Hey there, my fellow clinical researcher!

If you’ve been following along, you know we’ve already navigated the swirling storm of ideas in the ‘dump’ phase of manuscript writing. Remember all those fragmented thoughts, exciting insights, and spur-of-the-moment epiphanies you poured onto paper? Yep, those!

Well, guess what? Now, it’s time to make sense of that chaos, to mold those individual notes into a harmonious tune. And that’s where ‘LUMP’ (and this post) comes in!

Imagine you’ve just spilled a jigsaw puzzle onto the table. The pieces are scattered, upside down, and jumbled. The ‘LUMP’ phase is like that thrilling moment when you start turning over pieces, grouping them by color, edge, and pattern. Suddenly, you see parts of the bigger picture emerge. And, much like that, in manuscript writing, the ‘LUMP’ phase is your opportunity to build a coherent, structured, and flowing narrative from the randomness.

Let’s dive right in! You can follow along with our manuscript writing template here!📝

STEP 2- LUMP: Turning Your Ideas into A Harmonious Symphony

The manuscript journey isn’t linear. Once you’ve dumped your thoughts and insights onto paper, it’s time to shuffle the pieces into appropriate places. This phase, which I fondly term as the ‘LUMP’ stage, is all about organization, clarity, and ensuring that your arguments flow seamlessly.

It’s where all your ideas find their rightful place, fitting seamlessly into a coherent story, much like an orchestra tuning their instruments to make sure everything sounds just right. Ready to tune up? Let’s strike a chord and see how to make your thoughts sing in harmony.

Grouping by Themes: Cohesion is Key

While in the ‘dump’ phase you gave freedom to your thoughts, the ‘LUMP’ phase is about grouping. Identify sentences or ideas that resonate on the same frequency and lump them together. Think of it as sorting puzzle pieces by color before piecing them all together. It’s much easier to see the whole picture that way, right?

Pinpoint the Gaps

As you sift through your manuscript, there’ll be moments of pause, instances where you sense that an idea needs more fleshing out, or certain sections appear disjointed. Mark these. Whether it’s a need for additional data, a clarifying statement, or an entirely new section, acknowledging these gaps is the first step to addressing them. Recognizing these little voids is like identifying the missing notes in a song.

Paragraph Structures: Setting the Rhythm

Contrary to many non-scientific writing styles, scientific paragraphs have a distinct structure. They commence with a strong, declarative sentence that sets the tone. What follows is a defense of that statement, often backed by data, references, and rationale (creating a harmonious blend). Here’s an example paragraph from one of my recent review papers:

“It is plausible that a combination of CRP levels and MRI findings at baseline may provide better insight as to the inflammatory burden of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) than either factor alone. Elevated CRP levels are associated with a favorable treatment response in axSpA; however, the association of inflammation on MRI with treatment response is unclear (2, 3). The CRP level is elevated in only 40% to 50% of patients with axSpA; however, when present, it correlates well with disease activity (4, 5). CRP levels do not always correlate with MRI findings, and MRI inflammation could be noted in patients with normal CRP levels (6–8). Furthermore, the correlation between inflammation on MRI and disease activity is low, so MRI may provide additional information about disease activity (9). A more nuanced understanding of the relationships between CRP levels, MRI findings, and treatment response could help identify specific subpopulations of patients who might benefit from targeted therapeutic approaches. Understanding differences in treatment response across subpopulations with differing inflammatory burdens could pave the way for personalized medicine strategies in axSpA.”

Karmacharya et. al. ACR Open Rheumatol. 2023

Recognize how the first sentence of the paragraph (bolded above) makes a declarative statement and the rest of the paragraph explains this sentence and provides evidence backed by references. By leading with a robust statement and then substantiating it, you’re guiding your readers through a logical flow of information, ensuring they’re aligned with your perspective from the get-go.

Pro Tips for the LUMP

• Outline Redux: Remember that trusty outline you hopefully scribbled down at the very beginning? 📝 Well, it’s time to pull it out and give it another look-over. Compare your initial roadmap with your current content. How closely do they align? Have new themes emerged? Adapt and recalibrate as needed!
• Section Check: Journals and conferences often provide guidelines detailing the structure they expect in a manuscript. Ensure that your document aligns with these requisites. If certain sections are mandatory, ensure they’re fleshed out comprehensively.

The ‘LUMP’ phase, therefore, isn’t just about rearranging content. It’s a systematic refinement process, ensuring that each piece of information has a clear purpose, and collectively, they drive home your central thesis. Remember, the art of writing is as much about structuring as it is about articulating. On to the next stage of our manuscript crafting journey! Learn the next steps for further revising the manuscript in part III of our manuscript writing series.

PS: Don’t forget to grab your manuscript writing template here!📝