the full manuscript, allows the medical writer to advice authors about optimal formats for the intended publication. If the manuscript equates to findings of one research trial, then the review article and case report can be considered extreme forms along a continuum. The review article synthesizes findings from other established publications into a comprehensive view of a particular drug treatment, disease area, or other medical issue.
