Writing for publication in a medical journal

The essence of writing for publication in the medical field is distilled into a dozen precepts to guide the anxious author. These precepts focus on the attitude of the writer, rather than the mechanics of writing. A medical author must strive to be the following: Original, honest, innovative, organized, careful, clear, modest, fair-minded, frank, persistent, rigorous, and realistic. These attributes are essential because there is a new climate of skepticism among the lay public as to the validity of scientific and medical claims. This climate has encouraged journal editors to be demanding of authors and to be especially vigilant about plagiarism; originality of all contributions is therefore essential.