Structural variables in six different journals

(n=50)

N Eng J

Lancet

BMJ

J Ped

Ped R

Archives

1997 impact factor

27.8

16.1

5.0

2.8

2.7

1.7

Title: with active verb (out of 50)

14

2

3

9

23

5

: colon

-

7

33

12

5

4

: fewer than 10 words

11

9

4

12

7

26

: 20 words or more

1

1

10

6

5

-

Intro: seminar

45

34

37

47

44

43

:alarmist

2

10

4

2

3

4

:much discussion recently

3

6

9

1

3

3

:last sentence: key

38

36

37

32

33

21

Methods: use of ‘we’

31

32

34

17

13

11

Discussion: 1st sentence: key

32

33

32

26

29

26

Last sentence: puzzle solved

27

19

22

26

20

27

:perhaps/possibly

17

21

16

16

20

10

::more res’ch indicated:

6

10

12

8

10

13

References: >30

21

11

8

19

31

12

Mean numbers of

 words in title

12.1(±3.8)

13.4 (±4.1)

16.2(±4.1)

13.6(4.9)

14.3(4.3)

9.8(3.5)

 authors

8.3(±3.5)

7.1(±3.3)

4.9(±2.9)

7.0(±3.9)

5.2(±2.6)

4.3(2.0)

 paras in intro

2.6(±1.1)

2.6(±1.3)

2.3(±0.9)

2.6(±1.1)

3.0(±1.3)

2.7(±1.3)

 paras/methods

9.2(±3.3)

7.6(±3.6)

6.0(±3.7)

6.7(±3.4)

9.6(±3.8)

6.5(±4.0)

 paras/results

8.9(±3.8)

6.1(±2.9)

5.9(±3.1)

7.0(±3.9)

6.3(±2.9)

6.1(±4.0)

 paras/discussion

6.9(±1.8)

7.0(±2.6)

7.4(±2.8)

7.3(±2.8)

8.5(±3.4)

6.9(±2.8)

 figures

1.5 (±1.3)

1.7 (±2.2)

0.7 (±1.0)

1.8 (±1.6)

3.8 (±2.0)

1.3 (±1.4)

 tables

3.4(±1.2)

2.8(±1.4)

3.0(±1.4)

2.6(±1.3)

2.2(±1.8)

2.2(±1.6)

 references

31.0(±11.0)

25.6(±7.0)

24.2(±12.7)

30(±11.4

35(±10.2)

22.1(±10.7)