Manuscript Writing – Structure, Components, and Guidelines

This presentation provides a detailed overview of manuscript writing, an essential skill for researchers, academicians, and postgraduate students aiming to publish their scientific work. It explains the structured process of drafting, organizing, and formatting a research manuscript according to standard publication requirements.

The content covers all major aspects of manuscript preparation, including the IMRD structure (Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion), abstract writing, keyword selection, referencing styles, plagiarism checks, and formatting guidelines. It highlights the differences between a manuscript and a thesis, emphasizing clarity, precision, originality, and adherence to ethical and editorial standards.

Learners are guided through practical steps such as drafting, revising, and reviewing manuscripts, with focus on language refinement, consistency, and effective presentation of research findings.

Learning Objectives:
By the end of this session, learners will be able to:

Enumerate the steps involved in manuscript writing.

Describe the IMRD structure and its importance.

Differentiate between a manuscript and a thesis.

Apply formatting and language guidelines for publication-ready writing.

1. MANUSCRIPT WRITING Presenter: Dr. Saurabh Krishna Verma (JR-3) Moderator: Dr. Ashish Dixit (SR) Peer Support: Dr. Debendra Suman (JR-3) Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics King George’s Medical University, Lucknow, UP, India- 226003 Email: [email protected]

2. Content Introduction Manuscript preparation Major components IMRD structure Manuscript vs Thesis Summary References

3. Specific learning objectives By the end of this teaching learning session, the co learners shall be able to Enumerate the steps of Manuscript writing Enumerate IMRD structure Understand the difference between a manuscript vs thesis Formatting guidelines

4. Introduction Manuscript writing is the structured and systematic process of composing a scholarly, scientific, or literary work intended for publication. It includes drafting, organizing, and formatting the content according to the relevant guidelines and standards, such as those set by academic journals, book publishers, or research institutions.

5. Scientific manuscript Original articles contain new data, details, and outcomes. Review papers: comprehensive summary of developments on a specific topic. Letters/communications; intended for quick and early communication of significant discoveries/advances, without including too much data or detail. Research elements such as dataset, software, study protocol, videos, and much more

6. Manuscript preparation Drafting of the research concept/idea/theory/findings for publications. It involves a lot of brainstorming, dedication, motivation, attention and specification. Draft

7. All details and information drafted will undergo a series of modification and editing until it is finalized. Once the draft is final, it is technically called the Manuscript . Draft Edited Draft Final Draft (Manuscript)

8. Before we begin writing Product of the analysis Tables and figures Key points and recommendations Central 2 to 3 ideas Outline of the argument

9. The manuscript consist of the following major components: Preliminary material Body of the text Reference list Title of the Manuscript First, Second, Third, etc Author Full postal address Corresponding author Introduction Materials and Methods Results Discussion Abstract or Summary Keywords Reference list

10. The IMRD structure I ntroduction Why did you start? M ethods What did you do? R esults What you found? D iscussion What does it all mean?

11. Introduction Zooming in Background Knowledge gap Rationale Objectives

12. Zooming in Background Knowledge gap Rational & objectives

13. Methods and Materials Study settings Study design Operational definitions Sampling strategy Sample size Study procedures Data management (collection, analysis) Human participant’s protection

14. Results Present the study findings Presented as a combination of text, it could be tables, figures, images There is no interpretation or commenting allowed in the results section.

15. Acceptable manuscript must possess the following characteristic: Originality Plagiarism free Adopt appropriate research methodology Use of appropriate statistical tools Contributed to the existing scientific knowledge Consideration of ethical issues Written properly and effectively

16. Discussion Summary of findings Interpretations and inferences Compare findings with other findings in existing literature Strengths and limitations Conclusions Recommendation

17. summary Interpretation & inference Compare

18. Abstract or summary Miniature manuscript Structured or unstructured Usually 150-250 words long Most commonly read part of your manuscript Plain language summary

19. Keywords Help indexers and search engines to find relevant papers Specifying the correct keywords will help article to get picked up whenever a particular search term is entered into a seach engine More reads and more citation

20. References All sources of information referred Relevant and recent Bibliography management Styles- Vancouver, Harvard, Chicago etc Software

21. Reference and In-text citation

22. Manuscript vs Thesis Manuscript Voluntary/Mandatory Can be primary research or reviews, perspectives etc Led by the first author Contributions from all authors Timelines Bound by journal guidelines Thesis Mandatory for PG/doctoral degree Always primary research Led by the resident Mentor by the guide/supervisor Timelines Bound by university guidelines Thesis as a manuscript

23. Writing a manuscript vs thesis Word limit and length Target audience Thesis committee peers/experts/community Structure and sections

24. Additional information Title page Cover letter Funding Conflicts of interest Author contribution Appendices Supplementary files Acknowledgement Table of contents List of abbreviations, tables, and figures

25. Plagiarism Mandatory before submission

26. Tips for making your writing clearer Use simple, specific and necessary words Use consistent terminology, avoid synonyms Use inclusive, non-offensive language Use precise word order Avoid passive voice Be mindful of sentence length and structure

27. Scientific language editing Spelling check Grammer Sentence structure Punctuation

28. Formatting guidelines Font style and size Indent and spacing Heading style paragraphs

29. The six ‘s’ of scientific writing Simple Short Structured Sequential Strong Specific

30. Review drafts Write Rewrite Read Review Revise Submit

31. Summary Planning & Preparation Choose a clear topic and research question. Identify your audience and the target journal or publication. Conduct thorough research and gather reliable data or sources. Structure of a Manuscript Title : Concise and descriptive. Abstract : A brief summary of the purpose, methods, key results, and conclusions (usually 150–250 words).

32. Introduction : Background, problem statement, objectives, and significance. Methods (or Methodology) : Detailed explanation of how the study was conducted or how the arguments were developed. Results : Presentation of findings, using tables, figures, and statistics. Discussion : Interpretation of results, implications, limitations, and comparison with existing literature. Conclusion : Summary of main findings and their significance; suggestions for future research. References : List of all cited sources in the appropriate citation style.

33. Specific learning objectives By the end of this teaching learning session, the co learners now able to Enumerate the steps of Manuscript writing Enumerate IMRD structure Understand the difference between a manuscript vs thesis Formatting guidelines

34. References Mehta T. Basic Course in Biomedical Research Handbook. 1st ed. Chennai: Independently Published; 2021 Chauhan HM. Basic Course in Biomedical Research - A Short Review. 3rd ed. Chennai: Notion Press; 2022​ ICMJE, Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals [Internet]. 2025. Available from: www.equator-network.org . ICMR. 2025 Mar 25 [Internet]; Available from: https://www.icmr.gov.in/

35. Questions What is Manuscript writing? What do understand by IMRD structure? What points comes under methods and materials? Difference between Manuscript vs Thesis? What are six ‘s’ in scientific writing?