A 4-Part Guide to Clinical Publishing, From First Idea to First Review

Writing and publishing a paper is a skill, and like any skill it is learned in steps. Over the past several months, IJMSC has released a 4-part webinar series that walks through those steps in order, from the observation that sparks a question to the review of someone else’s manuscript. Editor in chief François Bethoux, MD, hosts all 4, joined by associate editors Elizabeth S. Gromisch, PhD, and Mary Alissa Willis, MD.

The series was built for clinicians who have an idea and no clear sense of what comes next: students, early-career researchers, and anyone whose clinical observations keep outrunning the literature. Each episode runs 15 minutes or less and stands on its own.

Webinar 1: From the Spark of an Idea to a Published Paper
Most papers begin with something noticed during an ordinary clinic week. This episode covers confirming that a knowledge gap is real, letting the shape of that gap choose the format, and applying the “so what” test before any writing starts.

Webinar 2: From Conference Poster to Manuscript
A poster provides the outline of an article; the author has to fill in all the details. Covers which posters are worth expanding, the IMRAD structure, reporting clinical alongside statistical significance, authorship criteria, AI disclosure, and a 90-day submission target.

Webinar 3: Searching With Purpose: Building a Literature Review
Systematic or scoping, PICO or PCC, MeSH terms and repeatable search strings, backward and forward citation searching, and why a medical librarian is an underused (and key!) resource.

Webinar 4: Peer Review, Learning How and Learning From It
Accepting and declining invitations, mentored reviews, reading a manuscript in passes, working through a checklist, and writing comments that take a paper from good to great.

If the series leaves you ready to take a step, we have 2 open doors. Manuscripts can be submitted through our usual process, and clinicians interested in joining the review team can contact journal administrator Charlene Belsole at belsolc@ccf.org.

One year you may be the author, the next you are the reviewer. Both roles improve the lives of people living with multiple sclerosis.