The mission of the Office of Scientific Writing and Publication is to support scientists and clinician investigators in developing, editing and submitting external and internal grants as well as to assist in the publication of results of medical research by providing Marshfield Clinic investigators support in manuscript editing and submission. The Office of Scientific Writing and Publication seeks to establish a synergistic partnership with researchers from project conception through successful publication.

Grant Development

Scientific writers and core staff can assist in grant development by:

  • Guiding you through the process of proposal submissions, including research concept and hypotheses development
  • Providing support with literature searches
  • Identifying appropriate funding sources
  • Offering editorial assistance on proposal and protocol draft development
  • Facilitating interaction with other key support service personnel necessary to proposal planning and submission including: biostatistical support, budget, protocol development (e.g. research coordination and nursing components, like patient enrollment, screening, data abstraction/entry), drug handling and monitoring, regulatory elements, and investigational laboratory testing.)
  • Assisting with determining feasibility of study design and testing appropriateness of draft data forms
  • Networking investigators to potential internal and external collaborators with expertise or services essential to a project
  • Providing education, resources and expertise for improving grantsmanship
  • Reviewing final proposals

Projects are placed on a work list based on the following criteria:

  • External submissions with impending deadlines
  • Projects submitted for internal funding support designed to gather preliminary data for external submission
  • Projects submitted for internal funding with high probability of publication in high impact journals
  • Internal projects exploring outcomes at Marshfield Clinic
  • Time available to investigator: clinicians without dedicated research time can expect to receive the highest level of support from RFC


Scientific Publication

Scientific writers and core staff are able to:

  • Assist in literature searches, manuscript preparation, and identifying appropriate venues for submission
  • Provide substantive developmental, stylistic and/or content editing of manuscripts in draft form
  • Verify references and citations using PubMed
  • Format manuscripts to comply with each journal’s submission requirements and provide cover letters.
  • Complete copyright transfer forms as applicable and obtain signatures
  • Proofread for grammar, spelling and punctuation of final manuscript
  • Assisting with determining feasibility of study design and testing appropriateness of draft data forms
  • Prepare final submission package for mail or electronic delivery
  • Assist with manuscript revisions and address reviewers’ comments as required

The Office of Scientific Writing and Publication also maintains a Publications Database for all publications and meeting presentations by Marshfield Clinic investigators. This centralized source for Marshfield Clinic scholarly publication information is useful for a variety of management purposes, including tracking trends in the quantity and quality of publications, and efficient allocation of resources. This database is also the primary source for the Research Publications section of the annual Marshfield Clinic System Review Research Supplement.

Requests for assistance are prioritized based on the following criteria:

  • Date of submission of the request for assistance
  • Type of manuscript, e.g., original research will normally be given priority over case reports, review articles, and letters to editor
  • Potential impact of the results to the medical and scientific communities
  • Research time available to the investigator, e.g., a request from a clinician investigator without dedicated research time may receive priority over a request from a scientist or clinician with dedicated research time
  • Amount of work required, e.g., a request to edit a draft manuscript before submission may receive more immediate attention than a request for OSWP staff to write an entire first draft
  • Availability of resources by type, e.g., personnel to assist with a literature search may be more available than scientific writers

To access the support available from OSWP, phone: 1-800-782-8581.

For more information, please visit Research Mentor, a comprehensive online research resource designed to assist in the successful navigation of resources available through MCRI that support preparation of competitive research proposals and successful manuscripts.