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Editor’s note: This is the 12th and lastarticle in a series of articles on writing forpublication. The first article was publishedin the March 2006 issue of the Journal.

his article marks the end of ayear-long series on writing forpublication. By now, you havelearned a wide range of skills,from choosing a topic to using

tables and figures to add interest toyour manuscript. This concluding arti-cle reviews 10 tips that can help youavoid mistakes and promote a satisfy-ing publishing experience.

TIP 1: READ THE AUTHOR GUIDELINESThese guidelines are a treasure

trove of information, including thetypes of articles that the journal pub-lishes, word count guidelines, submis-sion requirements, and the peerreview process. The guidelines canhelp you match your topic idea withthe most appropriate journal. Just aspatients fare better when they knowwhat to expect in the OR, you willnavigate the seas of publishing with aclearer sense of direction when youknow what to expect.

Before you submit your manuscript,double check to be sure you are com-plying with all the requirements in theauthor guidelines. Always send a coverletter with your name, title, and contactinformation. Do not include this infor-mation in the article file unless you arespecifically asked to do so, however,because peer reviewers usually do notreceive any identifying informationabout authors.

TIP 2: QUERY FIRSTIt is always best to contact the editor

of a journal with your idea before writ-ing or submitting the article. Promote

Ten tips for successful writingand article submission

G U E S T S E R I E S : W R I T I N G F O R P U B L I C A T I O N

Cynthia Saver, RN

T

© AORN, Inc, 2007

your topic in a letter no more than onepage long that explains why the infor-mation you will provide is importantfor the journal’s readers and why youshould be the one to write the article.Remember to tell the editor when youplan to submit the manuscript.

TIP 3: WRITE WITH PURPOSEThe most common error beginning

writers make is to attempt to cover toomuch information in a single article. Toavoid this, write withpurpose by keeping thesummary statement ofyour article (ie, what youwant readers to think,do, or feel) clearly inmind as you write.Remember that it is bestto include just one or twomajor points in a singlearticle.

TIP 4: BE PATIENTUnless you are pre-

senting ground-breakinginformation, the publish-ing process takes time.Do not become discour-aged. If you have not heard from theeditor after a reasonable length of time(eg, four weeks), send an e-mail to theeditor to ask about the article’s status.If the journal uses an online submissionand tracking process, you can followthe progress of your article by loggingin to the online system.

TIP 5: MAKE YOUR EDITOR’S JOB EASIERAn OR houses many patients in dif-

ferent stages of surgery during anysingle time of the day or week.Similarly, the editor has many articlesin various stages of the publicationprocess. Make it easy for an editor toremember you. For example, instead of

These tips willhelp you avoidmistakes and

promote a satisfyingpublishingexperience.

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writing “article” in the subjectline of an e-mail, use the titleof the article or the manu-script number if one has beenassigned. Repeat the article’stitle or number in your mes-sage. Sign your full name andinclude telephone numberswhere you can be reached. Ifan editor sends you a ques-tion via e-mail, be sure toinclude the original e-mailwith your reply so the editorcan easily determine whatyou are responding to.

Writing effectively, includ-ing organizing your contentlogically, is another way to

lighten the editor’s workload.Keep the four C’s in mind:clear, concise, correct, andcompelling. The single mostimportant technique for writ-ing effectively is to use activevoice, such as “The circulatingnurse places the safety strapacross the patient’s thighs”instead of “The safety strap isplaced across the patient’sthighs.”

TIP 6: BE OPEN TO SUGGESTIONSConsider yourself to be

part of a team that is workingto produce the best articlepossible, and be open to revi-

sion suggestions from the edi-tor and peer reviewers. Beaware that every journal hasits own style, and somechanges may be made to yourarticle during the editingprocess so it will conform tothat style.

TIP 7: USE VISUALSIllustrations, tables, fig-

ures, and photographs areall examples of ways youcan give your manuscriptvisual interest for readers.Remember to obtain permis-sion from the copyrightholder to reprint a visualelement that has been previ-ously published.

TIP 8: SUBMIT AN ARTICLE,NOT A SCHOOL PAPER

Editors are accustomed toreceiving school papers, the-ses, and dissertations withcover letters that say some-thing like, “My instructorthought my paper was excel-lent. Would you considerpublishing it in your jour-nal?” Typically, however, aschool paper or thesis willrequire some revision beforeit is appropriate for publica-tion in a journal (Table 1).Such papers are often toolong for a journal article,which make them unsuitablefor publication, and their sub-mission tells the editor thatthe nurse failed to read theauthor guidelines. Second,papers, by necessity, oftenhave a different focus andpurpose compared to journalarticles. For example, a dis-sertation is designed todemonstrate the author’s

TABLE 1Tips for Transforming Your Thesis orDissertation into a Journal Article1,2

Be selective about what information you choose to keep.

Shorten the background information and state your purpose inthe introduction.

Summarize the literature review, including only the most impor-tant studies.

Shorten the description of the theoretical framework and incor-porate it into the literature review or include it as a separate sec-tion, depending on the journal’s style.

Shorten the methods section and reduce the number of references.

Focus only on key findings.

Revise the description of the sample and shorten the demograph-ic section.

Do not overwhelm the readers with statistical analysis methods;make this section appropriate for the audience.

Use an appropriate number of figures and tables for the text (eg, nomore than one-third of the content should be tables and figures).

Emphasize practical application of the information.

Write in the journal’s style.

1. Calfee RC, Valencia RR. APA guide to preparing manuscripts forjournal publications. American Psychological Association. Available at:http://www.apa.org/journals/authors/guide.html#dissertation. AccessedJanuary 2, 2007.2. Oermann MH. Writing for Publication in Nursing. Philadelphia:Lippincott; 2002:139-140.

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comprehensive understand-ing of a topic and ability toconduct research in the area.1

You can turn a schoolpaper or master’s thesis intoan excellent journal article,however. Begin by analyzingthe content to see what fitswith the type of content aparticular journal publishes.You may need to focus ononly one aspect of a thesis ordissertation.

Revise your paper so it fitsthe style of the journal. Lookat past issues and the authorguidelines. Be sure to reviewthe most recent health care lit-erature and update your arti-cle accordingly.

TIP 9: IDENTIFY SUPPORTPOSSIBILITIES

Everyone has 24 hours in aday. How you choose to usethose hours is up to you.Negotiate with your familymembers or supervisor fortime to write. Be persistent infinding even short periods oftime when you can write.Identify a writing mentorwho can support you duringthe process.

TIP 10: DO NOT JUST TALKABOUT IT, DO IT.

You have all the tools youneed to write. Now it is up toyou. Make the commitmentto write today. ❖

CYNTHIA SAVERRN, MS

PRESIDENT

CLS DEVELOPMENT, INC

REFERENCE1. Calfee RC, Valencia RR. APAguide to preparing manuscriptsfor journal publications. Amer-ican Psychological Association.Available at: http://www.apa.org/journals/authors/guide.html#dissertation. AccessedJanuary 2, 2007.

RESOURCESPoynter Online. Available at:

http://www.poynter.org. Ac-cessed January 2, 2007.

Nurse Author & Editor.Available at: http://www.nurseauthoreditor.com. AccessedJanuary 2, 2007.

Many research findings regarding medicationsafety, dosing, and efficacy in pediatric popu-

lations may not be reaching the medical communi-ty or the physicians who prescribe medications tochildren, according to a Sept 12, 2006, newsrelease from Duke University Medical Center News,Durham, NC. Children have different physiologiesthan adults, so medications that are safe andeffective in adult populations may be ineffective,may require different doses, or may be harmful inpediatric populations. Results of studies on med-ication use in children, however, may not be wide-ly disseminated beyond mandated changes tolabel information.

Researchers examined medications that hadundergone pediatric trials and determined howoften the results of such studies were published inpeer-reviewed, scientific journals. Publishing resultsof research studies in such journals is often citedas one of the most effective ways to communicateinformation to the medical community. The re-searchers found that of the 253 studies on medica-tion use in children, 100 resulted in a key labelingchange (ie, a significant finding related to dose,

safety, or efficacy that is different for children thanfor adults). Of those studies, however, only 37 werepublished in peer-reviewed journals. When studiesresulted in a key labeling change, • only 49% were published in peer-reviewed jour-

nals if there was a dosing change,• only 43% were published if there was a change

to safety information, and • only 38% were published if the medication was

found to be ineffective in children.In addition, researchers found that 54% of studiesthat resulted in a “positive” labeling change (ie, amedication’s safety and efficacy in children wasestablished) were published, compared to only 36%of studies that resulted in a “negative” labelingchange (ie, the medication was ineffective in chil-dren or was associated with a worse outcome thana comparison therapy).

Study Finds Safety Test Results on Children’s Drugs NotAlways Reaching Physicians [news release]. Durham, NC:Duke University Medical Center News; September 12,2006. Available at: http://www.dukemednews.duke.edu/news/article.php?id=9864. Accessed November 9, 2006.

Pediatric Medication Information May Not Reach Physicians