An editorial article is very specific expression of opinion. We all have opinions, right? Yet not all of us are editorial writers and not all editorials are worth reading. The editorial can be about anything and about anyone’s point of view on recent article or response to the issues of the day. Editorial are the easiest way of outreaching to readers around the world. Editorial are not limited to medical journals but can be a mode of expression in magazines, newspapers or posted on internet as blog. As long as you have opinions well supported with facts or evidences, you have the makings of an interesting piece in form of an editorial. Despite the wide variations in opinion, there are specific sets of guidelines to inscribe clinical oriented articles that can improve your articles’ outreach and readability.
Decide on a Topic
Brainstorming is a great technique to help you figure out what topics you want to cover in your editorial. Think about your topic from the ideas you get, decide which topic is most important and why you’ve chosen it first. For example, if you're writing an editorial on breast cancer in females, you could write about the aetiology, History, Markers for identification, genetic research and their influence on treatment...… The list goes on. The topic should be arguable and have different viewpoints. The editorial may reflect your personal bias, so expect some of the readers to disagree with you
Plan Ahead
Writing on some topic with only an inexplicit opinion without refining into something sharp with distinctive outlook is a common error. Be sure of the available data to make a solid grasp of your arguments in an opinion. Take a moment to collect and recollect all the factors that inspired you to write on a particular issue. Without planning, your editorial is bound to get disorganized and difficult to deliver. Short editorials require even more meticulous planning so that they could be as comprehensive as possible.
If you want your editorial to be expressible for a particular topic, you should have researched and reviewed the related literature beforehand and well correlated with the previous published researches in case if it’s an original work. You may have to collect ideas again and again and discard them till you narrow down your topics sufficiently to make an impactful editorial. The literature search with results and limitations on a particular topic can help you in deciding your article of interest with mass appeal.
Research and Explore your Topic
Why should someone read your editorial? If your editorial has a particular message and people can learn something on that particular subject, they will not only read but also fetch citations for you by quoting them at relevant places. Even though the editorials are opinion based, the first thing that impress every researcher is the amount of facts that have backed up your write up. So, do your homework appropriately before you start writing. If you have researched adequately before writing, you will have more quality details to incorporate into your article. Remember, the more captive facts you present in your article, the more loyal readers you will have.
Mine the Data
An editorial is only as good as its facts. Now a days in the era of internet, factual data mining for article writing has become very reliable and fast. The search engines like Google Scholar, EMBASE, PUBMED, Science Direct, SCOPUS and Cochrane library to name a few, have made it possible to extract even very minute detail of data at your fingertips with ease and storing for references too. An appropriate data mining involves: executive summary of interest, recent research achievements, trends of further research on that topic, research challenges, finding and future recommendations. Key point is doing the research for every aspect of your topic and remember to cite as many facts as possible while remembering the fact that generalities are the death of interesting editorials.
Recognize the Opposition
The only way to create a fully formed editorial with tons of profundity and tenderness is to understand what the other side is arguing. Writers choose to address their opposition because it helps to reinforce and develop their own ideas and credibility. Take proper time to understand the opposition’s point of view and refute them with your evidences. You can only combat a particular argument if you know exactly what that argument is. This not only boost the level of trust that the reader has for both you and your opinion but also strengthen your argument by diminishing your opposition’s influences. This also illustrate a well-versed indulgent of the topic (you know all the key points and arguments, not just the ones that support your stance). It is not the writer’s goal to deride or disgrace the opposition. The opposition is a part of the audience, too, and the part that needs the most persuasion. . A writer should use respectful wording that doesn’t show bias.
Draw an Outline
Once a topic is selected and researched adequately, draw a rough outline to keep editorial flow well organised and specific to the content. Prioritise the major points that support your article and Label them appropriately. Divide the body of the editorial into paragraphs each containing supporting facts or arguments for each major point. A basic outline not only organise your thoughts, but also keep a check on prescribed time limit in which your writing should be accomplished.
Keep it Short and Sweet
Short sentences are easier to digest than long ones. It's okay to vary sentences to make your writing more interesting, but still be careful about their length. Always remember that a long sentence or phrase will make the content boring resulting in poor audience's attention. Short paragraphs are a necessity in article writing. In most cases for strong readability, restrict a paragraph to no more than five sentences. Always narrate yourself in simple English and easy to understand words or phrases to appeal the broadest audience. Long narratives takes the shine of editorial. The best editorials are informative and educational without being too wordy or complicated.
Remember the Cardinal rule of writing: whenever possible use short and concise sentences, be clear, re-read, proofread, edit your own work, cut the Jargon and dispose of filler words. A good rule of thumb is “one thought per sentence.” If there are too many interrelated ideas in one sentence, your readers may get lost and just give up. Keep reading, keep writing but please remember that well-written articles are like poetry, they flow!
Be simple, clear, precise and professional – Be a better Academic writer
