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Praise for Anatomy of Writing
for Publication for Nurses, Third Edition
“Cynthia Saver opens our eyes to the art and beauty of writing as she provides steps to con-
quer common fears that new writers face. By comparing writing to human systems, she
presents an easy-to-follow template for the beginning writer while providing compelling
insights about publication, presentation, and promotion. Whether you are new to writing or
an experienced writer who needs a refresher, this book is essential to have on your shelf.”
– Jackie Gonzalez, DNP, ARNP, MBA, NEA-BC, FAAN
Senior Vice President/Chief Nursing Officer
Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, Miami Children’s Health System

“Cynthia Saver has compiled the quintessential writing guide for nurses, whether novice or
experienced writers, as well as anyone in healthcare and beyond. From getting published in
commercial and peer-reviewed journals to writing evidence-based project reports or creat-
ing and promoting a blog, Anatomy of Writing for Publication for Nurses covers it all. I
refer to this book and recommend it often. It is a must-have for every professional nurse’s
personal library.”
– Donna Cardillo, MA, RN
Author, Columnist, and President, DonnaCardillo.com
Expert blogger at DoctorOz.com
“Dear Donna” columnist at Nurse.com

“Writing is a critical skill in communicating the value and essence of nursing and advocating
for healthcare. Anatomy of Writing for Publication for Nurses, Third Edition, demystifies
the writing process, provides insider perspectives, demonstrates sequential steps, and out-
lines a road map for success across a range of genres. This book will be a valuable resource
for nurses committed to disseminating information and advancing our profession.”
– Patricia M. Davidson, PhD, MEd, RN, FAAN
Dean & Professor, Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing

“This much-needed book serves as a call to action for the entire nursing profession. The
authors develop a compelling argument for our members to publish about our practice. But
most importantly, the authors teach nurses how to face the often-daunting task of writing in
a clear, understandable, practical manner.”
– Margaret A. Fitzgerald, DNP, FNP-BC, NP-C, FAANP, CSP, FAAN, DCC, FNAP
President, Fitzgerald Health Education Associates, LLC
“This guide serves as a primer on writing and publishing for nurses. It has been useful to
DNP students whose expertise lies in clinical practice as they grow in the ability to per-
suasively disseminate nursing knowledge. The text is packed with advice from published
authors, educators, and editors and features resources to make the process of writing and
publishing as familiar as anatomy is to nurses. This book is an essential addition to the
­educator’s toolkit.”
– M. Lindell Joseph, PhD, RN
Associate Clinical Professor, University of Iowa College of Nursing

“This book should be on the shelf of every nursing professional who strives to improve prac-
tice. Writing is an acquired skill, and Cynthia Saver has successfully shared tips and tech-
niques to support writing proficiency. Her work has been well-received by DNP students
and graduates through the DNP Inc. organization. We are honored to work with her and
support this book without hesitation.”
– David G. Campbell-O’Dell, DNP, ARNP, FNP-BC, FAANP
President, DNP Inc.

“Over the past 20 years, I have used numerous resources to help nurses realize their potential
as writers. Cynthia Saver offers the most comprehensive and concise resource for nurses and
nursing students as they develop the knowledge, skills, and habits of scholarly writing—and
for faculty members who facilitate this process. Anatomy of Writing for Publication for
Nurses will strengthen the foundation of every writing scaffold and ultimately help more
nurses realize their potential as writers.”
– Elizabeth A. Gazza, PhD, RN, LCCE, FACCE
Associate Professor, School of Nursing
University of North Carolina Wilmington

“Cynthia Saver’s book is a must-read for both new and more seasoned writers. It provides a
step-by-step guide with all the key ingredients needed for success. This book is essential for
writers who want to see their ideas become published reality!”
– Bernadette Mazurek Melnyk, PhD, RN, CPNP/PMHNP, FAANP, FNAP, FAAN
Vice President for Health Promotion
University Chief Wellness Officer
Dean and Professor, College of Nursing
Professor of Pediatrics & Psychiatry, College of Medicine
Executive Director, the Helene Fuld Health Trust National Institute for EBP
“This edition includes new information on hot issues arising in the last few years, particu-
larly the complexities of open access and tips to avoid predatory publishers. I believe that
writing for publication should be a valuable learning experience that enriches other compo-
nents of academic education. This book provides essential material for faculty and students
to help increase the quality and clarity of their manuscript for successful submission.”
– Marilyn W. Edmunds, PhD, NP
Editor-in-Chief, The Journal for Nurse Practitioners

“What a truly useful book this is—and a wonderful tool for both novice and expert writers.
In an age where good writing and precise expression of thought are becoming both more
valuable and rare, a text such as this is inestimable. What makes this text most useful is
the emphasis on good writing—through use of a primer of skills—followed by the unique
requisites of writing for specific media of the written word. Cynthia Saver and her contribu-
tors have pulled together a resource no writer should do without. What a gift to both writer
and reader!”
– Tim Porter-O’Grady, DM, EdD, APRN, FAAN, FACCWS
Senior Partner, TPOG Associates Inc.
Professor of Practice and Leadership Scholar, The Ohio State University College of Nursing
Professor of Practice, Arizona State University College of Nursing and Health Innovation
Clinical Wound Specialist, Atlanta, Georgia

“Prolific writer Cynthia Saver has brought together experts serving as authors in the third
edition of her book, which helps novice and experienced nurse authors by demystifying the
complexities of effective communication and publishing. This book is written to help nurses
tell important stories that shape the future of practice. A lot of mystery exists in writing for
publication, but Saver and her colleagues have again written an inspirational book that
captures logical and important steps, providing guidance to all who use this reference. This
is an important, updated, and attractive book for everyone’s library. Take the challenge of
writing off your list of concerns and read this new book. You will not be sorry.”
– Jeanette Ives Erickson, DNP, RN, FAAN
Chief Nurse and Senior Vice President for Patient Care Services, Massachusetts General Hospital
Professor, William F. Connell School of Nursing, Boston College
Editorial board for Nursing Research and International Journal of Nursing Knowledge
Anatomy of
WRITING
FOR PUBLICATION
FOR NURSES
Third Edition
Cynthia Saver, MS, RN
Copyright © 2017 by Cynthia L. Saver
All rights reserved. This book is protected by copyright. No part of it may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written
permission from the publisher. Any trademarks, service marks, design rights, or similar rights that are mentioned, used, or
cited in this book are the property of their respective owners. Their use here does not imply that you may use them for simi-
lar or any other purpose.
The author and publisher have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information contained within at the time of
its publication and shall have no liability or responsibility to any person or entity regarding any loss or damage incurred, or
alleged to have incurred, directly or indirectly, by the information contained in this book. The author and publisher make
no warranties, express or implied, with respect to the book content, and no warranties may be created or extended by sales
representatives or written sales materials. The author and publisher have no responsibility for the consistency or accuracy of
URLs and content of third-party websites referenced in this book.
The Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is
advancing world health and celebrating nursing excellence in scholarship, leadership, and service. Founded in 1922,
STTI has more than 135,000 active members in more than 90 countries and territories. Members include practicing
nurses, instructors, researchers, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and others. STTI’s 520 chapters are located at more
than 700 institutions of higher education throughout Armenia, Australia, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Colombia,
England, Ghana, Hong Kong, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Malawi, Mexico, the Netherlands, Pakistan,
Philippines, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Swaziland, Sweden, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, the
United States, and Wales. Learn more at www.nursingsociety.org.
Sigma Theta Tau International
550 West North Street
Indianapolis, IN, USA 46202
To order additional books, buy in bulk, or order for corporate use, contact Nursing Knowledge International at
888.NKI.4YOU (888.654.4968/US and Canada) or +1.317.634.8171 (outside US and Canada).
To request a review copy for course adoption, email solutions@nursingknowledge.org or call 888.NKI.4YOU
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ISBN: 9781945157219
EPUB ISBN: 9781945157226
PDF ISBN: 9781945157233
MOBI ISBN: 9781945157240

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Saver, Cynthia, 1955- author. | Sigma Theta Tau International, issuing
body.
Title: Anatomy of writing for publication for nurses / Cynthia Saver.
Description: Third edition. | Indianapolis, IN : Sigma Theta Tau
International, [2017] | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017017012 (print) | LCCN 2017017928 (ebook) | ISBN
9781945157226 (Epub) | ISBN 9781945157233 (Pdf) | ISBN 9781945157240 (
Mobi) | ISBN 9781945157219 (print : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781945157240 (mobi)
Subjects: | MESH: Writing | Publishing | Nurses’ Instruction
Classification: LCC RT82 (ebook) | LCC RT82 (print) | NLM WZ 345 | DDC
610.73--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017017012

First Printing, 2017


Publisher: Dustin Sullivan Principal Book Editor: Carla Hall
Acquisitions Editor: Emily Hatch Book Editor: Meaghan O’Keeffe
Editorial Coordinator: Paula Jeffers Proofreader: Heather Wilcox
Cover Designer: Katy Bodenmiller Indexer: Larry D. Sweazy
Interior Design/Page Layout: Kim Scott
Dedication
To all my writing mentors over the years, my family (especially my mother,
who introduced me to the pleasure of reading and writing), and Jackie and David.
Acknowledgements
Thank you to my incredible team of contributors. I am honored to be in such stellar company.
The contributors bring a wonderful wealth of collective knowledge that reflects all the roles of
publishing—author, editor, peer reviewer, designer, publisher—along with a strong commit-
ment to help nurses share their expertise through being published.

Thanks to Joan Borgatti for first linking anatomy to writing, and to Judith Mitiguy and
­Patricia Dwyer Schull for their insightful comments and unfailing support.

Special thanks to the talented staff members at Sigma Theta Tau International, who always
make authors look great: to Meaghan O’Keefe, for her expert editing; Heather Wilcox, for her
eagle-eyed proofreading; Katy Bodenmiller, for designing an outstanding cover; Kim Scott,
for a reader-friendly layout; Larry Sweazy, for creating the index—the unsung hero for readers
seeking information quickly; and Carla Hall and Emily Hatch, for their generous support.
About the Author
Cynthia Saver, MS, RN, President, CLS Development Inc.
Cynthia Saver, an award-winning author, has nearly 4 decades of experience in nursing, includ-
ing more than 3 decades of publishing experience as a writer, editor, and senior vice president
of editorial. She has written for many nursing publications, including American Nurse Today,
American Journal of Nursing, AORN Journal, Journal of Nursing Regulation, Nurse.com, Nurse
Leader, Nursing Management, The Nurse Practitioner, and OR Manager, to name a few. Her
writing experience includes articles on writing for publication, research reports, case studies,
interviews, clinical articles, and continuing education programs. She has written materials for
nurses, physicians, pharmacists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, dentists, and other
healthcare professionals. Saver has worked with top publishers as an author, editor, managing
editor, and editorial director. Her writing for publication program for nurses has received excel-
lent reviews—and participants have published many articles. She received her master’s degree
in nursing from The Ohio State University, is an author-in-­residence for Nurse Author & Editor,
and founder of CLS Development, an editorial services firm.

About the Contributors


Mary Alexander, MA, RN, CRNI®, CAE, FAAN, Chief Executive Officer,
Infusion Nurses Society (INS)
Mary Alexander was named Chief Executive Officer of the Infusion Nurses Society (INS) and
the Infusion Nurses Certification Corporation (INCC) in 1997. She is responsible for ensuring
consistent delivery of professional services to the 7,000 members of INS and 3,400 certificants
of INCC. As Editor of the Journal of Infusion Nursing, Alexander writes bimonthly columns
and has editorial responsibilities for INS Newsline, the bimonthly membership newsletter. She
is Editor of Core Curriculum for Infusion Nursing (4th ed.) and Editor-in-Chief of the INS text-
book Infusion Nursing: An Evidence-Based Approach. Alexander’s areas of expertise include
infusion therapy with an emphasis on patient safety, practitioner competency, and standards
development. Her clinical experience spans a variety of practice settings, including home care,
alternative sites, and acute care settings.

Nancy J. Brent, MS, JD, RN, Nurse Attorney, Private Practice


After practicing and teaching psychiatric nursing for more than 15 years, Nancy J. Brent
graduated from Loyola University of Chicago School of Law in 1981. Her private practice is
concentrated in professional licensure defense for nurses and other healthcare providers, con-
sultation to nurses and school of nursing faculty, and educational programs in law and nursing
practice for nurses and other healthcare groups. She has published extensively in the area of
law and nursing practice. Brent is also the author of a legal blog at www.nurse.com, and a twice
monthly blog for CPH & Associates, a provider of professional liability insurance for nurses, at
www.cphins.com/blog.
x Anatomy of Writing for Publication for Nurses

Christopher Burton, DPhil, RN, Noreen Edwards Chair of


Rehabilitation & Nursing Research, Bangor University, Wales
Christopher Burton is Codirector of Implement@Bangor, a program for researchers and prac-
titioners who have an interest in untangling the challenges of implementation and improve-
ment within health services. Burton has a special interest in implementation and improvement
in stroke and other complex clinical conditions. He currently holds a fellowship from the UK
Health Foundation and is investigating how implementation activities that incorporate strong
patient and public involvement create value for professionals and health organizations.

Nan Callender-Price, MA, RN, Clinical Nursing Editorial Director, OnCourse Learning
Nan Callender-Price, who has worked in nursing and healthcare publishing for the past
21 years, has helped dozens of nurse authors develop continuing education programs. She
holds a BA in English literature from University of California, Berkeley; a BSN from University
of California, San Francisco; and an MA in education from San Francisco State University. She
practiced in women and children’s health at Kaiser Permanente, San Francisco.

Marianne Ditomassi, DNP, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, Executive Director of Nursing


and Patient Care Services Operations and Magnet® Recognition,
Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)
Marianne Ditomassi supports the work of the Senior Vice President for Patient Care and Chief
Nurse, who oversees the operations of nursing, therapy departments, and social services.
­Ditomassi’s key areas of accountability include strategic planning, professional practice envi-
ronment development and evaluation, recruitment and retention initiatives, business plan-
ning, fundraising, and communications. She also is the Magnet Program Director for MGH
and coordinated MGH’s initial Magnet designation journey in 2003 and subsequent Magnet
­redesignations in 2008 and 2013.

Susan Gennaro, PhD, RN, FAAN, Dean and Professor,


Connell School of Nursing, Boston College
Susan Gennaro is an internationally renowned perinatal clinician and scholar whose research
has helped improve healthcare for childbearing women and their families around the world.
She is also Editor of Journal of Nursing Scholarship, which is read in more than 100 countries
and whose mission is to improve the health of the world’s people. Gennaro has been active in
supporting that mission by working to define best practices for the promotion of global dis-
semination of nursing scholarship.

Julie A. Goldsmith, PhD, Fellow, Institute of American Thought,


Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis
Julie A. Goldsmith was Editor of the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau Interna-
tional (STTI) quarterly magazine, Reflections, from 1991 to 2000 and creator and writer
About the Contributors xi

of its television program, Nursing Approach, on CNBC-TV’s American Medical Television


from 1998 to 2000. Following her work for STTI, she received a fellowship from the National
Institutes of Health to study biomedical communications in an interdisciplinary program
at Northwestern University School of Medicine, Kellogg School of Management, and Medill
School of Journalism. A recipient of the American Academy of Nursing’s Media Award and
many other journalism awards, Goldsmith holds a master’s degree in journalism from North-
western University and a doctor of philosophy degree in media and information studies from
Michigan State University. A media historian and communications researcher, she has been a
featured speaker at the Library of Congress, National Endowment for the Humanities, Ameri-
can Library Association, and cultural institutions throughout the nation. Goldsmith counsels
institutions on grant writing and public affairs.

Pamela J. Haylock, PhD, RN, FAAN, Oncology and Cancer Survivorship Consultant
Pamela J. (PJ) Haylock has held staff, management, teaching, and consultation roles in
­oncology care. She is currently adjunct faculty for the Sul Ross State University (Alpine, TX)
in the online RN-to-BSN program. She was a core development team member of the National
Coalition for Cancer Survivorship’s award-winning Cancer Survival Toolbox (audio instruc-
tional programs for survivors and family caregivers), was Cocoordinator of the Life Beyond
Cancer retreats for women survivors, and continues in an advisory role in the planning and
implementation of survivors’ retreats and retreats for oncology nurses. Haylock is Coauthor,
Contributor, and Editor of three trade books directed toward enhancing self-advocacy skills
among people diagnosed with cancer. She has received the Distinguished Alumni Award for
Service from the University of Iowa College of Nursing and a Distinguished Alumni Award
for Service from the University of Iowa.

Shaké Ketefian, EdD, RN, FAAN, Professor Emerita,


University of Michigan School of Nursing
Shaké Ketefian has had a rich academic, scholarly, and administrative career. She has worked
extensively with U.S. and international students and has consulted with many institutions
worldwide, providing curricular consultation, conducting faculty workshops, and teaching.
Ketefian’s research and scholarly expertise and publications have focused on research utiliza-
tion, ethical issues in healthcare, measurement of ethical practice, research ethics, global issues
in healthcare and knowledge development, and graduate and doctoral education in the United
States and worldwide. She has been Editor, Associate Editor, editorial board member, and
reviewer for many international and domestic scholarly journals. Ketefian has provided exten-
sive service to the professional community internationally and has received many awards and
honors. She is a cofounder and Founding President of the International Network for D ­ octoral
Education in Nursing. Ketefian is Professor Emerita of the University of Michigan School
of Nursing.
xii Anatomy of Writing for Publication for Nurses

Timothy Landers, PhD, RN, CNP, CIC, FAAN, Associate Professor,


The Ohio State University
Timothy Landers is a researcher and nurse practitioner with more than 20 years of experience.
His work focuses on epidemiology and prevention of antibiotic-resistant infections. Landers
serves on the editorial board of the American Journal of Infection Control and is chair of the
Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology’s Research Commit-
tee. His scholarly work has been widely featured in the media and lay press. Landers teaches
evidence-based practice in the graduate program at The Ohio State University.

Tina M. Marrelli, MSN, MA, RN, FAAN, Chief Clinical Officer,


Innovative Caregiving Solutions, LLC
Tina M. Marrelli, is Chief Clinical Officer for e-Caregiving Solutions LLC, a web-based cogni-
tive technology company that provides education, information, and support to family, friends,
and other lay caregivers. Marrelli, who as worked in healthcare for more than 20 years, is
the author of numerous books, including Home Care Nursing: Surviving in an Ever-Changing
Care Environment (Sigma Theta Tau International, 2017) and the Handbook of Home Health
Standards: Quality, Documentation and Reimbursement. Her newest book, designed for lay
caregivers, is A Guide for Caregiving: What’s Next? Planning for Safety, Quality, and Compas-
sionate Care for Your Loved One and Yourself (2017). Marrelli served on the workgroups that
defined the first hospice nurse standards and as a reviewer in 2014 for the second edition of
Home Health Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice, published by the American Nurses
Association.

Cheryl L. Mee, MSN, MBA, RN, Manager of Faculty Development, Education, Elsevier
Cheryl L. Mee presents to nursing faculty on such topics as writing for publication and NCLEX
success, and she consults with faculty on analyzing testing data and improving student out-
comes. Previously, she was Vice President of US Nursing and Health Professions Journals at
Elsevier Publishing, managing 54 journals. Mee was Editor-in-Chief of Nursing for 7 years
and has been in publishing for 22 years. She has received national writing awards for her
editorials and helped the journal achieve key publication awards. She received her MSN and
MBA from LaSalle University. Mee helps support Native American nursing students and the
health of the Native American people through her work with Americans for Native Americans
(www.americansfornativeamericans.org).

Cindy L. Munro, PhD, RN, ANP-BC, FAAN, FAANP, Professor and Associate Dean,
Research and Innovation, University of South Florida College of Nursing, Tampa
Cindy L. Munro has served as Coeditor of American Journal of Critical Care for 8 years. An
experienced peer reviewer, she has published more than 150 articles and presented at many
national and international conferences. Munro received a diploma from York Hospital School
of Nursing, a BSN from Millersville University of Pennsylvania, and an MS in nursing from
University of Delaware. She earned her PhD in nursing and microbiology and immunology
About the Contributors xiii

at Virginia Commonwealth University. Her NIH-funded research on oral care in critically


ill adults has had an important effect on clinical practice. In 2016, the STTI inducted Munro
into its International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame. She is an American Academy of Nursing
Edgerunner.

Sandra M. Nettina, MSN, ANP-BC, Nurse Practitioner, Owner, and Founder


of Prime Care House Calls, Howard County, Maryland; Editor, The Lippincott
Manual of Nursing Practice, Wolters Kluwer Health, Philadelphia
Sandi Nettina attended the Sisters of Charity Hospital School of Nursing in Buffalo, NY;
completed a bachelor’s degree at Marymount College of Virginia; and received her MSN from
the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. As an adult nurse practitioner, Nettina’s multi-
dimensional career includes founding a nurse practitioner independent-house-calls practice;
writing, editing, and reviewing for several publishing companies; providing leadership in her
state nurse practitioner association; and volunteering for several health-related organizations.

Leslie H. Nicoll, PhD, MBA, RN, FAAN, Principal and Owner, Maine Desk LLC;
Editor‑in-Chief, CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing and Nurse Author & Editor
Leslie H. Nicoll has more than 40 years of experience in nursing and healthcare and has
worked in clinical practice, research, and academia. She founded Maine Desk LLC in 2001.
Nicoll has been Editor-in-Chief of CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing since 1995 and
Nurse Author & Editor since 2014. She served as Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Hospice and
­Palliative Nursing for 8 years (2001–2009). She is author of more than 120 published profes-
sional articles, book chapters, and books, including Writing in the Digital Age: Savvy Publish-
ing for Healthcare Professionals, which was coauthored with Peggy L. Chinn and published
in 2015. She was founding Editor of Perspectives on Nursing Theory, the first edition of which
was published in 1986. In non-nursing literature, she is author of four “Dummies” books—the
most recent, Kindle Paperwhite for Dummies, was published in 2014. Nicoll enjoys helping
nurses and other healthcare professionals achieve their publication goals through one-on-one
support in her business and through leading writing workshops for the National League for
Nursing, a consortium of universities in Switzerland, and various colleges and schools of nurs-
ing in the United States. Nicoll became a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing in 2014.
She is active in INANE: The International Academy of Nursing Editors and received its leader-
ship award for excellence in editorial publication in 2015.

Susanne J. Pavlovich-Danis, MSN, RN, ARNP-C, CDE, CRRN, Professor, Nursing &
Health Sciences, University of Phoenix, South Florida Campus, Miramar, Florida;
Director of Cinical Continuing Education, TeamHealth Institute, Knoxville, Tennessee
Susanne J. Pavlovich-Danis maintains a private adult primary care practice in Plantation,
­Florida, and is a certified diabetic educator and a certified rehabilitation nurse (CRRN).
She is also an approved continuing nursing education provider in the state of Florida and
an Alzheimer’s education provider recognized by the Florida Department of Elder Affairs.
­Pavlovich-Danis has been published in the nursing literature more than 500 times since 1996.
xiv Anatomy of Writing for Publication for Nurses

Demetrius J. Porche, DNS, PhD, FACHE, FAANP, FAAN, Dean and Professor, Louisiana
State University Health Sciences Center School of Nursing in New Orleans
Demetrius J. Porche is Chief Editor of the American Journal of Men’s Health and serves on the
editorial board of the Journal for Nurse Practitioners. He was Associate Editor of the Journal
of the Association of Nurses in AIDS for 10 years. He is a Virginia Henderson Fellow of Sigma
Theta Tau International and a Society of Luther Christman Fellow for Contributions to Nurs-
ing by Men. He is also a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing and American Academy
of Nurse Practitioners. He is board-certified in healthcare by the American College of Health-
care Executives. Porche is author of Health Policy: Application for Nurses and Other Health
Care Professionals, and he has published many articles in peer-reviewed journals.

Jo Rycroft-Malone, PhD, MSc, BSc(Hons), RN, Professor of


Implementation & Health Services Research and Pro-Vice Chancellor
for Research & Impact for Bangor University, Wales
Jo Rycroft-Malone is Codirector of Implement@Bangor, a program of researchers and practi-
tioners who have an interest in untangling the challenges of implementation and improvement
within health services. Rycroft-Malone is a nurse and health services researcher who studies
the processes and outcomes of evidence-informed service delivery in different health service
contexts across the globe. She was the inaugural Editor of Worldviews on Evidence-Based
Nursing.

Richard W. Redman, PhD, Professor Emeritus and Ada Sue Hinshaw


Collegiate Professor of Nursing, University of Michigan School of Nursing
Over the years, Richard W. Redman has served as Director of the MS program in systems
leadership, the PhD program in nursing science, and the DNP program at the University of
Michigan. He also has held leadership positions as Academic Dean and Interim Dean in the
university’s School of Nursing. Redman received a BSN from San Jose State University in
­California and MA and PhD degrees from the University of Iowa. As a scholar, Redman has
focused his career on quality and patient safety in nursing practice environments and their
impact on clinical and organizational outcomes. During his career, he has participated in a
number of research teams based on this focus, ranging in scope from the patient to the organi-
zational level.

Nadine Salmon, MSN, IBCLC, RN-BC, Clinical Director,


CE Programs, Healthcare OnCourse Learning
Nadine Salmon is Clinical Director for CE Programs at OnCourse Learning, an online edu-
cation company that offers interdisciplinary continuing education courses for 18 different
healthcare providers. Salmon obtained her BSN in South Africa more than 25 years ago and
has worked as an RN in South Africa, England, and the United States in various settings,
About the Contributors xv

including labor and delivery, postpartum, home health, and adult surgical units. In 2012, she
obtained an MSN with an emphasis in leadership in healthcare systems from Grand Canyon
University. Salmon is also an international board-certified lactation consultant and is certified
in nursing professional development by ANCC.

Patricia Dwyer Schull, MSN, RN, President, MedVantage Publishing LLC


Patricia Dwyer Schull has more than 30 years’ experience in medical and nursing publish-
ing. She has published, written, and edited many nursing journals, books, websites, and other
healthcare publications. Her company offers publishing solutions that support and educate
healthcare professionals, including developing and launching the award-winning Nursing
Spectrum and McGraw Hill Nurses Drug Handbook as well as American Nurse Today (official
journal of the American Nurses Association) and Journal of Nursing Regulation (official jour-
nal of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing). Previously Schull held executive man-
agement positions with medical and nursing publishers, including Reed Elsevier (Springhouse
Corporation) and Wolters Kluwer (Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins), where she was responsible
for leading editorial, sales, marketing, and new product development of nursing publications.
Before entering the publishing industry, she practiced as a registered nurse in direct patient
care, hospital management, and staff education.

Stephanie J. Schulte, MLIS, Associate Professor, Head of Research and


Education Services, Health Sciences Library, The Ohio State University
Stephanie J. Schulte is a faculty health sciences librarian who specializes in teaching students,
faculty, and staff advanced skills to support evidence-based practice and research endeavors.
Her research work focuses on librarians embedded in clinical and academic settings. Schulte
teaches within the medical school curriculum as well as the biomedical sciences undergraduate
program at The Ohio State University. She is active with the Medical Library Association and
the Midwest Chapter of the Medical Library Association.

Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, CNL, FAAN, Director of the


Nursing Leadership Institute, Florida Atlantic University
Rose Sherman is a Professor at Florida Atlantic University (FAU). Before joining the FAU
faculty, she had a 25-year nursing leadership career with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
She graduated with a BSN in nursing from the University of Florida. Her master’s degree in
nursing is from Catholic University of America, and her doctorate in nursing leadership is
from Teachers College, Columbia University. Sherman has extensive experience with both
podium and poster presentations at professional conferences. She has also served as an abstract
reviewer for numerous professional conferences at the state and national levels. Sherman is
­Editor-in-Chief for Nurse Leader and has written more than 85 articles for nursing journals
and books. She completed a 3-year Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellowship.
xvi Anatomy of Writing for Publication for Nurses

Mary Ellin Smith, MS, RN, Professional Development Manager,


Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)
Mary Ellin Smith received her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Boston College and her
master of science in nursing administration from Boston University. Smith has practiced as
a clinical nurse in medicine, critical care, and neuroscience. She has practiced administra-
tively as a nurse manager and nursing director in medicine and as the Director of Professional
Practice Development at several large medical centers. At MGH, her areas of responsibility
include oversight of the clinical recognition program, collaborative governance, and leadership
development.

Lorraine Steefel, DNP, RN, CTN-A, President of LTS Writing/


Mentoring & Editorial Services for RNs and Students
Lorraine Steefel publishes on the topic of writing for scholarly and popular publications. She is
known for mentoring nurses, nursing faculty, and doctor of nursing practice (DNP) students
in this area. She has presented to nursing faculty and provided writing webinars for nurse
scholar members of the National Coalition of Ethnic Minority Nurses Associations. Steefel
has been widely published in peer-reviewed journals and nursing magazines and on websites.
She is author of the book What Nurses Know About Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and her short
story “Lowe’s Legacy” appeared in Ordinary Miracles in Nursing. She is a certified transcultural
nurse and the founding Diversity Editor and current editorial board member of the Journal of
Nursing Practice, Applications and Reviews of Research (JNPARR), the official journal of the
Philippine Nurses Association of America. She is also an editorial board member of Creative
Nursing: A Journal of Values, Issues, Experience, and Collaboration. She is the Nurse Educator
at Rutgers University Correctional Health Care.
Table of Contents
About the Author. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
About the Contributors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
Foreword. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxiii
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxv

1 Anatomy of Writing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Cynthia Saver
Why Write?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Anatomy of Writing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Breaking Down Barriers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Collaborative or Team Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Publishing Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
All About the Publishing Team. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Get Ready to Write. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

2 Finding, Refining, and Defining a Topic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29


Patricia Dwyer Schull and Cynthia Saver
Finding a Topic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Refining a Topic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Defining a Topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
The Value of a Good Idea. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

3 How to Select and Query a Publication. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43


Cynthia Saver
Finding a Journal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Choosing the Right Journal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Key Steps to Making a Choice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Framing a Good Query . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Choose Wisely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

4 Finding and Documenting Sources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67


Leslie H. Nicoll
Why Citations Are Necessary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
The Essence of Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Style Manuals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Reference Formatting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Databases as a Source of References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Finding What You’re Looking For. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Bibliography Database Managers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Solid Researching. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
xviii Anatomy of Writing for Publication for Nurses

5 Organizing the Article. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93


Mary Alexander
Basic Format of the Article. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Types of Flow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Types of Articles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Organize for Success. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

6 Writing Effectively. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111


Julie A. Goldsmith
Language Tools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Sharpening Your Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Communication as a Tool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126

7 All About Graphics and Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127


Susanne J. Pavlovich-Danis
Language of Graphics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Tables. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Figures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Illustrations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Tips for Using Images. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Choosing and Submitting Graphics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Making the Most of Graphics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148

8 Submissions and Revisions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149


Tina M. Marrelli
First Impressions Count . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Formal Submission. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Editorial Review. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
The Revision Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Final Edits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Early Online Publication. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Be Persistent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

9 Writing a Peer Review. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165


Cindy L. Munro
Roles and Responsibilities of Peer Reviewers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Types of Peer Review. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
How to Conduct a Peer Review. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Feedback. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Table of Contents xix

10 Publishing for Global Authors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181


Susan Gennaro
English and Science. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Fitting Your Work to a Journal’s Mission. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Writing in a Second Language. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Pathway to Success. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191

11 Legal and Ethical Issues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195


Nancy J. Brent
Copyright and Permissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Copyright and Publishing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Ethics of Publishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Confidentiality and Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Misconduct in Research. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Satisfaction in Print . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214

12 Promoting Your Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217


Timothy Landers and Stephanie J. Schulte
Your Responsibility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Using Online Outlets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Working With Publishers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Working With Media Outlets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Extending Your Influence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229

13 Writing the Clinical Article. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231


Cheryl L. Mee
Clinical and Scholarly Articles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Writing Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Setting a Timeline. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Keep It Simple. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246

14 Writing for Scholarly and Research Journals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247


Shaké Ketefian and Richard W. Redman
Anatomy of a Research Article. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Reporting Quantitative Studies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Systematic Reviews. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Meta-Analysis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Reporting Qualitative Studies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Reporting Mixed Methods Research. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Spread the Knowledge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
xx Anatomy of Writing for Publication for Nurses

15 Reporting QI and EBP Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273


Jo Rycroft-Malone and Christopher Burton
Common Questions About QI and EBP Projects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Start Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Disseminating Your Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285

16 Writing Abstracts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287


Rose O. Sherman
All About Abstracts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Writing Effective Abstracts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Abstract Review. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Case Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Presenting Your Work. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
From Conference Presentation to Article. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303

17 From Presentation or School Paper to Publication. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305


Lorraine Steefel
Rethinking Your Assignment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Transforming Presentations, Papers, and Capstone Projects
Into Published Articles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Share Your Knowledge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316

18 Writing Continuing Education Programs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319


Nan Callender-Price and Nadine Salmon
How to Get Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
Write the Narrative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Test Knowledge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
Journey’s End. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341

19 Writing the Nursing Narrative. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343


Marianne Ditomassi and Mary Ellin Smith
The Nature of Narratives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
Benefits of Narratives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Types of Narratives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Publishing Your Narrative. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356
How to Write a Narrative. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
The Power of Storytelling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
Table of Contents xxi

20 Think Outside the Journal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363


Demetrius J. Porche
Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364
Editorials. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368
Columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370
Book Reviews. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371
Newsletters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373
Expand Your Writing Potential . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375

21 Writing a Book or Book Chapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377


Sandra M. Nettina
Idea to Proposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378
Contributors and Coauthors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385
Contract . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391
Setting a Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 392
Following Guidelines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
Yes, You Can . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 396

22 Writing for a General Audience. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397


Pamela J. Haylock
An Imperative for Nurses to Write . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397
Principles of Writing for a General Audience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399
What to Write . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402
Before You Write . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404
Publishing Opportunities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 411
Make the Leap. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415

Appendices
A Ten Tips for Editing Checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 421
B Proofing Checklist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 422
C Parts of Speech. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 424
Julie A. Goldsmith

D Publishing Terminology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 429


E Guidelines for Reporting Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 434
F Statistical Abbreviations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 436
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437
G What Editors and Writers Want. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 438
H Publishing Secrets From Editors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 440

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 447
Foreword
Writing is an essential skill in every nursing role. Direct-care providers, administrators, edu-
cators, and scientists all rely on written communication—to share ideas and experiences; to
provide guidance and directives; to report findings from major scientific efforts; and to create
effective and engaging communication with patients and families, other nurses, scientists, the
general public, and policymakers. Yet, the challenges of the writer’s craft can intimidate. This
sense of intimidation is exaggerated by the belief that writing is an inborn ability rather than a
skill that can be learned and honed. That professional writing can be a pleasurable experience
may be almost beyond belief.

Cynthia Saver’s indispensable guide, Anatomy of Writing for Publication for Nurses, Third
­Edition, exposes these beliefs as unfounded, demystifies the writing process, provides infor-
mation needed to create a winning manuscript, and demonstrates that writing can be its own
reward. The anatomy metaphor brings the structure of a written piece to light in a memorable
way that is familiar to all nurses and sets the engaging and encouraging tone that has charac-
terized the book since its first edition. The new, value-added third edition includes expanded
content about collaborating with coauthors from other fields, altmetrics and journal selection,
databases and other search tools, marketing your work, and writing abstracts. New appendices
include a list of guidelines for reporting results, statistical abbreviations, and an article with
tips from experienced editors. The chapter on writing the nursing narrative was reworked to
include advocacy, teamwork, reflection, resilience, and skill acquisition. Don’t miss the new
tools, such as a table comparing the features of research approaches and a checklist for prepar-
ing graphics for submission. An instructor’s guide has been added for those who choose to use
the book as part of a course, but the book also stands alone as a resource for nurses.

As editor of Nursing Research, my days are occupied by reading manuscripts and peer review
documents written by nursing scientists, with an ultimate goal of creating new knowledge for
nursing practice. The scientific form—refined since its introduction at the time of the inven-
tion of the printing press during the Early Modern Period in Europe—focuses on lucid, logical,
concise exposition of thought and investigation. Careful referencing connects the work with
the past, while adequately detailed methods allow replication in the future. In combination,
these features create the scientific record and document the history of an idea. Mastery of
the standards and conventions of scientific writing to reach the level needed for publication
requires practical resources, encouragement, practice, and persistence. All of this support is
provided in Anatomy of Writing for Publication in Nursing, Third E ­ dition.

Rhetoric is the art of effective communication. It encompasses sender (author), message


(­document), and audience (reader). Chapters in Anatomy of Writing for Publication in Nursing,
Third E
­ dition, are written by a cast of nurse editors and successfully published nurse authors,
xxiv Anatomy of Writing for Publication for Nurses

who come from a variety of settings in research, practice, and education. They use components
of classical rhetoric to provide sage and sensitive guidance, offering the skills and insights
needed to create documents that convey clear messages from authors to readers. Aspiring and
seasoned authors will find valuable information, reference material, and trusted advice about
writing—from tweet to tome.

– Susan J. Henly, PhD, RN, FAAN


Editor, Nursing Research
Professor Emerita, University of Minnesota
Introduction
“I admire anybody who has the guts to write anything at all.”
–E. B. White

Writing well is not the result of luck or innate talent. Writing is a skill you can learn—just as
you learned nursing skills, such as venipuncture and suctioning.

However, nurses often find it challenging to write. After all, as Margaret McClure says in
Words of Wisdom From Pivotal Nurse Leaders (Houser & Player, 2008), “One of nursing’s big-
gest handicaps is that we are in a field where your basic practice requires that you never write
in complete sentences” (p. 70). Anatomy of Writing for Publication for Nurses, Third Edition, is
designed to help you bridge the gap between incomplete sentences and a published manuscript.
The book’s contributors include the best and the brightest from publishing today. Most of the
contributors have experience as editors of nursing journals, where their role is to decide which
articles to accept for publication. These decision-makers share important insights that will
enhance the likelihood your manuscript is accepted for publication.

The reader can draw a wealth of knowledge from the many years of writing experience that
contributors bring to this book. These authors have a long history of success in having their
work published; the important tips they share will set you on track to seeing your work in print
or online.

How to Use This Book


This book is divided into two parts, both of which have been updated for this third edition.

Part I, “A Primer on Writing and Publishing,” describes the basics of publishing, from gener-
ating a great idea and writing the article to revising your manuscript and sharing your work.
This section is packed with information on how to bolster the chance that your manuscript
will be accepted for publication.

Topics include how to query a journal; writing and submitting the manuscript; legal and ethi-
cal issues; and effective use of tables, figures, graphs, illustrations, and photos. If English is
your second language, don’t miss the chapter for global authors. Part I also includes a chapter
on peer review, a great way to improve your own writing skills. Even if you don’t plan to be
a peer reviewer, understanding the reviewer’s perspective will help you anticipate what com-
ments reviewers might have about your manuscript.

Part I now includes more information on publishing trends, such as open access, that can
expand the reach of your work, provided you understand the options. You’ll also learn how
to protect yourself from publishers who prey on unsuspecting authors, luring them with
false promises of quick publication. Another trend covered in the book is interdisciplinary
xxvi Anatomy of Writing for Publication for Nurses

publishing, as nurses increasingly collaborate with colleagues in other healthcare disciplines.


This is part of an expanded section on how to work with a writing team.

When you see your article in print, you’re not done. If you’re passionate about what you do,
you need to take steps to widen the dissemination of your work through such tactics as social
media and online researcher networks. The chapter on promoting your work has been revised
to give you a better understanding of practical strategies for dissemination, so the most people
possible can benefit from your work.

Other new or expanded sections in Part I include topic research, a new table summarizing
databases available for finding information you need to write the article, tips for keeping a
writing schedule, altmetrics as a publishing tool, and a checklist to use before submitting
­f igures and tables.

By the time you complete Part I, you’ll have a solid understanding of the entire publishing
process.

Part II, “Tips for Writing Different Types of Articles,” is where you can apply what you learned
in Part I. Each chapter takes you through writing a particular type of paper or article, includ-
ing clinical articles, scholarly journals, abstracts, books, reports, personal narratives, continu-
ing education, and writing for consumers. You can dip into the relevant chapter in Part II for
your writing goals.

For this edition, the chapter on writing for scholarly and research journals has been expanded
to include more on reporting qualitative research; a new table comparing quantitative, qualita-
tive, and mixed methods research approaches; and more on writing abstracts. You’ll also find
many more examples of nursing narratives and an updated chapter on writing continuing edu-
cation (CE) that reflects the rise of interprofessional CE.

In the back of the book, you’ll find a wealth of resources, including a new appendix on com-
mon statistical tests. In addition, appendices have been updated on several topics, including
publishing terminology (like nursing, the publishing industry has its own jargon) and a direc-
tory of guidelines for crafting your article. Don’t miss Appendix G, “What Editors Want and
What Writers Want,” which is designed to promote the valuable partnership between you and
your editor, and the new Appendix H, with publishing secrets from top editors in the field.

Writing Can Be Fun


The contributors and I have forgone the traditional textbook style of writing for something
that we hope is livelier and more approachable. This doesn’t mean that we don’t take writ-
ing seriously. We do. Writing is a core nursing responsibility, right up there with being a
patient advocate.
Introduction xxvii

Our goal is to show you that even though writing effectively takes work, it is within every
nurse’s reach to do so—and you can have some fun while doing it.

Special Elements in This Book


In each chapter of Anatomy of Writing for Publication for Nurses, Third Edition, you’ll find
these features:

• Opening quotes: Quotes at the start of each chapter provide pithy words of wisdom
related to the craft of writing.
• Q&A sidebars: Answers to some common questions related to the chapter’s topic.
• Confidence Booster: Lack of confidence can hold nurses back from sharing their
wealth of knowledge. These special sections are designed to inspire you and to
­encourage you to break down that barrier.
• Write Now!: These exercises at the end of each chapter help you apply what you
have learned.

A Call to Action
Remember: The best way to become a better writer is to write! Like any other skill, practice
is a key component to success. I hope this book inspires you to take on writing as a lifetime
practice.

I also hope you use Anatomy of Writing for Publication for Nurses, Third Edition, as a guide to
getting your work published. We have an obligation to share our knowledge with other nurses,
other healthcare professionals, and the public; in essence, we have a duty to disseminate.

References
Houser, B. P., & Player, K. N. (2008). Words of wisdom from pivotal nurse leaders. Indianapolis, IN: Sigma
Theta Tau International.
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
mercifully drugged with opium, and was probably unaware of her
fate; she was ordered to recite the Mussulman profession of faith;
this she was of course unable to do. Her hands were bound behind
her, a priest recited the profession of faith in her name, and the
executioner, saying “Be-ro!” (“Get thee gone!”) by a touch of his foot
launched her into eternity. Such executions are getting less common
in Persia than formerly.
In Shiraz, where intrigues among married women are very rife, the
husband’s relatives—and often the woman’s make common cause
with them—generally take the matter into their own hands, and either
fling the woman from a roof or into a well, or administer a dose of
poison; the adulterer generally taking refuge in flight, or getting off
with a severe bastinado if the affair is brought home to him;
generally, however, such things are hushed up. In any case no
notice is taken of them by officials, and no punishment is visited
upon the actors in these private tragedies.
I had a man-nurse for my children, one Abdul Hamid, by trade a
gold lacemaker, a native of Shiraz; he was the quietest and most
humble of little men—nearly a dwarf. I was told by him a curious
incident in his history. Marrying his cousin, a young and handsome
Shirazi, she was not long faithful to him; and his mother, who is
usually the master-spirit and guardian of her son’s honour in a
Persian household, finding that the lady’s amours were becoming
notorious, at length informed her son; there was unfortunately no
room for doubt; the husband ran with his woes to his mother and
brothers-in-law, respectable artisans; one of these the same evening
brought some corrosive sublimate, and the girl’s own mother, her
mother-in-law, her brothers, and her husband compelled her to
swallow a fatal dose of the drug.
Although in a few days the affair was common bazaar talk, no
notice was taken of the matter, the thing being looked on as a natural
ending to the woman’s intrigue. I asked my man one day if the story
were true; he replied, “Oh yes, sahib, it was her fate,” and proceeded
to inform me that he was on the best of terms with the family of his
late wife.
In the garden of Jahn-i-ma (my soul) is the grave of Rich the
traveller; he died in Shiraz when on his road home. Close to this
garden, in a small cemetery having a mud mosque, is the monolith
covering the grave of the poet Hafiz; it is a huge block of Yezd
marble beautifully carved with verses from the writings of the poet.
The Yezd marble is very similar in appearance to alabaster. It is a
favourite place of resort of the literary, who may be frequently seen
reading the works of the poet, and smoking or meditating over his
tomb. Around him are buried many who look on his works as
religious and inspired writings; some, and the major portion of
educated Persians, simply consider Hafiz as an Anacreontic
dreamer, and his works the ways of wickedness made bright.
A mile off is the tomb of Saadi, another poet, the author of the
moral tales upon whose teaching the mental course of most
Persians is guided. The first story forms the keynote to this system,
and explains the otherwise mysterious course pursued by most
Orientals, who usually prefer the crooked to the straight. The tale is
well known, and I may be permitted to quote it from memory. All
these “moral tales” are very concise. It is as follows:—
“Once a great king, having overcome his enemies in battle,
caused the principal captives to be brought bound into his presence.
On their arrival they commenced to revile him. The monarch, being
ignorant of their language, turned to his minister and requested him
to explain their speech. The minister, instead of faithfully repeating
their sentiments, said, that overcome with the magnificence of the
king, they were expressing their astonishment at his greatness, and
imploring his clemency. The king, pleased, ordered their release.
The moral is, ‘It is better to tell a lie that produces good, than to tell
the truth which produces evil.’”
Thus the tenets of the Persian sage and those of the Jesuits are
similar. To do evil is lawful, if a greater good be the result. I fear the
evil is often done without the expected good resulting.
A visit to the tomb of Saadi, or that of Hafiz, is common among the
Shirazis for the taking of omens or “fal,” as they are termed. For a
few coppers the dervish who usually acts as guardian to the tomb
produces his well-thumbed manuscript copy of the poet, and, after
an invocation to the Deity, he thrusts his knife into the closed volume
between the leaves. Taking the passage at the top of the right-hand
page, he recites it to the anxious inquirers, and, if they be ignorant
people, he generally manages to recite a passage favourable to their
wishes. Nothing serious is done in Persia without the taking an
omen, “fal,” the casting of lots, “istikhara,” or the decree of an
astrologer. It was a common thing for a patient to tell me that the
reason he consulted me was, that he had put all the names of the
doctors of the town in a bag, and mine had been drawn. I also was
commonly told that a man had refused his physic because the omen
was against it. They will close a bargain or not by an omen, start on
a journey or refrain from the same reason; and their action in such
little doubtful points as the staking in games is ruled in the same
manner. A common way to take an omen (in this case “istikhara,” for
“fal” is generally confined to the omen by the book, be it Hafiz, Saadi,
or the Koran) is to grasp the rosary haphazard (every Persian man
or woman carries a rosary) and count from the bead grasped till the
end is reached—good—doubtful—no; the last bead reached being
the decisive one.
On a taking the “fal” at the tomb of Hafiz by Captain T⸺, R.E.,
who was a gold medalist in Persian, a curious incident occurred. The
old dervish, taking the book of poems between his palms, muttered
the usual invocation to God, and opening the book proceeded to
recite some stanzas highly favourable to Captain T⸺’s proceeding
on his journey. But T⸺, taking the book from his hand, and looking
only at the first line, closed the volume and recited from memory that
line and some fifty that followed it. The dervish certainly was
nonplussed. Here was a Feringhi, who could not make himself
understood by even the servants (so different is the Persian of books
and that learnt in India from the colloquial), reciting correctly, and
with appropriate gesture, the poetry that he, the dervish, prided
himself on being familiar with. His eyes rolled, he looked with
astonishment on the gifted European, put his spectacles in his
pocket, bowed, and disappeared, not even waiting for the present
that he knew he could be sure of. We were naturally much surprised,
but we were cognisant of Captain T⸺’s being well versed in the
Persian classics; for did he not address my servant as “cupbearer,”
“sorki”? and did he not request, to the man’s astonishment, when
requiring beer, that he should bring “the soul-inspiring bowl”?—which
phrases, being poetical, were quite as Dutch to the servant as if a
London waiter were ordered to “fill high the bowl with Samian wine.”
Saadi, though more influencing the actions of the people, is less
read by the upper classes than Hafiz, to whom are paid almost
divine honours; and the humble tomb of the one, in its little unkept
garden, is little visited, while the handsome stone over the grave of
the other has generally a few reverent idlers round it.
CHAPTER XXVI.
SHIRAZ—PERSIAN CUSTOMS.

The Tazzia—Persian pulpit—Prince’s flirtations—Month of mourning—Details of


performance—Breast-beaters—Hymn in honour of the king—The performers
—Processions—Detail of the tragedy—Interludes—Rosehkhaneh—The
Ramazan—The Fast—Hospitalities—Zalābi—Religious affectation—Reading
poetry—A paraphrase—A quotation—Books and their covers—Calamdans—
Writing a letter—Sealing—Specimen of an ordinary letter—Apparent piety—
The evil eye—Talismans—I procure one.

While in Shiraz I made my first acquaintance with the Tazzias, or


religious representations, given by the grandees of the town, of the
various histories from the Koran leading up to the climax, the tragedy
of the saints Houssein and Hassan[28] and their wives and children.
Almost all of the wealthy did some public act or other in the
Mohurrim, the month of mourning for the martyred saints. The tazzia,
or dramatic representation, was given by the Zil-es-Sultan, the
Governor, in the garden of his palace, on a very large scale indeed,
and in a smaller way by the Muschir and the Kawam and others.
To the prince’s tazzia I went by his invitation each day, and the
young prince took great interest in the getting-up of the various
scenes in the story.
A platform, some thirty yards square, was formed by placing
together a number of takhts, or wooden platforms. These were
planked over, and a level stage made by placing on them big doors
and planks. The whole was carpeted with thick felts, and at one
corner was placed a pulpit, draped in black. This pulpit, like all
Oriental ones, is merely a flight of wooden steps, some eight feet
high, leading to a platform some two feet square, on which squats
the preacher or reader, as the case may be. The stage is placed
some twenty feet from the principal front of the prince’s palace, the
rooms of which thus form private boxes.
To the left spaces are roped off to accommodate the women, who
pour in in hundreds; they are all closely veiled. In the lower room,
also veiled, and facing the crowds of women, sit the prince’s ladies.
Above their apartment, at a large open window, is the prince himself,
and during the waits, and sometimes even during the most pathetic
parts, the young fellow amuses himself in ogling the ladies, the
better-looking of whom seize these opportunities of raising their veils
and casting coquettish glances in his direction. I have even known
him, when very young, to have a basin of frogs handy, and he would
toss the animals out among the thickest throng of the tightly-packed
women, and shriek with laughter at the cries and confusion
produced.
To the right of the platform were dense crowds of men, the
common people of Shiraz, while several large rooms opening
towards the stage were devoted to the invited of the better class,
officials and courtiers.
The whole crowd were protected from the sun, rain, and wind by a
huge tent provided for the purpose, and the raising of which had
taken a hard week’s work, all the soldiers of the two regiments in the
town being employed to aid an army of professional tent-pitchers.
This tent was without walls, thus permitting the free ingress and
egress of the performers of the tragedy and interludes, and the many
processions of horses, soldiers, camels, etc. It was sustained by four
huge masts.
During this month the whole of the community go into the deepest
mourning. Black is the only wear, and the poor seize the opportunity
to have their old clothes dyed, and so get an extra bit of wear out of
them, the more ceremonious going into mourning some days before
the commencement of Mohurrim, and remaining in black the whole
even of the following month.
Behind the stage is raised a huge scaffolding, covered with red
cloth, and hung with Cashmere shawls.
On this are arranged all the glass and crockery that the prince
possesses, and all he can borrow by hook or by crook, all his
mirrors, lamps, and chandeliers, and the whole are set off by rows of
brass candle-lamps hired from the bazaar, the general effect being
that of a very miscellaneous broker’s shop. Considerable care is,
however, devoted to this display, and its grandeur, or the reverse, is
one of the subjects of town talk for a week.
The women having been crowding in from an early hour, the wives
of the grandees and officials are accommodated with seats with the
princess and her ladies, while the less favoured have places retained
for them in good situations by their servants, and according to rank.
As noon approaches every seat is taken, and the stage surrounded
on all sides by a sea of faces, a path being, however, left all round it
for the processions to advance and make the circuit of the stage. All
being now ready the band plays a march, a gun is discharged, and
the Prince-Governor takes his place at his window.
A priest now ascends the pulpit, on the steps of which others are
seated, while a crowd of lesser moollahs squat at the base. In a
clear voice, every word of which is plainly heard in this assembly of
many thousands, the priest recites the facts of the death of Houssein
and Hassan. At the mention of these names the audience become
overwhelmed with grief, and, baring their breasts, smite them, crying,
“Ai Houssein, Wai Houssein, Ai Houssein jahn!” (“Oh, Houssein,
Woe for Houssein, Oh, dear Houssein!”) or at times join in the
choruses led by organised mourners, who, with clenched fist or open
hand, strike their breasts simultaneously at each mention of the
names Houssein Hassan, Houssein Hassan, till they are out of
breath, and their crimson and bruised chests force them to desist,
with one final shout or shriek of “Houssein.” Half-a-dozen volunteers
(these generally dervishes), as the sainted names are pronounced
by the hundreds of voices, strike themselves over each shoulder with
heavy chains. All the beholders are gradually worked up into a state
of excitement and enthusiasm, and the descriptions of the saints and
their children’s sufferings make even the heart of the European
listener sad.
And now a curious chant in honour of the king is sung by a band of
youths; after this the priests leave the stage, and the professional
exponents of the drama make their appearance dressed to sustain
the characters of the day. Small boys, chosen for their clear and
sympathetic voices, from among the singers of the town, sustain the
little parts of the granddaughters and grandsons of the prophet.
The wives are veiled, and these characters are played by bearded
men, as are the angels and prophets, who are also veiled by
glittering handkerchiefs.
Yezeed, the infidel king, and Shemr, the actual slayer of the saint,
are clad in gay attire, booted and helmeted, and, with shirts of chain-
mail on, rant as do the heroes of a Surrey melodrama; but the
language is effective, the action rapid, and the speeches, though
often long, accompanied by vigorous pantomime.
There are no actual acts, no scenery, no curtain, but as each
scene terminates the actors leave the stage; and a long procession
of horses, camels, and litters and biers, on which are carried the
kotol (dummies) of the dead saints, enters with much noise, music,
shouting, and drumming; followed and preceded by the volunteer
mourners and breast-beaters, shouting their cry of Hous-s-e-i-n H-a-
s-san, Houss-e-i-n H-a-s-san, and a simultaneous blow is struck
vigorously by hundreds of heavy hands on the bared breasts at the
last syllable of each name. Continual flourishes are played by the
band, and the noise is deafening, the excitement contagious.
The actors are mostly well up in their rôles; many of those
sustaining the principal characters have come from Ispahan, where
the tradition of the tazzia is handed down from father to son; and
year by year they have played the mournful tragedy, making it a
business as well as a religious act. They are fed, dressed, and paid
by the Governor. The numerous bands of well-drilled
supernumeraries who combat on the stage are eager volunteers.
Each speaking actor carries his part written out on a small scroll on
the palm of his hand, and calmly reads it when memory fails him.
Each act lasts from two to four hours. The drama itself goes on for
from a week to twelve days, and various interludes and acts of it are
performed; the most popular being the wedding of Kasim, from the
great amount of spectacle, the death of Houssein, the death of Ali
Akbar, and the Dar.

A ROSEH KHANA, OR PRAYER-MEETING.

(From a Native Drawing.)

This latter is more than usually comic, and relates to the supposed
conversion and immediate martyrdom of a Christian ambassador;
the former of which is effected by the sight of the head of Houssein.
The deaths of the various saints (imams) are portrayed with a
ridiculous minuteness, but so excited are the audience that they do
not appear to cause amusement. Thus, on the death of Ali Akbar, he
enters wounded and thirsty, and beats off some thirty assailants,
then after a long speech exits; then enter more assailants; re-enter
Ali Akbar, covered with arrows sewn on his clothing to the number of
sixty or so. He puts his assailants to flight, killing several, is
wounded, exit. Re-enter Ali Akbar, long speech; he has now only one
arm, puts assailants to flight, speech, exit; re-enter armless, his
sword in his mouth.
Enter a murderer. They fight. The murderer is slain.
Enter thirty assailants. At last Ali Akbar, after rolling up and down
the stage, is killed, to the immense relief of everybody.
His head is stuck on a long spear, the band strikes up, the
mourners shout Houssein! Hassan! for ten minutes, and the drama
for the day ceases.
There are other irregular interludes, Adam and Eve, Cain and
Abel, etc. Some of the scenes are very comic; as that between
Yezeed the tyrant and his physician.
On the day when the martyrdom of Houssein himself is portrayed,
the place is thronged. The cruel Shemr, generally very vigorously
represented, is at times roughly handled by the mob. The crowd are
often regaled with sherbets by the personage at whose cost the
tazzia is given, also pipes, and even coffee; and the amount
expended in pipes, coffee, tea, etc., to the numerous guests is very
considerable indeed.
Almost every house has its rosehkhaneh, or reading of prayers
and Scripture. These are generally given either to men or women;
and in the latter case, female readers and singers are employed.
When given to men, the moollahs officiate; and the reading takes
place from a pulpit hung with black, the roofs being crowded with
rows of veiled women.
The tazzias are not approved of by the higher classes of the
priesthood, but custom has made the people cling to them, and each
small village has its local tazzia. Wherever a tazzia or rosehkhaneh
is held, small black flags are exhibited at the door, and any one
walks in. By the performance of the tazzia the commemoration of the
death of Houssein and Hassan is annually brought home to the
Shiah Mahommedan, and the more fanatical yearly hold a sort of
Guy Fawkes day, when a comic tazzia, in ridicule of Omar, is held,
and the (from their point of view) usurper is finally conducted to the
infernal regions by the devil in person.
During the greater part of Mohurrim bands of boys visit the houses
of their quarter singing a long chant commemorative of the death of
the martyrs, and collecting a few pence at its conclusion.
The month of Ramazan is the fasting month of the Persians, and
the great majority of the people rigorously observe it, tasting no food
nor water, nor even smoking, from sunrise to sunset. Of course
when the month falls in the summer the penance is much more
serious.
The more ascetic go “peishwaz,” that is, observe the fast a few
days before it is really in force.
Only the sick, very aged, young children, and travellers are
exempt, and no one dares to openly break it, though, of course,
many of the more advanced or irreligious do so in secret.
In the night, an hour before dawn, the cry is, “Oh, water, water and
opium!” This is the warning given to the people to take their last
snack, the farewell cup of tea and pipe; and a copious draught of
water and an opium pill are generally swallowed just at the gun-fire
which announces daybreak.
Now the fast commences, and all compose themselves to sleep.
At nine or ten the usually early rising Persian gets up and prepares
to maunder through the day. He does no business save that which it
is absolutely impossible to avoid. Half the shops in the bazaar are
shut, or only opened for a few hours; the Government offices are
closed the greater part of the day; everything is put off “until after
Ramazan.”
Towards the latter part of the afternoon the streets become
thronged; as sunset approaches every one gets more lively, and at
the fire of the sunset gun the longed-for pipe is seized, a cup of tea
taken, and in half-an-hour every one sits down to a heavy meal.
Many parties are given in this month, the guests generally
spending the night at the host’s house.
A peculiar form of eatable, called zalābi, is prepared during
Ramazan. A thin paste of starch and sugar, mixed with sesamun oil,
is poured in streams upon heated copper trays, and a kind of fritter
produced, which is delicate-looking and rather appetising. When
eaten it is served cold.
A particular Mahommedan will not swallow his own saliva during
this month; and riders may be seen during Ramazan with their
mouths and nostrils carefully covered by the end of their turban, or
by a handkerchief, thus in their idea preventing the breaking of the
fast by the swallowing of dust, or animalculæ invisible to the eye.
Generally, however, this is merely affectation of religious scruple.
The most severe trial, however, setting apart the thirst produced in
hot weather, is the abstention from smoking; and a merchant or
shopkeeper, who has the tube of a water-pipe between his lips eight
hours out of the twenty-four, really suffers considerable
inconvenience from a fourteen hours’ abstention.
The long nights of Ramazan are enlivened by numerous festivities;
dinner-giving takes place throughout the month, and the number of
pipes smoked till two a.m. is considerable. The story-tellers are now
in great request, and drive a roaring trade going from house to
house. Poetry, too, is much recited and read aloud, the favourites
being Saadi, Hafiz, and Firdūsi. Story-books, cheaply printed and
roughly illustrated, are much read. They mostly contain short tales.
Here is one paraphrased, with a facsimile of the rude woodcut
illustrating the tale. I must premise that Mortaza Ali, the fourth
successor and son-in-law of Mahomet, was assassinated by a
fanatic; the caliphate having been previously usurped by Omar and
Abubekr, an old man the father-in-law of Mahomet, who succeeded
the prophet on his death. (So say the Shiah sect.)

Abdul, a lazy peasant, lay


A-snoring half the livelong day;
His thrifty wife to scold began—
“Arise, and work, O lazy man.”
Yawning, he rose, and, stretching, spake,
While half asleep and half awake,
“Ah, little wife, why should I rise?”
“To earn our bread,” the girl replies.
“Know, woman, if we work or not,
In winter cold and summer hot,
Great Allah feeds his slaves, and he
Will surely feed both you and me.”
The youthful peasant kissed his wife,
Then sallied forth in dread of strife.
With merry song and joyous lay,
Abdul beguiled the dusty way.
At length he reached a spreading plane,
“Beneath thy shade I will remain;
A brooklet and a shady tree,
There is no better place for me.”
He laid him down prepared to doze;
But suddenly he quickly rose,
And clambering the plane in fear,
Espied a dervish drawing near.
The dervish had the dullard air,
The maddened look, the vacant stare,
That bhang[29] and contemplation give.
He moved, but did not seem to live;
His gaze was savage and yet sad,
What we should call stark-staring mad.
All down his back his tangled hair
Flowed wild, unkempt; his head was bare;
A leopard’s skin was o’er him flung,
Around his neck huge beads were hung,
And in his hand—ah! there’s the rub—
He carried a portentous club,
Which Abdul’s eye had caught, you see,
And this is why he climbed the tree.
The dervish stopped and gazed around,
Then flung himself upon the ground.
“I ne’er have seen in God’s creation
A fitter spot for meditation.”
Smiled at the turf which ’neath him lay,
And said, “Yes, here I’ll spend the day.”
This Abdul heard, and shook with fear,
While from his eye there fell a tear.
“Oh, heaven!” exclaimed the trembling wight,
“He may, perhaps, too, stop the night.”
...
The dervish, squatting in the shade,
Five puppets small of clay has made;
And to the first he spake: “To thee
I give the name of Omar. See,
The second’s Ali Mortaza,
The mighty prophet’s son-in-law.
You, Abubekr, are the third”—
Abdul craned out his neck and heard;
“The fourth the prophet’s self shall be”—
Abdul here groaned, and shook the tree.
The dervish paused, then gave a nod,
“The fifth one—yes—the fifth one’s God.”
Poor Abdul heard the blasphemy,
And shook with fear and agony.
“Ah,” quoth the dervish, “Omar; well,
You doubtless grill in deepest hell;
You robbed our Ali—I have smashed you;
Had Ali pluck he might have thrashed you.
Ali; could you do naught yourself to save
From murder and an early grave?
Ah! Islam’s head too weak to rule,
I fear you were a torpid fool—
Half-hearted idiot—bah—pooh”—
He raised his club—“I smash you too.
And you, old Abubekr—triple ass,
Could you not aid him? I’ll not pass
You over,—there, take that!”
And Abubekr got a spiteful pat.
“While as for you,” the dervish cried—
Here Abdul’s ears were opened wide—
“Oh, prophet, you at least did know,
Why didn’t you avert the blow?
In highest heaven you sat and saw;
But didn’t help your son-in-law.”
Down came the club with heavy thud,
The prophet was but flattened mud.
The dervish turned him, bowing low,
“Allah,” he cried, “from you I’ll know
Why you did nothing; like the rest,
You were a lazy God at best.
When all mankind are in Thy hand
Why not despatch an angel band?
Or bid the earth to open wide
And swallow Omar in his pride?
What, silent too! ah, senseless clod!”—
The dervish raised his club to God.
Here Abdul screamed, and shouted, “Hold!
Ah, had you smashed Him—over-bold
And brainless dervish—as before,
Chaos would come again once more.”
The dervish heard—“Azraël!”[30] he cried,
Stared, and sunk back, and, shuddering, died,
And gave up his reluctant breath,
Thinking he heard the voice of Death.
Then cautious Abdul reached the ground,
Looked on the dervish, gazed around,
And softly to himself did cry,
“’Tis certain there is no one by.”
He searched the corpse, a purse appears,
And Abdul dries his frightened tears,
Hies to his smiling wife, says, “See!
From Allah, love, for you and me.”
“Husband,” quoth she, “God helps us all,
Both prince and beggar, great and small.”
Abdul replied, “But, girl, you see,
God would have perished but for me!”
Facsimile of Rude Persian Woodcut.

The reading of poetry is much in vogue among the upper classes


to promote sleep! and even the most ignorant can rattle off long
recitations. So common is the habit of introducing poetry, that
Europeans are looked on as very ignorant, because their
conversation is prosaic; and one of the staff obtained quite a
reputation as a well-read man in a curious manner. He was
acquainted with one (and only one) verse of Persian poetry, a very
well-known one. It was this:—

“For the mole on the cheek of that girl of Shiraz


I would give away Samarkand and Bokhara.”

Now the gentleman, on the mention of the word mole, cheek, girl,
Shiraz, Samarkand, or Bokhara, would instantly introduce the
quotation; and as Shiraz was the town we lived in, and Central Asian
affairs are continually on the tapis, Samarkand and Bokhara, unlikely
words as they were for general conversation, were invariably
introduced, and the inevitable quotation made. Unfortunately another
member of the staff, jealous of his rival’s reputation, betrayed him,
and Othello’s occupation went.
Books are treated with consideration in Persia. They are generally
bound in boards, and these are elaborately hand-painted, generally
with representations of birds and flowers. From two kerans to two
hundred may be paid for a pair of these boards. Sometimes a book
is bound in leather. This is, however, less common, save for account-
books. A sort of outer envelope of cloth or chintz is made, and the
book enclosed in it, thus preserving the binding and work at the
same time.
Great expense, too, is lavished on the pencase (kalam-dān); it is
nearly always of papier-maché, about seven inches long, one wide,
and one and a half deep; it draws open and contains the pens, which
are reeds, an ivory or bone block for nibbing them on, a tiny spoon
for moistening the ink, and a penknife, also the peculiar scissors for
trimming paper. At one extremity is a small box of silver or brass
containing a skein of silk, which absorbs a quantity of Chinese ink,
and is wetted with the tiny spoon as it dries up. A roll of paper is also
carried at the girdle, and a few adhesive strips of thin coloured paper
are provided for the closing of letters.
When it is wished to write a letter, the Persian sits if he can, but
this is not a sine quâ non; he tears from his roll of polished paper
(made in the country) a piece of the needful size, and commencing
in the right-hand top corner, he proceeds to fill his sheet, writing from
right to left, and leaving at the left-hand side of his sheet a large
margin of at least an inch; should he reach the bottom of the page,
and have still more to say, he turns the paper round and proceeds to
fill the margin. He then concludes, reads the letter, and with his
scissors carefully trims off the torn edges, and cuts off all needless
paper. If it be an important letter he now seals it at the right-hand
bottom corner, or at the end; the sealing is often repeated on the
back, and is equivalent to our signature. He damps the paper with
his tongue, inks his seal, breathes on it, and presses it sharply on
the paper. A permanent and very distinct impression is the result. He
now cuts a tiny piece off one corner, for to send a four-cornered
letter brings ill-luck, the Persians say. The letter is either rolled up
and squeezed flat, or folded as we should fold a spill; it is thus about
three to four inches long, and half an inch to an inch wide. A strip of
adhesive paper is rolled round it, and the end of this is sealed in the
same manner as before. The letter is now addressed.
Titles are continually used in writing letters, and the language is
usually high-flown and even bombastic. Thus an ordinary invitation
to dinner would be couched from one merchant to another:—
“To the high, the great, the influential, the descendant of the
Prophet Lord Ali Baba; please God you are in health. It is my
representation that to-morrow your slave will be delighted to be
honoured, in the house of your slave, with your illustrious and
pleasant company to dinner. I trust your Excellency’s health is good.
I have no further representation to make.”
Or after a long string of compliments and inquiries after the health
of the correspondent, comes the “mutlub,” or essence of the letter,
which is expressed thus:—“and please send by bearer your horse. I
have no further petition to make.”
A Persian is apparently very pious in his conversation, the name of
God being continually introduced, but these phrases have merely the
meaning of affirmatives or negatives.
Thus:—“Inshallah (please God), you will ride out to-morrow.”
“Alhamdillillah (thank God), I have nothing to do. Inshallah, I will.”
“Bismillah” (in the name of God), handing a pipe.
Friend admiring it: “Mashallah” (God is great). And so on.
Many of these phrases in which the name of God is used are with
the intention of avoiding the evil eye. Nothing must be admired, in so
many words, without one of these invocations.
Thus, one must not say, “What a fine boy!” on seeing a Persian
son, but “Mashallah” (praise God). In fact, the word “Mashallah,”
engraved on gold or silver and ornamented with pearls, is commonly
worn sewn to the caps of young children, and the word is often
written and worn as an amulet to protect a fine horse. For the same
reason a blue bead is often put in the tail of a horse, or sewn on the
caps of the children of the poor. Cats’ eyes are frequently worn for
this protection from the evil eye, and a hand[31] with one finger
extended I have seen used. This hand was, of course, quite different
from the metal open hand which surmounts religious buildings and
banners, all the fingers of which are extended. Talismans (“Telism”)
are constantly worn; they are generally enclosed in metallic cases
and affixed to the arm (“Bazūbund”). They are often verses from the
Koran, at other times merely figures rudely drawn, or a collection of
letters placed in some eccentric figure, as the well-known
Abracadabra; often the repetition of some of the names of God being
simple invocations.
A Persian is very loath to let these talismans be seen. They are
generally obtained from dervishes, priests, or old women.
During the cholera time in Shiraz I was attending the daughter of
the then high priest. I happened to see the old gentleman, who was
sitting surrounded by a crowd of friends, petitioners, and parasites.
He was writing charms against the cholera. I, out of curiosity, asked
him for one; it was simply a strip of paper on which was written a
mere scribble, which meant nothing at all.
I took it and carefully put it away. He told me that when attacked
by cholera I had but to swallow it, and it would prove an effectual
remedy.
I thanked him very seriously, and went my way. The next day he
called on me and presented me with two sheep and a huge cake of
sugar-candy, weighing thirty pounds. I did not quite see why he gave
me the present, but he laughingly told me that my serious reception
of his talisman had convinced the many bystanders of its great
value, and a charm desired by an unbelieving European doctor must
be potent indeed.
“You see, you might have laughed at my beard; you did not. I am
grateful. But if I could only say you had eaten my charm, ah—then.”
“Well,” I replied, “say so if you like,” and our interview ended.
CHAPTER XXVII.
SHIRAZ.

Bagh-i-Takht—Jews’ burial-ground—Christians’ cemetery—Its desecration—


Sergeant Collins’s murder—Capture and execution of the robbers—How it
was brought home to them—Memorial to Collins—Health of the staff—
Persians as servants—Persian cuisine—Kabobs, varieties of—English
dinners—Confectionery—Fruits—Vegetables—Pickles, etc.—Cook-shops—
Trotters—Mode of selling meat—Game—Eggs—Wild vegetables—Potatoes—
Disinclination to use new seeds, and its cause—Narcissus—General use of
flower decoration—Tame birds—Wild birds—White ants—Damaging the line
—Hamilton poles.

Behind the town of Shiraz, under the hills, lies the Bagh-i-Takht, or
“throne garden.” In addition to its large size, it is remarkable for a
peculiar building on terraces, once very magnificent. These terraces
are faced by a wall of glazed tiles, white, blue, black, and yellow.
Placed behind a tank so large as to be almost a lake, this curious
construction is reflected in the water, and presents a sufficiently
strange appearance. On some of the terraces are rows of orange-
trees, and on others a succession of fountains; these, alas! play no
more. The terraces are very narrow, and do not at first strike the eye
as such, and appear a many-coloured wall with rows of trees,
apparently growing out of it, and the whole crowned by a lofty
building, having more large trees within its walls, and then the sky;
the reflection of this and its consequent doubling forms a very
striking, if rococo, picture. At either side is a lofty summer-house of
several stories, and at the further corners of the tank are low towers,
which serve as points of vantage from which the curious view can be
admired.
The whole is more like a representation made upon screens of
canvas than a solid structure, and it looks like the pictures exhibited
at the Surrey Gardens in old days, from which the beholders were

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