International Journal for Quality in Health Care 16:105-106 (2004)
International Journal for Quality in Health Care vol. 16 no. 2 © International Society for Quality in Health Care and Oxford University Press 2004; all rights reserved
Editorial |
Types of articles we want to publish
In this editorial, we wish to describe briefly the types of peer-reviewed articles the International Journal for Quality in Health Care seeks to publish. This should facilitate the authors’ preparation of submitted manuscripts and avoid delays during the review process. We will leave aside published items that are usually solicited by the editor, such as editorials, counterpoint editorials, and book reviews. There are five basic types of articles that will be considered for publication: Research article, Review article, Methodology article, Quality in practice, and Perspectives on quality.Research articles
Research articles are the backbone of the journal and should represent 80% or more of the papers that will be published. A research article addresses a clearly stated research question or hypothesis, which is tested empirically through the application of a solid research protocol [1]. The research question is central to the whole endeavour. It guides the selection of the appropriate study design, the definition of the population and sample to be included, the selection of variables and measurement instruments, and the choice of analytical methods, whether quantitative or qualitative. The research question must be relevant to the journal’s area of interest: it must address the assessment, management, and improvement of quality in health care. It must be of broad scientific interest: a study of only local relevance will not do. The results must be novel, or at least substantially expand previous knowledge. Research papers should typically follow the IMRAD format: introduction, methods, results, and discussion [2]. In an upcoming editorial, aimed at beginner writers, we will go into more detail with respect to the desirable structure and content of a research paper.
Review articles
The purpose of a review article is to summarize available published evidence regarding an important issue in quality in health care. The approach to a review is similar to that of a research paper, with the difference that the units of analysis are not patients, doctors, teams or hospitals, but rather published reports. A review must have a clear study design, including a well defined topic, explicit selection criteria for studies, a detailed search strategy, and a standardized analytical approach. Authors should state what papers were excluded and why. Both qualitative reviews and quantitative reviews that apply the statistical methods of meta-analysis will be considered. However, authors of qualitative reviews should be careful not to turn their contribution into an advocacy or opinion paper. Reviews should generally follow the IMRAD format.
Methodology articles
The purpose of a methodology paper is didactic, i.e. to familiarize readers with a method or technique that is of interest to practitioners in the field of quality in health care, and to illustrate the application of the said method. A methodology article can also address a common pitfall in applying a method and propose a way of avoiding it. Methodology papers may be aimed at beginners or at more advanced practitioners, but they should always be aimed at generalists in the field of quality in health care, not at specialists who already hold PhDs in the specific area. Authors should explain why a particular method is of interest and how it compares with the alternatives, then explain the principles involved, preferably illustrating each key concept with an example, and provide a step-by-step guide for implementation. The main objective should be to convey conceptual or substantive content, not technical detail. The latter can be addressed through relevant references or relegated to an appendix. The structure of a Methodology article is flexible.
Quality in practice
A case study—the equivalent of a ‘case report’ in clinical medicine—is generally a weak study design for the advancement of knowledge. The main reason is the limited generalizability of any single, local observation. This is why we will not generally publish such reports. However, on occasion, conducting a quality improvement project is a learning experience that deserves to be shared with others. This may be the case when an unexpected outcome occurs or when a novel approach to a problem has been tested successfully. Such experiences should take the form of ‘Quality in practice’ articles. The key is for authors to distinguish between an experience that will be useful to others, and hence merits publication, from a personally rewarding experience that will not gain from publication. The structure of a ‘Quality in practice’ article is flexible, but should include a statement of the problem addressed, what was done and why, what was observed, what was special about it, and what the broader implications are.
Perspectives on quality
Even a research journal should make space for reflective analysis, which is the purpose of ‘Perspectives on quality’. ‘Perspectives’ papers offer a forum where professionals in quality in health care can proffer provocative opinions, submit new ideas, and reflect on their activity. Historical, political, and sociological analyses of the quality movement should also find a home here. The key to a good ‘Perspectives’ article is to challenge and enrich current thinking. We will not publish re-statements or minor reformulations of well known theories or models. The structure of ‘Perspectives on quality’ articles is flexible.
Comments on form
Many readers of this international journal are not native speakers of English, hence clarity in writing is essential. Favour simple, clear language, short declarative sentences, and the active voice [3]. Furthermore, quality in health care is an evolving interdisciplinary field. Because readers have diverse scientific backgrounds, authors should avoid all technical jargon and abbreviations. Articles published in the journal should be understandable to any educated person who is interested in quality in health care, not only to a narrow audience of specialists.
Publication space and the readers’ concentration spans are at a premium; we therefore recommend that papers be approximately 3000 words in length (main body of text, excluding abstract, references, tables, etc.). Simple topics may best be conveyed by even shorter papers. While 3000 words is not a limit—rather a recommendation—we will now reject without review papers that exceed 4000 words. Beyond word counts, clear and effective writing is what is really at stake here (even 1000-word editorials can meander aimlessly in content-free ramblings, rapidly stretching the readers’ patience). Similarly, we recommend no more than 20–30 well chosen references per research paper (review papers may require more), and typically three to five tables or figures.
We are well aware that writing a short, effective, well documented, and well referenced paper is a lot of work. So thank you in advance for your valuable contributions. We look forward to reading and publishing your submissions.
Editor in chief
Managing editor
References
- Crombie, IK. Research in Health Care. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1997.
- Browner, WS. Publishing and Presenting Clinical Research. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins, 1999.
- Strunk, WJ. The Elements of Style. Ithaca, NY: WP Humphrey, 1918 (http://www.bartleby.com/141/).
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