WRITING MATERIALS AND METHODS Bandit Thinkhamrop Ph D

WRITING MATERIALS AND METHODS Bandit Thinkhamrop, Ph. D Department of Biostatistics and Demography Faculty of Public Health Khon Kaen university

Purposes Describe what was done to answer the research question Describe how you obtained your results – What is the type of the study? – Ethical considerations and ICH-GCP – How was the data collected? Outcome and outcome measurements Potential biases and how to minimize them – How was it analyzed? Sample size calculation and justifications Statistical analysis

Writing Effectively Write methods in a logical order (chronological or most to least important). Write in the past tense (use active voice). Provide signals of organization: – Subtitles, new paragraphs – Topic sentences, transition phrases Each journal has different requirements, review the journal’s guidelines before beginning to write this section Include appropriate figures and tables (study design). Do not include results. Source: https: //www. ctnbestpractices. org/edu/crwseries/

Tips Describe what you did in accordant with the results provided in the subsequent section. Enable readers to evaluate the work performed Provide enough detail to permit replication. Assume the reader is a trained investigator with considerable experience. maintain a balance between : – Brevity (you cannot describe every technical issue) – Completeness (you need to give adequate detail so that readers know what happened).

Twelve Steps to Writing an Effective Materials and Methods (1) 1. Order your procedures chronologically, use 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. sub-headings where appropriate Use the past tense and the third person to describe what you did Describe your study design clearly Explain why each procedure was done Identify the source of any specific type of equipment which is critical to the success of the study Describe in detail any modifications to the equipment, if any Reference: http: //www. sfedit. net

Twelve Steps to Writing an Effective Materials and Methods (2) 7. Precisely quantify measurements (all metric) and include errors of measurement 8. Describe the dates and the site where your study was conducted 9. Identify treatments using the variable or treatment name 10. If required by the journal, mention the approval for the study by the relevant ethics committee(s) and the informed consent of the subjects 11. Describe statistical methods, advanced or unusual methods may require a literature citation. 12. Show whar you write to colleague and ask whether they would have difficulty in repeating your study Reference: http: //www. sfedit. net