Research Cell will be established at Gynae Dept. to providefunding
& promote research culture – Prof. Nighat Shah
KARACHI: Prof. Nighat Shah, Professor of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center organized a Pre-conference workshop on Synopsis and scientific paper writing in the conference hall of her Dept. on February 21st 2024. This academic activity was related to the pre-conference workshops being organized in various medical institutions in connection with the International Medical Education Conference being organized by College of Physicians & Surgeons Pakistan at Karachi.
Participants of the pre-conference workshop on Synopsis and Scientific Paper Writing, Publications organized by Prof. Nighat Shah at Dept. of Obstetrics & Gynaecology photographed alongwith the facilitators Dr. Shiraz, Mr. Shaukat Ali Jawaid and Prof. Nighat Shah. The workshop was organized in connection with the International Conference on Medical Education being organized by College of Physicians & Surgeons of Pakistan.
The facilitators in the workshop included Dr. Shiraz Associate Professor at APPNA Institute of Public Health at Jinnah Sindh Medical University and Mr. Shaukat Ali Jawaid Chief Editor of Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences who also represented Pakistan Association of Medical Editors. (PAME) Over two dozen postgraduates who had registered for the workshop attended besides a few House Officers who were also present.
Dr. Shiraz spoke on how to write a synopsis and described the difference between a Synopsis, Thesis, Dissertation and a Manuscript. Synopsis it was stated is a summary of a proposal of research study. It has Introduciton, Methodology, Funding required, time period of the study. The importance of Ethics Committee/Institutional Review Board approval was also highlighted. The objective, he said, must be SMART which is doable, feasible and practical. He also gave details of different types of studies i.e. Cohort studies, Experimental, Analytical, Case control, observational studies. If there are more than one objectives, one can prepare more than one manuscripts from the Thesis, Dissertation for publication. Sample size selection, data collection, literature review were also discussed in detail.
Mr. Shaukat Ali Jawaid first described some useful tips to get published. Unless it is published, research, he said, is of no use. He emphasized on the participants to select an innovative topic, identify a problem and then try to find indigenous cost effective solutions. Be careful about the length of the manuscript, carefully read and follow the instructions for authors of the journal to which you wish to submit the manuscript. Visit their website to have a look at the type of papers they accept for publication. While making submission on the journal website, make sure that it includes EC/IRB approval, Letter of Undertaking confirming exclusive submission singed by all the listed authors, processing fee if applicable. Incomplete submission are never entertained by the journals or they will face lot of trauma during processing.
Presentation of Ajrak is a part of Sindhi Cluture. Photograph shows oragnizers of workshop on Synopsis and Scientific Paper Writing, Publications presenting Ajrak and Cap to Mr. Shaukat Ali Jawaid Chief Editor Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences who was one of the faclilitators at the workshop organized by Dept. of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at JPMC on February 21st, 2024.
Title and abstract both are very important. Title should be attractive provide comprehensive information about the study. It could be indicative or informative. Never use any abbreviation in the title. Interesting title ensures good quality manuscript. Short titles ensure much more citations. Structured abstract should have information in sub headings like Objective, Methods, Results and conclusion with appropriate key words. Some journals also use Background and Objective if the authors wish to include some introductory information in the objective.
Essential components of an original article he pointed out include Structured Abstract, Introduciton, Methods, Results, Discussion and conclusions. He then described in detail what information has to be included in different sections. Avoid repetition and duplication. Give only latest relevant references. Most of the references should come in the Discussion. Information regarding inclusion and exclusion criteria, ethical approval, and statistical analysis should come in the Methods section with sub-headings. EC approval must mention reference number with date of issue. Software for sample size if used should be mentioned. Most importantly never forget to mention when and where the study was performed which will also come in the methods section.
While writing Discussion, start with the findings of your study briefly in one or two sentences or a brief paragraph. Then compare your results with other national, regional and international studies. Similarities and differences both are important, try to find out why your results are different. There may be some difference in inclusion criteria, cultural and dietary pattern could also influence the study findings in some cases. Follow the I (CMJE guidelines on authorship, list up to six authors and then write et al in references, correct abbreviation of the journals should be mentioned in references which should be written in Vancouver style.. Conclusions should be brief and have a take home message.
He further stated that citing relevant references from the published manuscripts in the journal to which you wish to submit your manuscript will increase its chances of acceptance. Even otherwise always make sure to cite studies published in Pakistani standard peer review journals particularly those which enjoy Impact Factor. After discussion, do mention source of funding, conflict of interest and acknowledgement.
For an original article ten to twelve and up to twenty five latest relevant references are considered good enough. In case of website reference do not forget to mention when it was accessed. Be careful about gift authorship which is a menace and intellectual corruption. He further disclosed that during the last four five years many faculty members got promoted by publishing their papers in sub-standard journals which have no peer review system. Some of these journals have not been recognized by the Pakistan Medical & Dental Council. Hence don’t get trapped by these predatory journals which offer quick publication by charging hefty publication fee. Always plan well, conduct the study following ethical practices. Be mindful that all good journals have a waiting time and you must plan for at least six to eight months from the date of submission till the completion of whole process i.e. initial screening, internal review, external review, plagiarism check, processing and final publication. Hence one has to be patient.
Currently there are lot of scientific misconduct and unethical practices which are rampant hence the authors must be careful. Check the credibility and credentials of the journal before submitting the paper for publication. It is also helpful to make a team while conducting research, involve the statistician from the very beginning who will be helpful in finding out sample size, analysis and interpretation of the data. If they have some other intellectual input as well in the study, they can also be included as authors otherwise one has to pay them for their services. Any help and assistance sought during the study and preparation of the manuscript must be acknowledge to ensure transparency. Good presentation makes a lot of difference, he remarked.
Mr. Shaukat Ali Jawaid also mentioned about the various funding sources available particularly for junior faculty members and Residents, postgraduates. PharmEvo Research Forum was one such source which provide funding up to three lac rupees. But the study has to be completed within eighteen months. Details on how to apply, terms and conditions, proposal templates to be used for applying are available on PharmEvo Research Forum website i.e. https://prf.pharmevo.biz/
Be careful while selecting a topic to ensure that you are able to get enough patients for the study and you have the needed funding and must complete the study in time and get it published. The presentations were followed by lively discussion in which the postgraduates actively participated to clear some of their queries and concepts.
Earlier Prof. Nighat Shah in her welcome address thanked both the facilitators for sparing their precious time to participate in this academic activity. She also pointed out that they intend to organize many more such workshops in the days to come for the faculty members and postgraduates. There is goldmine of data at these public hospitals, many researchers from other institutions come here and do research, publish papers. We need to computerize the data which will be helpful for publications. She also announced that they plan to establish a Research Cell in the department and procure funds for undertaking research. Unfortunately since the department has to provide 24/7 service, the staff is most busy and hardly get time for such academic activities. We need to rationalize all these, she added.
