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Writing a Commentary for A Peer Reviewed Research Journal

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Writing a Commentary for A Peer Reviewed Research Journal

Dr. Matthew McCoy
Editor – Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research

There are many different types of articles that end up in peer reviewed journals including:¹

• Experimental
• Descriptive (Case Reports)
• Review
• Essay
• Critique
• Editorial
• Commentary
• Correspondence
• Book Reviews
• Reports on Conferences
• Clinical Pearls
• Personal Reflections

This paper will focus on the writing of a Commentary and I will endeavor to provide some key points to assist you in putting one together.

What is a Commentary?

According to Huth² all articles regardless of type are similar in that they start by asking a question, then consider the evidence and the counterevidence and then conclude by providing an answer of some sort. This is actually a great description of the parts of a Commentary. By definition a Commentary is a series of remarks and or observations usually connected in a loose narrative.³ Throwing Huth’s outline and the definition all together might yield a variety of possibilities. For example instead of asking a question one might make a statement, review the evidence, counterevidence and then come to a conclusion.

Let’s use an example to illustrate it better. Let’s suppose that it was my opinion that we needed more research infrastructure in chiropractic. I actually just wrote an Editorial on this very topic in JVSR.⁴ While what I wrote is called an Editorial, it is for all intents and purposes a Commentary, so don’t let that confuse you. I started out by briefly discussing a report recently released from the National Science Foundation on American’s attitudes about Science and I essentially related it to chiropractic and begged the question: What are chiropractor’s attitudes about science?

Then I reviewed some facts about research in chiropractic like how many researchers we have, how much money is spent on chiropractic research etc., and compared all this to what goes on in allopathy. I attempted to show the evidence for how bad it really is for chiropractic. After I made my case, I then talked about why I think this is happening and I talk about some of the possible root causes from a financial perspective. Following this I write about the lack of trained scientists in the profession and review those facts and figures. I then write about and review the unique issues associated with all of this as it relates to the subluxation-based segment of the profession and how it relates to the field practitioners. Throughout each of my sections, as I present the problem, I also humbly presented some solutions. I end my Commentary by admonishing chiropractors that action needs to be taken - now.

Do I Need References?

Throughout the article I provide references to other writers, articles research etc that supports my contentions. Commentaries are essentially opinion pieces backed up with some evidence that either other people agree with you and/or there is some objective evidence out there to support what you think. So this is what you want to focus on when gathering articles for your reference section. There’s no hard and fast rule about how many references you need but keep in mind that the more references you have the greater your argument might be.

Do I Need an Abstract?

Provide a brief Abstract at the beginning of your Commentary summarizing your main points and provide a few Key Words. These are a few words that relate directly to what you are writing about. These are important so that people looking for literature on the topic you are writing about will be able to find your article in various indexing databases.(see Dr. Madeline Behrendt’s paper in JVSR on Women’s Health for an example of an Abstract and Key Words.)

What About Sub-Headings?

You’ll also want to section off your article based on the topics you cover by using sub-headings, for example in my article on Research Infrasturecture I had the following sub headings: Science in the Chiropractic Profession, Financial Issues, A Few Good People, Responsibility of Subluxation-Based Chiropractors, The Role of the Practitioner, and Hear the Hoofbeats?

Conclusion

This article briefly reviewed the main components of how to write a Commentary. As with any type of article you might write the first and most important step is getting something on paper. Start with your title if you’re having trouble knowing where to begin and go from there. When I have writer’s block I just start writing whatever my thoughts are on the subject I’m trying to write about whether they are in any logical order or not. Other times I make a list of points I want to make in the article and then I work on tying it all together. Different people will require different ways of going about it but the main thing is that there is no right or wrong way. Whatever gets the job done is what counts.

References

1. American Medical Association Manual of Style. Eighth Edition. 1989 American Medical Association. Dearborn, Illinois.
2. Huth, EJ. Writing and Publishing in Medicine. Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins; 3rd edition, 1999
3. Webster’s New World Dictionary. Third Collegiate Edition.
4. McCoy, M. The Role of Science in Chiropractic – Time for a Change. J. of Vert. Subluxation Research. Vol. 4 No. 4. July 2002.
5. Behrendt, M. The Role and Relationship of Chiropractic and Women’s Health Issues – A Call for Research. J. of Vert. Subluxation Research. Vol. 4 No. 1. October 2000.

Suggested Examples for Commentaries       

Commentary
The Role and Relationship of Chiropractic and Women's Health Issues - A Call for Research   [October 2000, Vol 4, No. 1]
Madeline Behrendt, D.C. Bio 
Abstract