How to Publish a Paper in a Spine Journal

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How to Publish a Paper in a Spine Journal?
John Hsiang, MD, PhD
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How to Publish a Paper in a Spine Journal?
Why publish? What for?
Reputation Ego For the advancement of spine
science
Dont you want to be recognized by your peers
around the world?
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How to Publish a Paper in a Spine Journal?
Publish or Perish
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How to Publish a Paper in a Spine Journal?
The Biggest Obstacle
The English Language
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How to Publish a Paper in a Spine Journal?
The Japan and Korea Experience
China is getting stronger and more important in
the world, but Medicine is lagged behind.
WHY?
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How to Publish a Paper in a Spine Journal?
We need to Change in order to catch up
Change in the system Change in the thinking
Dont get satisfied of being the King in China,
Be the King in the world
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How to Publish a Paper in a Spine Journal?
The China advantages
Many Cases Willing to try new idea and
technologies
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How to Publish a Paper in a Spine Journal?
Goal
Work together to make China a leader in Spine
Science
and this is started by PUBLISHING RESEARCH PAPERS
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How to Publish a Paper in a Spine Journal?
What kind of papers?
Basic science research studies Clinical
studies Technical reports Case reports Review
article (usually by invitation)
Highest academic value
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How to Publish a Paper in a Spine Journal?
982 articles published in 1999 in three major
neurosurgical journals.
Clinical studies, 346 (35) Case reports, 287
(29) Basic science research studies, 153
(16) Technical reports, 122 (13) Other types,
74 (8)
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How to Publish a Paper in a Spine Journal?
Clinical papers
Class I randomized prospective clinical
trial Class II prospective cohort analysis Class
III retrospective case control Class IV cases
series Class V expert opinion
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How to Publish a Paper in a Spine Journal?
Supports

• Hospital
• IRB (Institutional Review Board)
• Facilities (e.g. Library)
• Patients, consent??
• Medical devices

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How to Publish a Paper in a Spine Journal?
Supports

• Money
• Laboratory for basic science research
• Data collecting, research coordinator,
  biostatician
• Computer software
• Editorial Office
• Who is going to pay for the x-ray, MRI, etc

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How to Publish a Paper in a Spine Journal?
Possible Funding for a study

• Government
• University or Hospital
• Industry (need to disclose)
• Donation

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How to Publish a Paper in a Spine Journal?
Supports

• Time
• Publication does not generate income
• Protected time for research

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How to Publish a Paper in a Spine Journal?
I do not have any novel materials to publish
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How to Publish a Paper in a Spine Journal?
Medline Search

• 2000-2004, English journals, human subject
• Lumbar fusion 659 articles
• Cervical diskectomy and fusion 151 articles
• Spinal fusion with instrumentation 199 articles
• Minimal invasive spinal surgery 14 articles

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How to Publish a Paper in a Spine Journal?
Lumbar fusion
Alvine GF. Treatment of thoracolumbar burst
fractures with variable screw placement or Isola
instrumentation and arthrodesis case series and
literature review. Journal of Spinal Disorders
Techniques. 17(4)251-64, 2004 Aug.    Murakami
H. A two-cage reconstruction versus a single
mega-cage reconstruction for lumbar interbody
fusion an experimental comparison. European
Spine Journal. 13(5)432-40, 2004 Aug.   Kayali
H. Treatment of L5-S1 spondyloptosis with
single-stage surgery through the posterior
approach--case report. Neurologia
Medico-Chirurgica. 44(7)386-90, 2004 Jul.   Kim
DJ. Posterior instrumentation using compressive
laminar hooks and anterior interbody arthrodesis
for the treatment of tuberculosis of the lower
lumbar spine. Spine. 29(13)E275-9, 2004
Jul. Ruan Di-Ke. Shen Instrumentation for the
Management of Unstable Thoracolumbar Fractures.
Spine. 23(12)1324-1332, 1998 June.
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How to Publish a Paper in a Spine Journal?
NOW GET SERIOUS
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How to Publish a Paper in a Spine Journal?
There is no short cut
Scientific writing skill can be developed through
a long process of training and experience,
starting during residency
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How to Publish a Paper in a Spine Journal?
Process of preparing a manuscript for publication

• Planning a study around the objective. Focus on a
  subject or problem that might be of significant
  interest to colleagues in the field. Collecting
  information honestly and ethically.
• Without proper design and conduct, no analysis
  can come to rescue.

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How to Publish a Paper in a Spine Journal?
The ultimate goal of a research project is to
take the next step in which a completed
manuscript is then written and published in a
peer-reviewed journal
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How to Publish a Paper in a Spine Journal?
This formal publication places the research
permanently into the literature and is considered
to be an acknowledgment of the studys validity
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How to Publish a Paper in a Spine Journal?
Publications represent the database from which
further research is derived. Allowing for a
dissemination of knowledge to a wider audience.
Evan more useful, a metaregistry of clinical
trial data would allow secondary analyses by
other researchers.
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How to Publish a Paper in a Spine Journal?
Process of preparing a manuscript for publication

• Do a detailed survey of the relevant literature
• Do not focus on the similarities of the studies,
  focus on the differences between your study and
  others
• Bear a specific journal in mind and write in
  accordance with the guidelines of that
  publications.

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How to Publish a Paper in a Spine Journal?
What journals?
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How to Publish a Paper in a Spine Journal?
Journal of Spinal Disorder Journal of
Biomechanics European Spine Journal Clinical
Orthopaedic Journal Musculoskeletal Medicine
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How to Publish a Paper in a Spine Journal?
Aim High, and work you way down
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How to Publish a Paper in a Spine Journal?
Process of preparing a manuscript for publication

• The author must also consider general ethics and
  scientific rules during the writing process.
• Know how to write in a good scientific form
  (tables, figures, statistics, etc.).
• Disclosure
• Submit, be prepared your manuscript would not get
  accepted.

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How to Publish a Paper in a Spine Journal?
Only the most informative, well-designed, and
highest-quality studies make it to publication as
an article
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How to Publish a Paper in a Spine Journal?
What happen after the submission
Your manuscript will be reviewed by 3 to 4
reviewers mainly from the Editorial Board (The
reviews do not know the authors name). They
decide your manuscript either

• Accepted, no change is necessary (rare)
• Accepted, only if the changes are made and
  questions are addressed
• rejected

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How to Publish a Paper in a Spine Journal?
What happen after the submission

• Accepted, only if the changes are made and
  questions are addressed

Good news, congratulation, just do the
corrections and address the questions, and then
resubmitted. Remember to thanks the
reviewer. Dont be surprised if more changes are
necessary after the resubmission
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How to Publish a Paper in a Spine Journal?
What happen after the submission
rejected
It is not the end of the world. The reviewers
will give you the reasons why your manuscript is
rejected. Do all the changes and submit to
another journal. Work your way down.
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How to Publish a Paper in a Spine Journal?
Is it a fair system in America?
Yes, a high quality journal wants high quality
articles. There is competition between the
journals.
BUT
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How to Publish a Paper in a Spine Journal?
References you should read

• Firlik KS, Firlik AD. The peer-review process of
  the journal of Neurosurgery. Journal of
  Neurosurgery. 90(2)364-70, 1999
• Rekate HL. Some suggestions for writing better
  clinical papers. Pediatric Neurosurgery. 26(3)
  113-4, 1997
• Law ER jr. Pait TG. Jane JA Sr. Pitfalls and
  successes of peer review in neurosurgery. Journal
  of Neurosurgery. 87(6)972-6, 1997

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How to Publish a Paper in a Spine Journal?
Hope to see your name in the English journals
soon.
??!