Writing and Publishing Scientific Articles
13-8
Collecting the Literature
Be systematic in determining which studies you will discuss in your review article. Determine the criteria for inclusion and exclusion ahead of time, and be prepared to describe what literature you reviewed in the article itself (e.g., language, years, databases searched, and any other inclusion or exclusion criteria). You may wish to consult colleagues or a medical librarian to help you formulate your search criteria and identify relevant studies.
Be sure to include relevant information about all sides of an issue, even if you don’t agree with some sides.
Keep copies (paper or electronic) of all articles you use in writing your review. This will make it easier to answer any questions that may arise during preparation or review; to help you double-check descriptions in your paper to ensure you have not inadvertently copied the wording of the original; and to verify the accuracy of your references.
Writing the Introduction Section
Begin the introduction by briefly establishing the need for the review article. For example, is there debate over the best way to treat a disease? Have there been many recent advances in a field — many of which may not be widely known? Next, state the purpose of your article. The purpose could be to answer a specific question, to provide an overview of a topic or field, or to do something else. In addition to describing what your article will cover, it may be appropriate to say what your article will not cover (and where this can be found). Be sure that the stated purpose is broad enough to encompass all the material you plan to include but does not promise more than your article will deliver.
Writing the Main Text
Be sure you include information to cover all aspects of your stated purpose, but don’t include information not related to the stated purpose.
Make an outline of the main points you plan to cover. Once you’ve decided on a logical order, the outline can guide you in writing subheads. Chronological order — the order in which information was discovered or the order in which information will be used — works well in many
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