8 Types of Articles to Publish in Medical Journals

Healthcare professionals know we want to publish our writing in medical journals and other reputable outlets, but we may not understand the diverse array of article types at our disposal. We can maximize our limited time and resources by targeting the appropriate type of article before we ever begin writing.

The types of articles accepted by medical journals—both large and small— are not entirely uniform, but they tend to fall into major categories. The major types of articles published in medical journals are outlined below.  Authors should always check with a specific journal’s guidelines to ensure the article they intend to write will fit into their chosen journal.

Original Research

Original research articles are those that involve the collection, analysis, and presentation of data, typically using the scientific method. There are many different types of research, involving a wide variety of experimental designs. Original research articles can be simple or complex. They can involve the collection of new data or the analysis of existing data. They can focus on living subjects or inanimate items. They can involve an intervention or simply the observation the existing state of the world. Authors should spend a great deal of time crafting a research question and study methodology before they every begin writing a manuscript.

However, once the hard work of study design and data collection are done, researchers still need to write up and disseminate their findings. Journals often further break original research articles down into additional article types:

Original Research

The most comprehensive research manuscript, these often represent large studies with fully realized methodology and data analysis. They may require lengthy presentation and discussion of the study’s background and underlying principles and of the data itself. This article type can encompass randomized trials and case-control studies, large surveys and other non-clinical studies, and meta-analyses. This large study published in JAMA, for instance, included over 2,000 patients and was generalizable to a huge portion of the U.S. population. Typically 2,000-3,500 words or more.

Brief Report

A smaller-scale research manuscript that may include studies of small data sets or pilot studies. These studies might not have the complexity or generalizability of full research articles, but they may open the door to a particular research question and set the stage for larger projects. This brief report only focused on 23 patients, but contained important, time sensitive-information that warranted immediate publication. Brief reports are shorter than original research articles, typically 800-1,200 words.

Research Letter

Some journals accept even shorter articles describing original research. Research letters are concise articles that describe a highly focused research question and may include very small studies or the preliminary results of larger studies, especially if the nature of the work demands urgency. This interesting (and probably high impact!) research letter looked at the costs that cancer patients had to pay to park their cars at National Cancer Institute sites during the course of their cancer treatment. While short, it was one of JAMA’s most read studies of 2020. I love a study that makes a subtle but very sharp point. Typically 600-800 words.

Review Articles

Review articles gather and synthesize the existing published material on a specific topic. They vary in length, depth, structure, and sophistication depending on the type of review article selected and the needs of the journal and its audience (not to mention the ambition of the author). Several types of review articles are outlined below.

Narrative Review or Systematic Review Articles

Narrative review articles, sometimes simply called systematic review articles, attempt to provide readers with an overview encompassing every relevant study published on a particular topic. These are longer, comprehensive articles that involve a careful, systematic literature review and may contain dozens of references. Their value comes from the author’s ability to ensure there are no blind spots in the literature review and to organize and present a large body of information in a digestible way.

For example, this systematic review of intravenous fluids in critical illness was published in Nature and has 121 references. Wowza!

Academic librarians are excellent resources if you need help conducting a systematic review.

Meta-Analysis Review Articles

A meta-analysis is a more sophisticated review article that uses statistical methods to combine and analyze the pooled results from multiple existing studies. Like a narrative review article, the approach to a meta-analysis begins with a comprehensive literature search and selection of all relevant studies on a topic. However, meta-analysis goes beyond simply describing this body of literature for readers. Authors of a meta-analysis must combine the results of multiple studies and re-analyze the data with statistical tests to determine the effect of an intervention across a larger, more diverse group of patients or other subjects.

Because meta analyses can overcome some of the weaknesses of the individual studies they combine (such as small sample sizes, homogenous populations, single-center studies, and other sources of bias), they are often seen as authoritative answers to a clinical question. At least until the next meta-analysis comes along.

For example, this meta-analysis published in the New England Journal of Medicine pooled 6 studies into a massive 34,000-patient sample size to determine which intravenous crystalloid fluid is superior in the ICU. While valuable, meta-analyses have limitations and do not always close the door on a clinical question.

Clinical Practice Review Articles

OK, to be honest, I made this term up, but I think it fits. These are articles frequently published in medical journals that are specifically geared towards helping practicing clinicians tackle a condition or disorder. Unlike systematic review articles that aim to present all of the available information on a topic, clinical practice articles are more heavily synthesized and present information in a concise, high-utility format for the working clinician.

Some clinical practice review articles (like this massive Nature review of ARDS) tackle the basics of a disease or disorder and present them in a predictable, clinically-focused fashion (eg Epidemiology, Pathophysiology, Clinical Presentation, Diagnosis, Treatment/Management, Prognosis). Others may address the nuance of a more specific clinical element, such as the research underpinning the best practice surgical management of a particular disorder, or the specific treatment of one element of a disease, such as this review of anticoagulation in atrial fibrillation.

In either case, the author should first conduct a thorough literature review, determine the relevance of all articles, analyze and synthesize them, and present the information in a way that is useful for a clinical audience.

Clinical Update Articles

Shorter clinical articles that focus on the most recent advances or developments around a single disorder or clinical problem. These may include the latest guidelines from a major clinical society or new practice-changing research. Here is an example of a clinical update article outlining the latest cervical cancer screening guidelines. If you’re the type of person who stays up to date on the latest research, these articles practically write themselves.

Special Departments

Many medical journals create separate “departments” for different types of articles that might have special requirements, formats, or subject matter. For instance, some journals have departments for more image-focused topics like diagnostic imaging or dermatology. Other departments might solicit articles from specific professions or perspectives, such a JAAPA’s Pharmacology Consult department. Departments may also tackle specific content or subject matter, such as healthcare policy or global health. Authors should explore the target journal and read its author guidelines to better understand the types of articles special departments seek.

Special Articles

As a journal editor, it is impossible to perfectly predict the evolving needs of a journal’s readership or the creativity of its contributing authors. Because of this, many journals publish “Special Articles” that leave the door open for topics and formats that might not fit the rigid criteria of existing article types and departments. This manuscript didn’t fit the typical article type formats at the Journal of Physician Assistant Education, but it was very relevant and useful for a large portion of that journal’s readers. It was accepted right away without major revision. If your manuscript fits the needs of a journal and its readers but doesn’t quite match up with an established department, you may be able to submit it as a Special Article.

Commentaries

Commentaries share a perspective on a specific clinical or non-clinical topic and often include opinion or editorialization. However, they should still be well-researched and often contain 2-5 references. Some journals refer to these articles as “editorials” or “perspectives” and many journals accept them by invitation only. They may reference another article in the same issue, in a previous issue, or they may be unrelated to other journal content altogether. Here is an example of a commentary that refers to internal journal content and here is an example of a commentary that does not.  Commentaries are among the shortest articles published in medical journals and may range from 700 to 1,000 words.

I wrote an entire article breaking down commentaries and outlining the process in six easy steps:

Or watch these videos on writing commentaries:

How to Write a Commentary (Video)

Types of Commentary Articles (Video)

Letter to the Editor

Letters to the editor are published correspondence from readers to the editorial staff (and, by extension, its readers), typically related to content previously published in the journal. They offer additional context, counterpoint, and/or criticism of articles appearing in prior issues or may address a gap or missing perspective in the journal’s coverage of a topic.

Here are two letters to the editor that addressed the same article, one offering criticism and the other offering context. Letters to the editor are often very short, ranging from 200 to 500 words, and should be submitted quickly after a referenced issue is published to maintain relevance and timeliness.

Case Reports

Case reports focus on a topic as it relates to a single patient case. The cases are often unusual or noteworthy, typically a classic presentation of a very rare disease or an unusual presentation of a more common disease. Other cases, such as an unusual disease course or a rare complication of a procedure might also be included. Bizarre and unusual cases sometimes also get through the publication process and may even gain mainstream media attention, such as this popular case report published in JAAPA.

Case reports should outline the patient’s presentation in an organized fashion (eg. History, Physical Exam, Diagnostics and Imaging, Treatment/Management, and Hospital or Clinical Course, if applicable). This is followed by a short review of the underlying topic and a brief synopsis of the existing literature, including references. Case reports often end with a conclusion and the patient’s ultimate outcome. Typically 1,000-2,000 words.

Tips for writing case reports:

• Carefully choose a topic that is both unusual and useful. A case report can alert clinicians to keep a broad differential or to look for atypical signs/symptoms.
• Ensure the description of the patient presentation is clear and thorough. Use standard language and avoid specialty-specific jargon and unoffical abbreviations.
• Conduct a focused literature review on the main clinical topic of the case and write a concise summary of your findings. It should highlight the typical presentation and management, even if this is different than your patient’s case.
• Include the hospital course and/or ultimate patient outcome. This helps educate the reader on the natural history of disease and can offer a satisfying conclusion to the manuscript.
• Consider writing case reports that focus on non-medical topics such as ethical or social issues.

For an entire step-by-step guide to writing a case report, click here.

Case Series

A case series is a form of qualitative, observational study that presents multiple patient cases with the same presentation, diagnosis, and/or treatment and uses these cases to answer a specific research question. Read more about case series here.

Medical Humanities

Many medical journals also publish articles in departments dedicated to the humanities. Broadly speaking, these are works that explore the human elements of medicine and typically are written from a personal perspective and with an artistic style. They often include personal essays written in a narrative format, sometimes focusing on a single patient encounter or experience.

These articles should go beyond a sterile clinical vignette and connect to larger universal themes. Some examples of these articles can be found in JAAPA’s The Art of Medicine department and JAMA’s A Piece of My Mind. Many medical-themed journals, such as Intima and Bellevue Literary Review, focus exclusively on the humanities.

Other forms of artistic expression including poetry, painting, drawing, and multimedia may also be published in medical journals. A journal’s author guidelines will give specific instructions on submitting these types of media.

You can find an entire article on writing and publishing medical humanities articles here:

Conclusion

Matching your manuscript idea to the correct article type is vital when seeking publication in medical journals. Even the best ideas or the slickest writing will be rejected if it does not conform to the expected format or find its way to the correct department. However, this does not mean that authors must be rigid in their approach. Often, your hard work and expertise on a topic can be reprocessed and repackaged into a variety of article types, quickly leading to multiple publications in a short period of time.

If you want more help with writing publication, download this free guide:

Frequently Asked Questions