If you can check off each item on this list, then your article is ready for submission.
General
- Is the article within your area of expertise?
- Does the article focus specifically on the title (as opposed to taking a general approach)?
- Have you directly addressed the reader’s likely concerns?
- If the title is a compound title, does your approach reflect paired rather than parallel treatment?
- Is the article an appropriate length, i.e., 400-500 words for Topic View and 200-250 words for Topic View Lite?
Introduction
- Does the introduction briefly address (in 75-100 words) the answer or conclusion to the title question or topic?
- Does it provide an overview of the content presented in detail in the body of the article?
Content & Construction
- Is each section roughly 75-100 words?
- Does the content reflect standard medical practice?
- Is the article evidence-based? Are relevant practice guidelines/practice standards included and referenced?
- Is the most relevant information included? Are there any critical omissions, e.g., common signs/symptoms, treatments, side effects?
- Is the information presented in most-to-least-common order (signs/symptoms) or least-to-most-invasive order (treatment)?
- Is the article informational rather than instructional? i.e., have you avoided offering medical advice/recommendations for topics other than common, typically self-limiting ailments that do not usually require professional medical intervention or evaluation, and for which the potential for harm is minimal?
Facts
- Are all factual statements accurate and statistics the most current available?
- Are all statistics in the article accompanied by an in-text citation to credit the primary source?
- Is data from the literature presented accurately? Are the findings appropriately qualified? Is the information overstated or misrepresented?
References & Sources
- Have you used primary high-quality professional references instead of patient or consumer information sites?
- Have you used parenthetical notes to point the Content Reviewer to the source for all facts and statistics, e.g., (see ref 1, p.2)?
Language & Voice
- Is the article written in consistent 2nd or 3rd person voice?
- Have you used a writing style appropriate for online, lay readers and avoided an academic or journal-like style?
- Is your sentence structure simple and straightforward?
- Does your article include any technical terms/medical jargon that the reader may not understand?
- Have all necessary technical terms been explained on first use?
- Is the voice of the article authoritative yet friendly? Is the voice too casual, colloquial or cheeky?
- Has the information been presented neutrally, without introducing personal bias?
Warnings
- Have you included all appropriate warnings, including signs and symptoms that necessitate medical attention (especially for urgent or emergency situations); black-box warnings for medications; and dangerous drug or drug-supplement interactions?
- Are the warnings prominent and not buried in the text of an article?
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