Writing a Journal Article: Results & Discussion

1. Writing a Journal Article: Results & Discussion Psyhiatry Summer School August 2019

2. Outline • Previous steps: Drs. Hensel & Afifi • Next steps: writing up results & discussion • Before you get to this ... • Specious barriers • Motivational tools • Style • Back to results & discussion • Next steps: Submitting

3. Dr. Hensel • Developing research questions & writing introductions • What were her key points? • What comes next? • Analyze your data • Make sense of your findings • Develop a sensible narrative & tell your story in a compelling way

4. Before You Start Writing • Specious barriers to writing • Motivational writing tools • Make sure you write well Bem, D. J. (2004). Writing the empirical journal article. In J. M. Darley, M. P. Zanna, & H. L. Roediger III (Eds.), The compleat academic: A career guide (pp. 185-219). Washington, DC, US: American Psychological Association. https://psychology.yale.edu/sites/default/files/bemempirical.pdf

5. Specious Barriers to Writing • I can’t find time to write and I would write more if I could find big blocks of time • Answer: schedule time to write & stick to it • I need to do some more analyses first • Answer: do whatever you need to during your scheduled writing time

6. Specious Barriers to Writing • To write a lot, I need (fill in blank – new computer, quiet, 9 hours of sleep, etc) • Answer: all you really need is a piece of paper and a pen • To write a lot I need inspiration • Answer:

7. Specious Barriers to Writing

8. Motivational Tools • Setting goals • Realize setting goals is part of the writing process • List your project goals & write them down • Set concrete (operational) goals for each day of writing • Set priorities • Monitor progress • What about writer’s block?

9. Style • Understand that academic scientists are professional writers • Learn how to become a better writer • Choose good words • Write strong sentences • Avoid passive, limp, & wordy phrases • http://www.biomedicaleditor.com/active-voice.html • Write first, revise later • Write for your grandmother!

10. Back to Results & Discussion • Intro: start broadly • Become more specific • End intro with your objectives • Method • Results • Discussion: begin with your results • Broaden

11. Results: Setting the Stage • Present results with a narrative! • Write this section in prose, not in algebra • Decide if you’ll have an analysis section in the Methods, or combine it into this section • Depends on complexity of analyses • Present results in the order you set up in Intro

12. Results: Presenting Findings • Start with the forest (central findings) and then the (secondary) trees, proceeding like this: • Remind the reader of the question/hypothesis • Tell us the answer immediately & in English • E.g., As shown in Table 1, men are more stubborn • Then give some numbers • Then elaborate or qualify the conclusion if necessary • End each results section with a summary • Lead into next section with a smooth transition

13. Results: Figures & Tables • Use them for key findings • Should be self-explanatory, so labels and titles should be super clear • Within the text, lead the reader through the table rather than waving readers in its direction! • Pollack et al (2012) example

14. Results: Statistics • Every comparison or relationship MUST be accompanied by a statistical test • State the result first and then give its statistical significance

15. Back to Results & Discussion • Intro: start broadly • Become more specific • End intro with your objectives • Method • Results • Discussion: begin with your results • Broaden

16. Discussion • Forms a cohesive narrative with the intro • You’ll likely move info between these 2 sections as you rewrite and reshape paper • The sequence of topics irrors the sequence in the intro (and in the methods & results) • Biggest mistake • Restating results • What to do instead?

17. Discussion • Start by telling the reader what you found • Clear statement about support for hypotheses • Integrate your findings into the broader literature • Discuss implications & future research • Mention strengths & limitations • End with broad & speculative statements concerning your study & findings

18. After you write your manuscript • Choose journal (1st?) & write a cover letter • Hearing back: accept, R&R, reject • Sometimes not clear – clarify if necessary • Revision letter is crucial • Two ways to do this (cut & paste vs integrative) • Get the tone right • Handling rejection • Authorship decisions