Version: (Date and/or version no)
A manuscript for submission does not need to have a nice graphical layout. This is something the journal adds on after the manuscript is accepted. Any graphical stuff added before just makes their job more difficult. Thus this template does not have a lot of nice graphical stuff. This is a template with font Times New Roman font size 12 and double line spacing (required by most journals). If you paste your text into this template choose text only when you paste(unless you have EndNote citations, then use merge formatting instead). If you keep your original formatting then the end result may not have double space or a different font.This template is made so if you paste in references in the text the reference list should appear automatically in the right position (after text but before tables). Delete this yellow text once you have read it.
(This is a title page. Most journals want it. However, some journals want your manuscript without a title page. In that case just delete this first page)
Your title
Author names
Author affiliations
Corresponding author: (Name and contact details)
Abstract
(This is the place to put your abstract. Follow the author instructions given by the journal)
Background
Your background should have a couple of standard paragraphs with the following content:
A) Begin with describing the topic and why it is an important topic. You may want to mention prevalence or costs associated with this topic.
B) The rationale for a project is always to solve a problem. In this paragraph describe the unresolved problem associated with the topic. The problem may be (a few examples):
We do not have a good treatment option for Dengue fever
We have a high incidence of postoperative infections
We have insufficient information to identify high risk patients
C) Once you have defined the topic and the associated problem then you need to state what others have done to solve the problem. If none (to you and your advisors knowledge) has tried to solve the problem state that this is the case.
D) In the previous paragraphs you have described the topic, the remaining problem and what others have made to try and solve the problem. If others did solve the problem completely then there would not be a need for a new project. Thus, you need to describe, in light of what others already have made, what remains to be solved. This is the rationale for your project.
State in a general form what you want to achieve in your project. What do you aim for? What is the objective?
E) If your project is evaluated using quantitative methods (statistics) then you must clarify your aim in answerable research questions or hypotheses that you can confirm or reject. Primary research questions are those questions you perceive as most important and where you have made a sample size calculation. Other research questions are secondary research questions. If you plan a purely qualitative project where no part involves statistics then you may either refrain from describing specific research questions or, state some research questions.
Methods
The methods section usually has some common paragraphs, depending on the type of topic:
A) A brief description of the setting and ethics approval (if relevant).
C) Detailed description of how participants were chosen. Inclusion criteria should be specified. Once patients are included are there specific criteria for later exclusion?
D) In randomised controlled trials describe how participants were allocated to different groups.
E) In studies comparing treatments describe the different treatments given in enough detail so a reader can follow the description.
F) Describe what kind of data was collected for analysis. This section should be rather detailed. Established well known questionnaires do not need to be described in detail. A reference is enough.
G) Describe sample size calculations (if relevant)
H) Describe how analysis of collected data was done.
Results
A) In a study using quantitative approach (statistics): Start with describing how many participants were invited and how many actually did that in the end. This can sometimes be a very short sentence referring to a figure.State reasons for non-participation. Investigate if those declining participation differs from those that did participate. In qualitative research: Describe the participants (can sometimes be done by referring to a table).
B) Describe the actual outcome. In studies with quantitative approach it can usually be done by referring to one or several tables. Thus the text belonging to this section can be rather short. In studies using a qualitative approach this section tends to be long with lots of quotes from interviews.
C) Describe unexpected or unusual findings (without interpreting them), if you have any.
Discussion
A) Begin with a short summary of your main findings (results). This summary should be short (1-3 sentences).
B) Describe strength and weaknesses with this study
C) Comment your own results and compare it with results from previous studies.
D) Conclusion: Your conclusions and a sentence describing the specific need for future research.
Acknowledgements
Thank staff and participants for their contribution (not co-authors). When it comes to staff be specific on what they did that you want to thank them for.
References
(You should put tables after the text and references of the article. Start each table on a new page. On a Windows computer you create a page break with Ctrl+Enter.)
(Please note that most journals want tables with a few horizontal lines -under column headings and after the last row- and no vertical lines)
Table 1 – Your title of the table here
(You should put figures after the text and references and tables of the article. Start each figure on a new page. On a Windows computer you create a page break with Ctrl+Enter.)
(Commonly the title of a table is put on top of the table but at the bottom of a figure)
Figure 1 – Your title of the figure here
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