How to Write a Radiologic Paper

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to provide a list of practical rules and recommendations for writing a scientific article, with particular reference to radiology. First, we will try to define the main types of articles published in the most important journals1, with particular reference to major papers (composed of the four classic sections Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results and Discussion). Second, we will evaluate the radiologic journals with the recent trend of their impact factor (IF) — explaining its mechanism of calculation — compared with that of nonradiologic journals, a comparison useful for the choice of the suitable journal for submitting an article. Third, we will explain the absolute need of Ethics Committee approval and of informed consent by the patients asked to participate in a clinical study. Fourth, we will illustrate the content of each of the four sections of the major papers and the other associated sections, in particular the Abstract and the References. Moreover, we will provide several partial suggestions for tables, graphs, and figures, as well as some indications on how to interpret the Editor’s response and the comments and criticisms of the reviewers.