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.
