Anatomy of a Research Article

• Research papers and research articles are interchangeable terms.
• Most research articles follow a similar structure.

Standard Research Article Structure

• Title: The name of the research paper.
• Authors: The individuals who contributed to the research.
• Affiliation: The institutional connections of the authors.
• Conflicts of Interest: Declaration of potential biases.
• Abstract: A brief summary of the research.
• Keywords: Terms used to index and search for the article.
• Background/Introduction: Context and rationale for the study.
• Methods: How the research was conducted.
• Results: Presentation of the study's findings.
• Discussion: Interpretation of results and their implications.
• Conclusion: Summary of main findings.
• Tables and Figures: Visual data representations.
• References: Scientific literature cited.
• Appendices/Supplemental Content: Additional supporting material.
• Online Repositories: Platforms for additional data or materials.
• DOI Number: A permanent URL for the article.
• Journal Section: The specific section within the journal.
• Contact Emails: Typically for the corresponding or senior author.
• Acknowledgement: Recognition of research contributors not meeting authorship criteria.
• Errata: Corrections to the published article.

Research Paper Titles

• Scientific article titles should balance jargon and be easily searchable.
• Claims in the title should be substantiated by data.
• Titles should encourage readers to explore the work.

Authors

• Each author's contribution should be significant enough to warrant authorship.
• Typical author roles include concept and design, data acquisition/analysis, manuscript drafting, and critical revision.
• Statistical analysis, funding, administrative efforts, technical support, and supervision also warrant authorship.
• The first author typically contributes the most, while the last is often the senior author.

Affiliation

• Checking authors' affiliations assesses their expertise.
• It provides an initial assessment, offering a first impression of the authors' expertise.

Conflicts of Interest and Corresponding Author Email

• The corresponding author email is for a designated contact person.
• This author should be consistently reachable for questions.

Abstract

• Two main types: narrative and structured.
• A structured abstract includes subheadings like Background, Objective, Methods, Results, Discussion, and Conclusion.
• The abstract is key in determining whether to read further.

Background and Introduction

• Usually provides a rationale for the research's importance.
• It identifies gaps in current knowledge.
• The final paragraph typically states the article's objective.

Methods

• It should be concise yet allow replication of results.
• Typical elements in medical research include IRB approval, study design, setting, PICO statement, and statistical analysis.
• Methods include statements about IRB approval (if human subjects are involved), study design, setting, PICO statement (Population, Intervention/Exposure, Comparison/Control, Outcomes/Endpoints), sample size and power, and statistical analysis.

Results

• States the findings objectively without interpretation.
• Figures and tables are included and referenced in the text.
• Figures and tables provide the key data.

Discussion

• Highlights main findings and provides interpretation of results.
• Contextualizes findings with other literature.
• Includes a discussion of the study's limitations and strengths.

Conclusion

• Represents the key takeaway message.
• It should align with the abstract and focus on primary findings.

Appendices/Supplemental Content

• Provides additional data for context and shows sensitivity analyses.
• Includes results limited by word count in the main paper.

Acknowledgement Section

• Recognizes contributions not meeting authorship criteria.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• Every scientific article has a DOI.
• It is a permanent URL that should never be deleted.

Errata

• Radical corrections or changes to an article published separately.
• Cross-linking between the original article and the errata is necessary.

Reading Research Articles

• Initially, reading articles entirely is recommended.
• Experience allows selective focus on specific sections.

Critical Appraisal and Reporting Standards

• Good articles adhere to reporting standards related to specific study designs.
• Examples: STROBE (observational studies), CONSORT (RCTs), PRISMA.
• The EQUATOR Network provides an overview of reporting guidelines.
• The CONSORT 2010 checklist provides a checklist to assess reporting.
• Lower reporting quality indicates a less transparent study.

Open Access Journals

• Aims to make research accessible by shifting costs from readers to publishers/authors who pay an Article Processing Charge (APC).
• Open-access journals should be transparent about their peer-review process.

Predatory Journals and Publishing

• Claim to be legitimate but lack the rigor of scientific publishing.
• They often do not follow a robust peer-review process.

Problems With Predatory Journals

• Insufficient peer review allows misinformation to spread.
• Can damage researchers' reputations and cause lack of recognition of research.
• Inefficient spending of funding, and lack of transparency about fees.

Spotting Predatory Publishers/Journals

• Low-quality homepage, spam emails, guaranteed publication promises.
• Look for article publishing fees not clearly stated.
• Check if they lack indexing in reputable databases.
• Confirm if they are not part of recognized committees/directories.

Summary

• Journal articles follow a standard format.
• Knowing the anatomy of a research article allows location of important information.
• Abstracts are crucial as they summarize the study and main findings.
• Stay away from predatory journals.

Research Paper Titles - Additional Guidelines

• Balance jargon to reach a broader audience.
• Use easily searchable terms.
• Claims should be supported by data.
• Spark curiosity to encourage exploration.

Authorship Considerations

• Author contribution should justify authorship.
• Author order matters (first, last, and in between).
• Typical author roles include involvement in study concept and design, data acquisition/analysis/interpretation, manuscript drafting, and critical revision.
• Statistical analysis, funding obtainment, administrative efforts, technical/material support, and supervision can also warrant authorship.
• First author typically contributes the most, while the last is often the senior author.

Affiliation's Role

• Affiliations help assess authors' credentials.
• It is a form of initial assessment or face validity.

Conflicts of Interest and Corresponding Author Email - Further Details

• The corresponding author should be consistently reachable for questions after publication.

Abstract Types and Functions Expanded

• Narrative abstract summarizes the paper in a single paragraph.
• Structured abstracts use subheadings (e.g., Background, Objective, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion).
• The abstract is often the first barrier to decide whether to read an article further.

Background and Introduction - Deeper Insight

• The structure typically provides a rationale for the research and identifies knowledge gaps.
• The final paragraph explicitly states the article's objective.

Methods Section - Key Aspects

• It must contain all elements necessary to allow interpretation and replication of the results.
• In medical research, typical elements include IRB approval, study design, setting, PICO statement, sample size/power, and statistical analysis.

Results Section - Core Principles

• Authors should state what was found without interpretation.
• Text and figures go hand in hand when showing results

Discussion Section - Main Purpose

• It should address the meaning and implications of the study's results.
• Every study has limitations, and the discussion should contain a paragraph discussing the study's limitations and strengths.

Conclusion - Core aspects

• It should interpret findings at a higher level and relate them to a broader topic.

Appendices/Supplemental Content Use

• These help show study validity

Acknowledgement Section - Deeper understanding

• Those included didn't meet authorship criteria

Errata - Key Function

• Cross-linking between the original article and the errata should always be possible.

Reading Research Article Techniques

• The lecturer's personal approach: title and abstract, then results, methods, and discussion.

Critical Appraisal and Reporting Standards - Examples

• STROBE guideline: For observational studies.
• CONSORT statement: For RCT (Randomized Controlled Trials).
• The EQUATOR Network provides a comprehensive overview of existing reporting guidelines.
• The CONSORT 2010 checklist is an example of a reporting standard.
• Lower reporting quality doesn't necessarily mean a bad study but indicates a less transparent and reproducible study.

Open Access Journals - Considerations

• Open-access journals shift the burden of cost from readers to publishers/authors (Article Processing Charge - APC).
• Open access has advantages and disadvantages, and different publisher models exist.
• It is important for open-access journals to be transparent about their peer-review process on their homepage.

Predatory Journals and Publishing - Why Problematic?

• Insufficient peer-review process allows misinformation to enter the broader research community.
• Can damage the reputation of researchers who publish in them.
• Inefficient spending of funding: Researchers pay fees to publish without the value of proper peer review and recognition.

How to Spot Predatory Publishers/Journals - Hints

• Low-quality homepage.
• Spam emails.
• Article publishing fees not clearly stated.
• Lack of indexing in reputable databases.
• Not being part of recognized committees/directories.