Guide to Authors:
Research: Literature Review and Analysis (RLRA) Manuscript Preparation
ALL PAPERS MUST INCLUDE: 1. TITLE PAGE
2. ABSTRACT PAGE 3. INTRODUCTION 4. METHODS
5. RESULTS
6. DISCUSSION
7. FIGURES AND TABLES (including an Evidence Table in the Appendix) 8. REFERENCES
1. TITLE PAGE:
Manuscript Title: Provide a concise, informative title, with no unnecessary words
Article Word Count (exclusive of abstract and references) is required
Hypothesis: Add a separate section with the testable hypothesis
2. ABSTRACT PAGE:
The abstract should be structured into four paragraphs not exceeding 250 words total. It must be written in complete sentences. Abbreviations should be avoided. No literature should be cited in this section. The abstract must include your testable hypothesis and how you tested it.
Sections:
Hypothesis: State the hypothesis of the study
Methods: Identify the study design and statistical methods used
Results: Describe the outcome of the study and the statistical significance, if
appropriate
Conclusions: State the significance of the results
Word Count: Provide a word count for the abstract
Keywords: Following the abstract, provide 3 to 10 keywords for indexing purposes
3. INTRODUCTION:
The introduction should provide a clear statement of the problem, the relevant literature on the subject, and the proposed approach or solution. The introduction must:
Be well referenced
Begin with an impactful statement
Begin broadly to educate readers about the general topic, then narrow down to the focus of the paper
Use references that are NOT used in the results section
4. METHODS:
The methods should contain enough information to allow the study to be replicated, including:
Databases used
Search strategy
Search terms
Inclusion / exclusion criteria (state the parameters for including references in your
paper and the parameters used to exclude references, i.e. year published or
population type)
Methods of data analysis (how the evidence table was constructed Statistical methods used
Written in past tense
5. RESULTS:
The results should be presented with clarity and precision, and should:
Summarize the data and key findings of the selected primary literature (i.e.
populations, outcomes, etc.)
Synthesize the data contained in multiple studies, providing any relationship between
those studies (i.e. similarities in data)
Include an Evidence Table as an Appendix to the paper Reference all citations in the evidence table
Written in past tense
6. DISCUSSION:
Authors should explain what the results mean and how the results relate to the hypothesis presented. The discussion should interpret the findings and should include: Explanation of the findings (not a reiteration of the results)
Interpretation of the results
Assessment of the primary literature’s impact on the hypothesis (answer the question
– does the data support the hypothesis?)
Limitations and future directions
All citations in the evidence table referenced
Conclusion: A concluding paragraph should be added at the end of the paper that
clearly states how the hypothesis was proven or disproven
7. FIGURES AND TABLES: An Evidence Table:
Must be included as an Appendix to the paper Cited in the results and discussion sections
Limited use of review articles
Other Figures and Tables:
A maximum of two (2) properly cited figures/tables reproduced directly from the primary literature is permitted. An unlimited number of original figures/tables is permitted.
All figures should have a title and figure legend that properly describes the dataset (i.e. the lines, boxes, colors, symbols, error bars, abbreviations).
All figures/tables should be numbered in the order they are cited in the text.
8. REFERENCES:
Authors’ Last Names and Initials. (Year) Title of Article. Journal Title.
Volume(Issue), Pages. (list all authors when six or fewer; when seven or more, list six and add et al):
Example:
1. Grabber G.M., Gupta N.C., Murray G.F. (1999) Positron emission tomographic imaging with fluorodeoxyglucose is efficacious in evaluating malignant pulmonary disease. J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. 117, 719-727.
In text citations should be consistent, as in (Grabber, 1999) or (1).
EFFECTIVE FORMATING:
Use upper- and lowercase type
Use consistent typeface and size (i.e. Times New Roman, 12 point)
Double space text
Number pages
Third person point of view throughout all sections
Refrain from inserting text boxes
