Vol 2 | Issue 1 | Jan – Apr 2016 | page: 2 | Ashok Shyam.
Author: Dr. Ashok Shyam.
MS Orthopaedics
Editor – International journal of surgical cases
Email: drashokshyam@yahoo.co.uk
How to know whether your case report is worth Publishing?
One of the most common question that I am asked by the students is ‘how do we know whether a particular case is worth publishing as a case report?’ There is no easy answer to that question but there is a process of Literature review that can be followed and which will help in answering that questions. Firstly the authors need to understand that the definition of case reports has widened in its scope and it is not that only rare cases are considered as case reports [1,2]. Of course rarity of the case is one of the factors but not the only factor. Again the question arises how to establish the rarity of the case. The literature has to be thoroughly reviewed with respect to all similar cases. The best places to review literature in pubmed and google. Both these search engines provide comprehensive search results and can help establish rarity of the case. Nowadays with increase in number of journals publishing case reports, the authors may find multiple cases that are similar but not identical. It would be wise to read all these case reports and also make a literature review table where similarities and differences can be easily put forth in front of the reader. Secondly the authors have to determine the clinical relevance of the article. I believe this is the most important point in publishing a case report. The entire intent of publishing cases is to help a reader who is dealing with similar case. The reader should be able to manage his case better after reading your article. If the authors feel that the clinical point they make in the article will be helpful, they should go ahead with publishing it. We all do cases where situations are unique or the complexity of the case is unique. These cases can be included in IJSC. Many cases where improvisations are done in treatment or a standard treatment is modified to get successful results can be published. Thirdly special mention should be done for complications. I believe every case that has complications and is manage successfully is a case report. There are lot of learning points in a complications starting for reasons of complications, how to prevent and avoid them and then how to manage them successfully. Lastly any new technique, or modification of existing techniques can be published as a case report and video technique. This will help in copyrighting the technique and will also help other learn the technique easily.
If the authors keep these four criteria in mind, they will get enough cases to publish one or two cases every year. We at IJSC have an excellent editorial team and are committed to provide best review for the submissions. If there are any doubts, please send an email to editor mail and we will assist you to best of our abilities.
Dr Ashok Shyam
Editor- International journal of surgical cases.
References
1. Shyam A. Only Rare Cases are Case Reports: Busting a Myth. J Orthop Case Rep. 2014 Jan-Mar;4(1):1-2.
2. Shyam A, Shetty G. RESURRECTION OF THE CASE REPORT! J Orthop Case Rep. 2011 Oct-Dec;1(1):1-2.
| How to Cite this Article: Shyam A. How to know whether your case report is worth Publishing?. International Journal of Surgical Cases 2016 Jan-Apr;2(1): 2. |
