Scientific Writing

Core skill for producing research manuscripts, evidence-based articles, and publication-quality scientific content with rigorous standards.

Triggers

• User asks to write a research-style article
• User needs IMRAD-structured content
• User wants to write for a scientific audience
• User is drafting content requiring citations and methodology
• User needs to follow reporting guidelines (CONSORT, STROBE, PRISMA)

Two-Stage Writing Process

Stage 1: Outline with Research

1. Create section outlines with bullet points
2. Use pubmed-database skill for literature gathering
3. Identify key citations for each point
4. Structure evidence hierarchy

Stage 2: Convert to Prose

Critical: Always write in full paragraphs with flowing prose. Never submit bullet points in the final manuscript.

IMRAD Structure

Reporting Guidelines

For Different Study Types

Citation Standards

Supported Styles

• AMA - Medical journals (JAMA, NEJM)
• Vancouver - Numbered citations
• APA - Psychology, behavioral science
• Nature - Superscript numbered
• IEEE - Engineering/technical

Citation Best Practices

1. Cite primary sources, not reviews (unless reviewing)
2. Include DOI when available
3. Verify accuracy with citation-management skill
4. Prefer recent publications (<5 years) when current evidence exists
5. Include seminal papers for historical context

Field-Specific Conventions

Cardiology/Medicine

• Report confidence intervals, not just p-values
• Include NNT/NNH for clinical relevance
• Use GRADE for evidence quality
• Specify intention-to-treat vs per-protocol
• Report absolute and relative risk

Statistical Reporting

• Mean (SD) for normal distributions
• Median (IQR) for skewed data
• HR with 95% CI for survival analysis
• OR/RR with 95% CI for binary outcomes
• Specify statistical tests used

Common Rejection Reasons (Avoid These)

1. Inadequate statistical descriptions - Always specify tests, assumptions, software
2. Over-interpretation of results - Stay within what data supports
3. Poorly described methods - Replicability is essential
4. Missing reporting checklist items - Use appropriate guidelines
5. Weak literature contextualization - Show how work fits existing knowledge

Quality Checklist

Before finalizing scientific content:

• All claims have citations
• Statistics include effect sizes and CIs
• Methods are replicable
• Limitations acknowledged
• Conclusions match evidence strength
• No AI tells or promotional language