Editorial: Essentials of Research and Publications in Radiology

Recent times have witnessed remarkable advancements in scientific research, primarily driven by significant technological, infrastructure, and communication systems developments. Medicine, especially Radiology, has been at the forefront of this progress due to the integration of sophisticated imaging hardware and continuously evolving software. This advancement has notably enhanced the accuracy of imaging-based pathological diagnoses across various human diseases.

Once appropriate imaging systems are established, it becomes crucial to disseminate their significance and practical applications to the medical community for effective patient care that can only be achieved through commitment to accurate and effective scientific communication. In this context, publications adhering to specific rules, ethics, and principles become important for sharing knowledge.

During our numerous discussions addressing the relatively limited structured research programs in many of our medical institutions, the inadequate encouragement for research pursuits, and the lack of enthusiasm for publishing our research experiences, we conceptualized creating a comprehensive resource that would serve as a valuable guide for prospective researchers. We shared these ideas with the leadership of the Indian Radiological and Imaging Association (IRIA) and the editorial board of the Indian Journal of Radiology and Imaging (IJRI), who enthusiastically supported our endeavors. Preliminary progress had already been made with the successful organization of several national-level webinars on the IJRI/IRIA platform concerning this subject.

This Special Issue of IJRI, thus, came into being with the combined efforts of the IJRI editorial team, editors of the issue, and the contributing authors who have painstakingly made efforts to submit their well-researched manuscripts within the fixed time-frames allotted to them.

The entire issue is broadly divided into three categories, beginning with a reference to how scientific research came into existence, its evolution with time, and the principles it has adhered to. The readers are also introduced to the concept of “physician–scientist” while providing insights into radiology publications and highlighting ethics and morality in scientific research. The second section deals with practical tips on approaching scientific writing, starting with tips for selecting a journal, formulating a research question, and carrying out the actual research, including statistical analysis of the results obtained. Putting the results into words involves choosing the right title for one's manuscript, introducing the subject, writing discussions based on the results, and citing relevant articles in a bibliography related to one's manuscript. Editorial and Reviewer perspectives, including their approach to analyzing manuscripts, are also highlighted along with systematic algorithms for conducting randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The last section dwells on other contemporary aspects of scientific writing, comprising grant writing, evolving methods to transform oral/poster presentations into manuscripts, the role of mentoring, and artificial intelligence as an aid to scientific publications.

We hope this issue fosters academic pursuits, promotes research, and encourages publications from our radiology community. We appeal to all our fellow radiologists to come forward and contribute in every way to justify the purpose of this issue.

Publication History

Article published online:
09 January 2025