Consejos para escribir un artículo científico. Parte 1: la práctica de la escritura / Tips for Writing a Scientific Paper: The Practice of Writing

La escritura de artículos académicos es una competencia necesaria para la difusión del conocimiento científico y para el desarrollo profesional de quienes trabajan en diversas disciplinas. Sin embargo, a pesar de su importancia, esta habilidad compleja no suele ser enseñada en forma sistemática, lo que puede operar como una barrera para que los investigadores comuniquen los resultados de sus trabajos. En esta primera entrega, sintetizamos los principales consejos que han brindado expertos en la temática, añadiendo algunos de nuestra experiencia personal que consideramos útiles para facilitar el proceso de la escritura académica y el desarrollo de esta competencia en un contexto colaborativo. En una segunda entrega profundizaremos respecto de la problemática de la escritura de las diferentes secciones de un artículo científico y se ofrecerán consejos para optimizarla y volverla lo más eficaz posible. (AU)

Academic writing is essential for scientific knowledge dissemination and the professional development of those working in various disciplines. Yet, however important this complex skill is, it is not usually taught systematically, a fact that can act as a barrier for researchers to communicate the results of their work. In this first part, we synthesize the main tips provided by experts in the field, adding some of our personal experiences that they consider relevant to facilitate the process of academic writing and develop this skill in a collaborative context. In a second article, we will go deeper into the problem of writing the different sections of a scientific article and offer advice on ways to optimize it and make it as effective as possible. (AU)

Curso de investigación en Atención Primaria de la Salud: experiencia sobre módulo de búsqueda bibliográfica y gestores de citas / Research course in Primary Health Care: experience with the bibliographic search module and citation managers

La Federación Argentina de Medicina Familiar y General apoyó el desarrollo, la difusión y la implementación de una propuesta educativa sobre investigación en atención primaria. Consiste en 4 módulos independientes, destinado para miembros interesados/as, con 2 encuentros virtuales teórico-prácticos, que favorecieran el intercambio de opiniones y experiencias entre colegas. El objetivo del primer módulo fue proporcionar conocimiento, brindar pautas y ofrecer herramientas para la búsqueda bibliográfica y el uso de gestores de citas. Se realizó difusión mediante sociedades y redes sociales. Se incluyó una evaluación individual, que diera cuenta de lectura complementaria y la aplicación práctica de los contenidos. Se llevó a cabo en Junio, con 39 preinscripto/as, mayoritariamente residentes. Hubo 24 participantes efectivos (61%), asistieron 17 y 20 personas respectivamente, y 11 (46%) obtuvieron el certificado de aprobación por responder la consigna en tiempo y forma. En cuanto a los/as asistentes, hubo predominio de mujeres (79%), provenientes de Asociación Metropolitana de Medicina Familiar (25%), Asociación Cordobesa de Medicina Familiar y Comunitaria (16%), Asociación Misionera de Medicina General/Familiar y del Equipo de Salud (16%), Asociación Tucumana de Medicina Familiar, General y Comunitaria (12%), y otras minorías. Expresaron satisfacción, agradecimiento y reconocimiento por la actividad, destacando la buena predisposición de organizadores y equipo docente, la utilidad práctica de la temática, la evidente planificación, y el apoyo político-económico. Esta valiosa experiencia educativa (planteada como necesidad pendiente) resultó exitosa, ya que los/as participantes demostraron un alto nivel de interés, de asistencia de diferentes provincias, y de compromiso. Los certificados emitidos otorgan créditos educativos válidos para la recertificación (AU)

The Federación Argentina de Medicina Familiar y General supported the development, dissemination and implementation of an educational proposal on research in primary care. It consists of 4 independent modules, intended for interested members, with 2 virtual theoretical-practical meetings, which favored the exchange of opinions and experiences among colleagues. The objective of the first module was to provide knowledge, guidelines and tools for bibliographic search and the use of citation managers. Dissemination was carried out through societies and social networks. An individual evaluation was included, to account for complementary reading and the practical application of the contents. It was carried out in June, with 39 pre-registered participants, mostly residents. There were 24 effective participants (61%), 17 and 20 people attended respectively, and 11 (46%) obtained the certificate of approval for answering the instructions in due time and form. As for the attendees, there was a predominance of women (79%), coming from Asociación Metropolitana de Medicina Familiar (25%), Asociación Cordobesa de Medicina Familiar y Comunitaria (16%), Asociación Misionera de Medicina General/Familiar y del Equipo de Salud (16%), Asociación Tucumana de Medicina Familiar, General y Comunitaria (12%), and other minorities. They expressed satisfaction, gratitude, and recognition for the activity, highlighting the good predisposition of the organizers and teaching team, the practical usefulness of the subject matter, the evident planning, and the political-economic support. This valuable educational experience (raised as a pending need) was successful since the participants showed a high level of interest, attendance from different provinces, and commitment. The certificates issued grant educational credits valid for recertification (AU)

La escritura académica y la irrupción del lenguaje inclusivo / Academic writing and the irruption of inclusive language

El lenguaje científico en Medicina estuvo dominado por la lengua francesa hasta la segunda mitad del. Siglo XIX. Desde 1950 en adelante, el idioma inglés ha adquirido paulatinamente una mayor importancia. El lenguaje médico actual se construye sobre la precisión, la corrección, la claridad y la concisión. El lenguaje no sexista, aparecido en los últimos años ha sido adoptado por universidades y ministerios para sus comunicaciones internas, pero no se ha comunicado su uso en los textos científicos y esto se debe a que choca con este último ya que agrega nuevos vocablos que dificultan la lectura. En el presente artículo se desarrolla el concepto de lenguaje científico en Medicina y la irrupción del lenguaje no sexista

The scientific language in Medicine was dominated by the French language until the second half of the XIX century. From the 1950s onwards, the English language has gradually gained in importance. Today's medical language is built on precision, correctness, clarity, and conciseness. The non-sexist language, which has appeared in recent years, has been adopted by universities and ministries for their internal communications, but its use has not been reported in scientific texts, and this is because it clashes with the latter, since it adds new words that make it difficult to the reading. This article develops the concept of scientific language in Medicine and the irruption of non-sexist language.

Documentos psicológicos: um estudo comparativo das resoluções CFP n. º 006/2019 e CFP n. º 007/2003 / Psychological documents: a comparative study of resolutions CFP n. º 06/2019 and CFP n. º 07/2003 / Documentos psicológicos: un estudio comparativo entre las resoluciones CFP n. º 006/2019 y CFP n. º 007/2003

As resoluções emitidas pelo Sistema Conselhos são instrumentos essenciais de orientação e promoção de práticas éticas que denotem qualidade técnica no exercício profissional da Psicologia. Dada a complexidade que envolve a elaboração de documentos psicológicos, esta pesquisa teve como objetivo identificar as principais mudanças observadas no texto da recém-publicada Resolução CFP n.º 006/2019 quando comparada à Resolução CFP n.º 007/2003, ambas referidas à elaboração de documentos psicológicos. Trata-se de uma pesquisa descritiva-comparativa de abordagem qualitativa, que utilizou da análise de conteúdo no tratamento e interpretação dos dados oriundos de fonte exclusivamente documental. Os resultados indicaram poucas diferenças qualitativas entre os marcos resolutivos, embora se vislumbre altamente relevante o ganho adquirido com a proibição de escritos descritivos, a exigência de referencial teórico para fundamentar o raciocínio profissional e a obrigatoriedade da devolutiva documental. Entre os achados que ganham notoriedade consta a preocupação com os princípios que regem a elaboração de documentos, cuja apresentação tautológica responde a um cenário político de retrocessos que tem favorecido o desrespeito aos direitos humanos e às minorias.(AU)

Resolutions issued by Sistema Conselhos are essential tools to guide and promote ethical and quality psychology practices. Given the complexity involved in elaborating such documents, this descriptive, qualitative research outlines the main changes in the text of the recently published CFP Resolution no. 006/2019 when compared with CFP Resolution no. 007/2003, both addressing the elaboration of psychological documents. Documentary data was investigated by content analysis. Results indicated few qualitative differences between the analyzed Resolutions, among them the prohibition of descriptive writing, the requirement for a theoretical framework to support professional reasoning, and the obligation to return documents. Concern with the principles that guide document elaboration stands out, responding to a political scenario of major setbacks regarding respect for human rights and minorities.(AU)

Las resoluciones que expide el Sistema Conselhos consisten en instrumentos fundamentales que guían y promueven prácticas éticas respecto a la calidad técnica en el ejercicio profesional de la Psicología. Dada la complejidad que implica la elaboración de documentos psicológicos, esta investigación tuvo como objetivo identificar los principales cambios observados en la Resolución CFP n.º 006/2019, de reciente publicación, en comparación con la Resolución CFP n.º 007/2003, ambas abordan la elaboración de documentos psicológicos. Se trata de una investigación descriptiva-comparativa con enfoque cualitativo, que utilizó el análisis de contenido en el tratamiento e interpretación de datos de fuente exclusivamente documental. Los resultados indicaron pocas diferencias cualitativas entre los marcos resolutivos (aunque el logro de prohibir los escritos descriptivos es muy relevante), la exigencia de un marco teórico para sostener el razonamiento profesional y la devolución obligatoria de los documentos. Entre los hallazgos que cobran notoriedad está la preocupación por los principios que rigen la elaboración de documentos, cuya presentación tautológica responde a un escenario político de retrocesos que ha favorecido la falta de respeto a los derechos humanos y las minorías.(AU)

Write the clinic / build the case: what is inscribed in an analysis? / Escrever a clínica / construir o caso: o que se inscreve numa análise?

RESUMO: O texto que segue aborda a escrita do caso clínico, uma das formas de transmissão em psicanálise, traçada a partir da experiência de tratamento, quer dizer, do que se desenrolou na fala sob transferência. Nesse percurso, que passa do oral (narrativo) ao escrito (conceitual), evocou-se o conceito freudiano de construção (Konstruktion), que implica acrescentar ao caso o que não pôde ser lembrado. A escrita foi desencadeada pelo estudo de caso, envolvendo e abrangendo noções que sustentam a psicanálise como método. Levando-se em conta as condições para a escrita do caso clínico, defendeu-se aqui, na trilha de Lacan, que essa escrita tem estrutura de ficção.

Abstract: The text that follows addresses the writing of the clinical case, one of the forms of transmission in psychoanalysis, drawn from the experience of treatment, that is, of what was developed in speech under transference. In this passage from the oral (narrative) to the writing (conceptual), the Freudian concept of construction (Konstruktion) was invoked, which implies adding to the case what could not be remembered. Writing was triggered by the case study, which involves and covers notions that support psychoanalysis as a method. Considering the conditions for the writing of the clinical case, it was defended here, in Lacan's trail, that this writing has the structure of fiction.

Clinical records: the medical writing from the patient's story to the medical narrative / Historia clínica: la escritura médica del relato del paciente a la narrativa médica

Abstract A historical follow-up on the medical diaries about the patient is made, from the Hippocratic texts to the appearance of the current canon of the clinical history formulated by Boerhaave in the seventeenth century, through the medieval consilia and the curationes and observationes of the Renaissance; and it is discussed how much the patient's story is present in those writings. It is postulated that the medical narrative that starts from adequately listening to the patient and his story, and adopts a literary workshop format, it is a pedagogical tool that contributes to comprehensive medical training, and offers the patient the opportunity to be treated in an empathic and humanized environment.

Resumen Se hace un seguimiento histórico a los escritos médicos sobre el paciente, desde los textos hipocráticos hasta la aparición del canon actual de historia clínica formulado por Boerhaave en el siglo XVII, pasando por los consilia medievales y las curationes y observationes del renacimiento; y se discute qué tanto el relato del paciente está presente en esos escritos. Se postula que la narrativa médica que parte de escuchar adecuadamente al paciente y su historia, y se trabaja en formato de taller literario, es una herramienta pedagógica que contribuye a la formación médica integral y ofrece la posibilidad de que el paciente pueda ser tratado en un medio empático y humanizado.

A psicanálise e as transformações na concepção da infância nas crônicas e colunas de Clarice Lispector, 1952-1973 / Psychoanalysis and the transformations of childhood in the articles and columns written by Clarice Lispector, 1952-1973

Resumo O artigo estuda o papel da psicologia na transformação dos modos de conceber a infância nas décadas de 1950 a 1970, tendo como foco as colunas e crônicas publicadas em revistas e jornais de ampla circulação por Clarice Lispector entre 1952 e 1973. Delas emerge um novo paradigma que considera os filhos mistérios psicológicos no interior do âmbito doméstico, objeto de investigação por parte da mãe, e que entende a infância como núcleo do psiquismo adulto. Trata-se de um modelo biopsicológico, que combina a preocupação higiênica pela saúde física com uma atenção psicológica à subjetividade infantil, no qual a criança das classes médias emerge como índice do questionamento dos papéis de autoridade familiar e da nova centralidade do indivíduo.

Abstract The article examines the role of psychology in how childhood was understood during the period spanning 1950 to 1970, focusing on articles and columns Clarice Lispector published in broadly circulating magazines and newspapers from 1952 to 1973. From these writings emerges a new paradigm considering children as psychological mysteries within the domestic sphere, in which childhood is understood as the core of the adult psyche, as well as object of maternal exploration and care. This biopsychological model combines hygienic concerns related to physical health with psychological attention to childhood subjectivity. This way, the middle-class child reveals a transformation of family models and the new centrality of the individual.

La atribución intelectual en las revistas médicas cubanas / Intellectual attribution in Cuban medical journals

La identificación de la autoría de los argumentos en la escritura médica afecta imperativos de la ciencia como la precisión y la transparencia, la reproductibilidad y la responsabilidad legal. El objetivo aquí fue describir su comportamiento en revistas médicas cubanas certificadas como científicas por el CITMA, toda vez que las distintas formas de su expresión afectan imperativos de la ciencia como la precisión, la transparencia, la reproductibilidad y la responsabilidad legal por lo dicho y lo hecho. Para lograrlo se realizó el análisis cualitativo de una muestra de 50 secciones Discusión de artículos originales de investigación que fueron publicados entre el año 2007 y el 2011. Los datos fueron recolectados mediante hojas de codificación y luego analizados en el marco teórico de la pragmalingüística y la retórica de la ciencia. Hubo un 5 por ciento de enunciados con atribución intelectual inequívoca al autor del texto, manifiesta mediante el uso referencial de la persona gramatical; un 25 por ciento de enunciados atribuidos a terceras personas específicas mediante referencias bibliográficas, y un 70 por ciento de enunciados con atribución ambigua (47 por ciento de ellos atribuibles a terceras personas no especificadas y 23 por ciento de enunciados cuyo posible conceptualizador es la comunidad científica). En conclusión, la autoadscripción de los argumentos al hablante, preferiblemente mediante la primera persona gramatical, permite diferenciar en la ciencia entre juicio personal y acuerdo intersubjetivo, toda vez que la autoría de un artículo no presupone la autoría de todos los argumentos en él incluidos. La elevada proporción de enunciados emitidos por sus autores sin atribución intelectual explícita o con medios ambiguos, a pesar del alto grado de especialización textual, merece ulterior investigación y atención editorial(AU)

Acknowledgment of the authorship of arguments in medical writing affects science imperatives such as accuracy and transparency, reproducibility and legal responsibility. The purpose of the study was to describe its behavior in Cuban medical journals certified as scientific by CITMA. To achieve this end, a qualitative analysis was conducted of a sample of 50 Discusión (Discussion) sections dealing with original research papers published from 2007 to 2011. Data were collected onto coding sheets and analyzed within the theoretical framework of pragmalinguistics and science rhetoric. 5 percent of the statements were found to contain unequivocal intellectual attribution to the author of the text, made manifest by the referential use of the grammatical person; 25 percent of the statements were attributed to specific third persons by bibliographic references, and in 70 percent of the statements attribution was ambiguous (47 percent attributable to non-specified third persons and 23 percent in which the possible conceptualizer is the scientific community). In conclusion, self-ascription of arguments by the speaker, preferably through the use of the first grammatical person, makes it possible to distinguish personal judgment from inter-subjective arrangement, since authorship of a paper does not presuppose the authorship of all the arguments therein included. The high proportion of statements issued by their authors without intellectual attribution or by ambiguous means, despite the high degree of textual specialization, deserves further research and editorial attention(AU)

Improving Scientific Writing Skills and Publishing Capacity by Developing University-Based Editing System and Writing Programs

Scholarly article writing and publishing in international peer-reviewed journals can become an overwhelming task for many medical, nursing, and healthcare professionals in a university setting, especially in countries whose native language is not English. To help improve their scientific writing skills and publishing capacity, a university-based editing system and writing programs can be developed as educational platforms. These are delivered by a team of specialist editors composed of tenured faculty members who have a strong medical background and extensive experience in teaching courses on medical research, editing, writing, and publishing. For the editing system, the specialist editors provide comprehensive editing, personalized consultation, full editorial support after peer review, guidance with online submissions/resubmissions, and detailed editorial review at different stages of the manuscript writing. In addition, the specialist editors can develop writing programs such as medical writing and editing internships, academic courses in medical writing or research study designs and reporting standards, special interactive lectures and sessions on predatory publishing, seminars on updated editorial guidance of global editorial associations, academic visits on medical writing and editing, medical writing mentoring program, networking programs in scholarly communication, and publication resources in medical writing and scholarly publishing. These editing system and writing programs can serve as integrated platforms for improving scientific writing skills and publishing capacity by providing continuing education in medical writing, editing, publishing, and publication ethics.

Writing therapy

In the distant past I started to suggest to patients that they might like to write down their stories as a form of therapy.1 They could write me a letter or write a letter to some significant person in their lives that would help them coordinate their thoughts and emotions

Pautas para la citación de bibliografía según normas Vancouver / Guidelines for citation of bibliography according to Vancouver standards

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Updated Editorial Guidance for Quality and Reliability of Research Output

Over the past few years, updated editorial policy statements of several associations have provided a platform for improving the quality of scientific research and publishing. The updates have particularly pointed to the need for following research reporting standards, authorship and contributorship regulations, implementing digital tools for the identification and crediting academic contributors, and moving towards optimal ethical open-access models. This article overviews some of the recent editorial policy statements of global editorial associations and reflects on the role of the regional counterparts in advancing scholarly publishing. One of the globally promoted documents is the Recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). Its latest versions contain statements on proper research reporting, reviewing, editing, and publishing. Points on ethical target journals and ‘predatory’ sources are also available. This year, in a move to update its editorial policy, the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) released the Core Practices, comprehensively reflecting on the major issues in publication ethics. Updated joint statements of medical writers associations are also available to implement transparent policy on contributorship in sponsor-supported research projects and related reports. Several suggestions are put forward to improve global editorial statements on online profiling, crediting, and referencing. It is also highlighted that knowledge and implementation of updated editorial guidance is essential for editors' good standing.

Demystifying writing papers for biomedical journals

This paper attempts to demystify the publication process in biomedical journals by offering simple step by step recipes on how to write and get published. The author relies on a narrative review and personal experience as a fellow student of publishing to achieve objective. Five stages in the publication process were identified: Planning, Writing, Submission, Managing editorial decisions and Post-acceptance. Planning is probably the most neglected yet the most important stage. The author begins by making sure that all necessary resources are in place, develops careful outline, decides on authorship and selects potential journal for publication. The paper will typically have three sections. The title which contains title of the paper and the list of authors and also key words is the first section. The abstract and the body of the paper are also the second and third sections. The title and abstract are critical and are usually revised many more times than the other parts of the paper. Choosing key words carefully increases the chance of the paper being read and cited. The body of the paper follows what is called the Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion structure. Submission begins by writing a cover letter that makes the case for the article. Following all the key steps of the submission process avoids early rejection. Respond speedily and graciously and in sufficient detail to reviewers' and editors' comments. Following publication,the author should ensure that the published knowledge is disseminated widely. Overall, writing for biomedical journals is not too mysterious. However, there is no short cut: learning to write successfully takes time and practice

EMJ series on statistics and methods: variables, populations and samples

This the first article in the EMJ Series on Statistics and Methods describes "variables" which represent different demographic and clinical characteristics of several individuals in a data set. Various attributes of quantitative and qualitative variables, including type, scale of measurement and values they may take are presented. Some descriptive statistics and graphic summaries are introduced. Pertinent examples drawn from journal articles are provided. The article also defines "population" as used in statistics and epidemiology and highlights population in size and scope in the context of the research question to be answered. It emphasizes the need for explicitly defining sampling based on the research question in a particular study. In addition, the articles introduces concepts and notations related to parameter and statistic. It highlights the need for using appropriate sampling method in selecting a representative sample of the study population and to be able to make valid inferences and generalizations. It is indicated in this articles that specific issues requiring further details will be addressed in the Series articles in subsequent Issues of EMJ

EMJ series on statistics and methods: normal distribution and the central limit theorem

This second article in the EMJ Series on Statistics and Methods dwells on the basics of sampling distribution of' variables', which are presented in detail in the preceding article in this Issue of the Ethiopian Medical Journal (EMJ). The present article highlights recommended routines that need to be undertaken in order to understand information collected in a particular study before embarking on doing complex statistical analyses. It underscores the importance of descriptive statistics as a means to getting insights into data quality and learn about the scale and distribution of different variables in a data set. The article emphasizes the need for assessing the sampling distributions of variables as a prerequisite to making decide on selection of appropriate statistical techniques for in a data set. It describes salient features of a normally distributed random variable and touches on some other probability distributions commonly used in epidemiological studies. The article also describes the central limit theorem highlighting salient points on its conceptual basis in understanding sampling distributions of sample means and the implications of using normal distribution to make inference about the population based on summary measures from a sufficiently large sample