Improving Manuscript Quality and Publication Success in Stroke Research: Bruce Ovbiagele, MD, MSc, MAS, MBA

WATCH TIME: 4 minutes

Publishing high-quality clinical research is essential to advancing stroke prevention, treatment, and recovery, yet translating study findings into a successful journal submission requires more than statistically significant results. For clinician-investigators, particularly those early in their research careers, methodological transparency, reproducibility, and clear scientific communication are critical components of the publication process. Inadequate reporting can limit how findings are interpreted, evaluated, and applied in future research.

Established reporting frameworks, including STROBE for observational studies and CONSORT for randomized trials, emphasize the importance of clearly describing study design, participant selection, statistical methods, and other methodological considerations.^1,2 Beyond scientific rigor, authors must also consider whether their work aligns with a journal's scope and editorial priorities, as well as how effectively the abstract communicates the study's purpose and findings.

“My message to people who are submitting their first paper, clinical researchers, is make sure you work on the methodology. It's really the most important thing. It allows us to be confident that you really had a good plan and methodology, but it allows others to also replicate your work.”

At the 2026 World Stroke Congress (WSC) in Seoul, South Korea, Bruce Ovbiagele, MD, MSc, MAS, MBA, moderated a session focused on providing greater transparency into the editorial processes of stroke journals. Ovbiagele is editor-in-chief of the Journal of the American Heart Association and founding president of the Society for Equity Neuroscience (SEQUINS), an international organization dedicated to advancing brain health equity through scientific research.

During a conversation with NeurologyLive®, Ovbiagele shared his perspective on what journal editors look for when reviewing submissions and where authors frequently fall short. He addressed common weaknesses in manuscript preparation, offered practical guidance for early-career clinician-researchers, and discussed how authors can approach journal selection, editorial feedback, and rejection more effectively.

For more WSC 2026 coverage, click here.

REFERENCES
1. von Elm E, Altman DG, Egger M, et al. The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement: guidelines for reporting observational studies. Lancet. 2007;370(9596):1453-1457. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(07)61602-X.
2. Hopewell S, Chan AW, Collins GS, et al. CONSORT 2025 statement: updated guideline for reporting randomized trials. JAMA. 2025;333(22):1998-2005. doi:10.1001/jama.2025.4347.