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Research
Physician assistants/ physician associates are masters of many skills that are required to publish and present research. Review this page for resources, opportunities, references, and other tips to join the research community.
Current Opportunities
Publishing research can be done any day and at any time. However, presenting research requires meeting specific criteria and following deadlines. Nearly all conferences offered for continuing medical education will submit a call for research proposals prior to the event. Subscribe to their mailing list to get all the news and updates needed!
Research - Your Questions Answered
What is Academic Research?
Academic research is any investigation into a scientific topic using published evidence and a systematic and scientific method. The most common types of studies used to perform research include randomized controlled trials, meta analyses, systematic reviews, observational studies (including prospective and historical cohort studies), qualitative studies, case series, and case reports (NIH).
Who is the Target Audience?
The target audience for academic and scientific research is both the science and healthcare community and patients/ the general public. While research is created and interpreted by medical professionals, it is utilized to impact care for the population. When considering an idea for academic research, consider its impact (who will this research help?). When considering interpretation and publication or presentation of academic research, consider your audience (who are you presenting to?). Most often, research is presented to peers. But research may also be shared with patients and communities, who may better understand the work and results when explained with appropriate terminology.
What Resources Can I Use?
Any references and resources used to produce and publish academic research should be peer-reviewed and medically-sound. Using large databases such as PubMed, which is a part of the National Institute of Health's National Library of Medicine, Cochrane Library, and/ or your local university's health science library can be helpful to quickly identify applicable information.
The quality of evidence in a study is extremely contigent upon the study type and design. Generally, a randomized controlled trial, or a systematic review and meta-analysis of multiple randomized controlled trials, is the highest quality evidence available through the scientific process. But even high quality studies have limitations and biases. Anecdotal evidence (or hearsay) and case reports are the lowest quality evidence, as they are least likely to be generalizable and are extremely biased by personal conditions.
Can I work in a Group?
Yes! Working in a peer group is incredibly common in academic research. A group may include only physician assistants (PAs) or may be a mix of PAs, NPs, pharmacists, clinical scientists, statisticians, librarians, physicians, students, and more. It is important to include all contributors as authors for your work and recognize their efforts when published or presenting.
Publishing Research in a Medical Journal
What are Common Types of Publications?
There are many types of publications accepted by medical journals. Some of the most common include a manuscript of original research (using a reputable study design and an original idea), a brief report (a shorter version of a manuscript including original data), a case report, an "image of the day," a continuing medical education article, an editorial or special article (often opinion-based commentary on a pertinent topic), a letter to the editor (potentially a response to another publication within that journal), and more. Not every published work needs to be 20 pages! Review the guide for authors to see what articles are accepted for the journal you're interested in.
Where Can I Publish?
You can publish anywhere that accepts you! But it is important to consider the credibility of the journal publishing your work. Generally, a site that offers to publish for a payment is less credible, as those articles may not be peer-reviewed. Similarly, a very minimally read or referenced journal may not promote your work to have much impact in the medical community. A way to discern journal credibility and viewership is through its impact factor, which is published online. Impact factor is influenced by how often a journal's works are referenced in other published works, which speaks to how often a journal is read and cited and correlates with its audience size. While journal impact is important, also consider the journal's audience. If you're hoping to reach other PAs, consider a journal compiled and published for PA readers, such as the Journal of the American Academy of Physician Associates (JAAPA) or the Journal of Physician Assistant Education (JPAE).
What Guidelines Should I Follow?
The guidelines for publishing your manuscript or work should *always* be tailored specifically to the criteria of the journal for which you aim to submit. It would, of course, be less time consuming to format your work to multiple journals, in case you need to submit to more than one journal to be accepted. However, works that do not meet a journal's criteria are automatically sent back to the author for revision. While it is time-consuming, always review the guide for authors (usually available as a PDF or hyperlink on the journal's webpage) prior to submission.
Many journals are different in how they prefer works submitted to be formatted and uploaded. Some may prefer everything in a single document, and many others prefer all tables, graphs, statistical data, title pages, and references to be uploaded separately from the main content. Be sure to save everything clearly and label your work appropriately so you can upload and format to the standards each journal sets.
Who Is Reviewing My Work?
Every peer-reviewed journal is considered as such because all submissions are reviewed by... peers! PAs and other healthcare providers are encouraged to volunteer to read and review submissions to specific journals for topics within their specialty. Feedback provided by the peer reviewers is then considered by the editing team of the journal before being sent back to you, the author, for consideration of their feedback and suggested revisions.
How Long Until I Hear Back if I'm Published?
It varies. Many journals may have a several month process of review and revision before sending the work back to the author. Don't be discouraged! If your work is in review, it is not dismissed until the journal responds as such.
Will I be Paid for my Submission?
Almost definitely not. In fact, be wary of journals, especially those that are online and/ or not peer-reviewed, offering money for submissions. Even though academic research is a time-consuming endeavor, it is an excellent means of career promotion, and it is a nearly standard requirement for all healthcare faculty. There is competition out there, and reputable journals do not need to pay authors for their work.
Presenting Your Research
Where Can I Present My Work?
Wherever proposals are accepted is where you can present! There are literally hundreds if not thousands of conferences held for medical professionals in the US and beyond where original research and academic presentations are welcomed and sought after. What conferences do you enjoy attending? What is your area of expertise? Follow those groups, check their webpages, and search for applicable conferences to find dates and timelines for accepted submissions. If not interested in presenting for continuing medical education (CME), consider reaching out to a local PA program or to your healthcare leadership to present your work to students or peers.
What Type of Format is Best for a Presentation?
There are generally a few types of academic presentations. If presenting at a conference, most work is presented as either a poster, a short oral presentation (~5-15 min), or a longer oral presentation (~ 40-60 min). Academic posters have specific standards for size, organization, and included detail, which should be clearly relayed to all presenters. Oral presentations are often delivered with visual aids such as a PowerPoint presentation. A presentation to your health system (such as Grand Rounds) or to a PA program is also often facilitated through use of a PowerPoint. Review the guides and expectations set by the conference, health system, or PA program for advice and criteria for presenting a poster or lecture with PowerPoint.
Who Is Reviewing My Work?
Most conferences are put on my PA or other medical societies and/ or associations who will ask for volunteers to review submitted presentations for applicability to the conference's goal topics. As such, submitted works are reviewed by a set of peers before decided if accepted for presentation. Occasionally, those peers and conference organizers will decide the type of presentation the author will give according to how the author's topic aligns with the conference program. More commonly, the author selects the type of presentation they'd prefer to give with their work included for review.
How Long Until I Hear Back if I'm Accepted?
If offering to provide a lecture or presentation to your health system or a local PA program, you may hear back in days to weeks. If you've submitted to present at an academic conference, you may not hear back for several months. Know that you haven't gotten a "no" or a "yes" until you've received a response!
Will I be Paid for my Presentation?
Maybe. Your health system and a local PA program may pay for presenters or lecturers with a fixed rate or hourly wage. However, academic conferences rarely pay their presenters, as an academic presentation is considered scholarly work that promotes the author's career.