Even those who have authored scholarly works before may be unfamiliar with publishing a quality improvement report. Different than scientific research reports (that are often submitted to journals as “Original Research Article” publication types), reports of quality improvement findings often have their own specific article type in journals focused on quality and safety, which may come with their own unique requirements.
For example, as per their Author Guidelines, the journal BMJ Quality & Safety has a “Quality Improvement Report” article type – see:
In the example above, three requirements are worth highlighting:
- Some “QI-friendly” journals may specify that the SQUIRE 2.0 reporting guideline should be used when writing up QI project findings.
- Some journal editors may expect to see evidence that a particular QI model/framework/method was used to plan and implement the QI initiative.
- Some journals may require that details about the context in which the project was carried out be included and that the implications of these on the applicability of the QI findings to other institutions/environments be discussed.
If such requirements are not familiar to you, be sure to check out the MSK Library’s new LibGuide focused on Disseminating QI Project Findings to learn more about them – see: https://libguides.mskcc.org/QualityImprovement
In particular, the WRITE module highlights resources helpful for becoming familiar with relevant reporting guidelines & best practices, while the LEARN module identifies resources for learning more about designing and carrying out sound QI projects.
If you have any questions or want additional guidance related to disseminating QI project findings, feel free to Ask Us at the MSK Library.