On one hand, it is essential to provide the results in such a way that facilitates interpretation by the reader. The results section must balance two competing obligations. Results: A Story Through Figures and Tables In a statement endorsed by a number of pulmonary and critical care medicine journals, Lederer et al offered guidance for authors and reviewers on control of confounding and causal inference in observational studies. Specific journals have also offered guidance to authors. Guidance on specific study designs is provided by the Enhancing the Quality and Transparency of Health Research (EQUATOR) Network ( ) ( Table 2). Methodological details that are important for understanding and replicating a study but which may not be important for all readers of a manuscript (eg, diagnostic codes used to define a cohort) should be included in an online supplement/appendix. If decisions were made as to how the data were collected or why they were analyzed a certain way, these should be clearly stated and justified. Data extraction or collection techniques should be explicit, and all primary and secondary outcomes should be clearly identifiable. The reader should easily understand the type of study, as well as who was studied and excluded. The methods should be a clear description of “just the facts” written in the past tense. The methods show how the study was conducted at a level of specificity that should permit independent replication. Including more than six findings will leave the editor and reader overwhelmed. However, if there are multiple important findings (at least six or more), consider dividing the findings into multiple manuscripts. There are fewer limitations on the number of authors and references, and tables/figures are normally limited to five. These papers typically have three to five significant findings reported in 2,400 to 3,000 words. The original research manuscript is the more traditional scientific research format. We recommend asking senior mentors for examples of well-executed reports so as to learn from them as models. There is often a limit on the number of authors. Specific instructions vary by journal, but a typical brief report permits only 600 to 800 words, five to 10 references, and one to two tables/figures. These papers can have significant impact. Brief report formats are available at select journals (eg, JAMA, Critical Care Medicine, Thorax). If there are one or two significant findings, a brief report is appropriate. Although both articles convey original research findings, the number of findings informs manuscript format. There are two types of original scientific articles: the brief report (or research letter) and the original research manuscript.
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