There are roughly the following types of medical articles in journals:

Studies/research articles, Case reports, Clinics.

A. Studies/research articles

The structure of a research article is, generally, the following:

  • Title;

  • Authors;

  • Authors’ Affiliations;

  • Editor’s Note (in American journals);

  • Summary;

  • Introduction;

  •  Materials/Patients and Methods;

  • Results;

  • Comment (American)/Discussion (British);

  •  References.

1. Title

The title should be concise, but informative, containing the key words for the paper.

It must also be specific. Compare “An investigation of mast cell functioning” to ” The role of mast cells in the pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis”

How can you create a title?

A. One way of creating a title:

1. general field of inquiry;

2. colon or dash;

3. specific details.

Myxoma of the temporal bone: An uncommon neoplasm

Laryngeal Cancer Patients: Analysis of Patient Delay at Different Tumour Stages

Inpatient management of epistaxis: Outcomes and cost

B. Another: state the main point
of the investigation

Influence of the Macroscopic features of Vocal Fold Polyps on the Quality of Voice: A Retrospective Review of 101 Cases

Impact of Young Age on Prognosis for Head and Neck Cancer: A Matched- Pair Analysis

The pattern of the study is indicated by such expressions that can be used in the title:

Treatment of…

Measurement of…

Effect of…on….

Role of…

Trial of….

Investigation of…

Evaluation of…

Assessment of…

Impact of…

Diagnosis of…

Study of…

Management of…

Implications of…for…

Contribution of…

Survey of…

Analysis of…

Influence of…

C. Y et another:

A problem is presented, followed or preceded by the description of the cause.

Spontaneous haematoma of the pharynx due to a rare drug interaction

Carbon monoxide poisoning: an unusual cause of dizziness.

A report of CSF leak as a complication of nasal packing for epistaxis

Grisel’s syndrome-a rare complication following “small” operations and infections in the ENT region.

Note the frequent reference to the site of a disease or analysis. If you are dealing with carcinoma, you will say whether it is in the larynx or the pharynx. Similarly, you may have to state the parameters of your study in the title by referring to the nature or location of the population.

Consider the examples:

Adult acute epiglottitis: Experiences in a Taiwanese setting

Outcome of adenotonsillectomy for obstructive sleep apnoea in children under 3 years.

If the article is a debate or discussion of a certain issue, the title will contain a question mark. The question mark may also indicate that the article suggests an answer to a long- debated medical issue.

Oropharyngoesophageal scintigraphy in the diagnostic algorithm of laryngopharyngeal reflux disease: A useful exam?

Cholesterol granuloma of the temporal bone: a pathological designation or a clinical diagnosis?

As for the use of capitals in the title, it depends on the style of the journal. As you can see in the examples, some journals adopt the classical title style, with capitals in all the title, others write the title as a sentence. Some use capitals after the colon, some don’t.