Putting pen to paper on that case report

 

These days, it is more likely to start with spilling coffee over your keyboard.  Buy the big box of Goldfish™ because this writing thing will take a while.

Here’s a roadmap to get you started:

Search the relevant literature, whether veterinary and other: make sure a similar case is not already out there.  Google Scholar makes this easy, but it isn’t the only database to search.  Expect to find cases supporting your ideas, and perhaps some that don’t.

Get your case information NOW: not when you can get around to it, because you won’t.  You do not want to be looking for things while you are writing.

Pick a target journal (or three): read around and decide which one publishes reports along the lines of what you want to write.  Remember to understand the author guidelines to save reviewers (and you) much more work later on hammering your manuscript into shape.  Guys, I am speaking directly to you, this is a time to read the directions.

So now you are all fired up and ready to go.  I said in a previous post that case report structure is less defined than that for scientific reports.  While this is true, you do need to have logical progression of thought and be comprehensive yet succinct.  Walk the reader through the case beginning with previous history, presenting signs, diagnostics performed, initial treatment plan, case progression, and end the case narrative with a statement of the outcome with follow up if possible.  The discussion part follows, and this is where the value comes for many readers, I know it does for me.  This is a comprehensive literature review that supports and expands upon the case as presented.  Write the abstract last as you will then have the best chance to get the entire story compressed into the least number of words.

To save space here I expanded on this a few years back in an article published in Equine Veterinary Education titled, not very surprisingly, How to write a clinical case report.1  At least you know exactly what you are getting, and it is a very important thing to unambiguously telegraph content to any potential reader who may come across your published report.

You will like what you have done until you read it the next day.  Expect to rewrite many times.  Even then your shiny new manuscript will go through a review process that appears mysterious from the outside but is a huge commitment from all involved.  It takes longer than you want and is sometimes not as forgiving as you would like it to be.  Accept suggested revision points with good grace and be prepared to explain things that to you, as the case manager on the spot, appeared obvious.  Good quality images are highly desirable.  Expect things to go back and forth at least once.

Rejection is always a possibility.  Perhaps get in some Ben and Jerry’s™ for the editorial decision letter…yay or nay, you are covered.

1.    Morresey PR. How to write a clinical case report. Equine Vet Educ 2019;31:620-623.

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