Writing for impact: How to prepare a qualitative journal article for a surgical audience

Qualitative methods enable researchers to explore complex health care problems in greater depth and with more nuance than traditional quantitative approaches. While qualitative approaches are becoming more common in surgical research, they still constitute only a small proportion of articles published in surgical journals. This article offers recommendations for preparing qualitative research for publication and tailoring the presentation of qualitative findings for a surgical audience. We introduce practical strategies for each of the primary sections of an article (Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, and Conclusion), focusing on methodologic rigor and clear communication. This guide is intended to help enhance the impact and usefulness of qualitative findings and to promote the dissemination of studies that foreground the human experience in surgical research.