📖 Step-by-Step Guide to Writing a Research Article

1. Choose a Research Topic

• Relevance: Select a topic related to your pharmacy curriculum (pharmacology, pharmaceutics, clinical pharmacy, pharmacognosy, pharmaceutical analysis, etc.).

• Novelty: Look for a gap in existing studies. For example:

  • New formulation techniques (e.g., nano-drug delivery).

  • Herbal drug evaluation.

  • Clinical case study (adverse drug reaction reporting, prescription pattern).

  • Stability studies of formulations.

• Feasibility: Choose a topic you can realistically complete with the resources, labs, and time you have.

👉 Example Topics:

• “Formulation and Evaluation of Herbal Mouthwash”

• “Prescription Pattern Analysis of Antibiotics in a Tertiary Care Hospital”

• “In-vitro Dissolution Study of Marketed Tablets vs. Laboratory Formulations”

2. Conduct a Literature Review

• Search PubMed, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, ResearchGate for similar works.

• Collect 10–20 papers to understand:

  • What is already studied.

  • What gaps exist.

  • Standard methods and tools.

• Make notes of:

  • Definitions.

  • Techniques.

  • Statistical methods.

  • References you will cite later.

3. Define Objectives & Hypothesis

• Objective: What you want to achieve (clear and concise).

• Hypothesis: Your assumption before research.

👉 Example:

• Objective: “To evaluate the antibacterial activity of herbal extract against E. coli.”

• Hypothesis: “Herbal extract X shows better antibacterial effect than standard drug Y.”

4. Plan Methodology

This is the heart of your research article. It should be clear, reproducible, and scientifically valid.

Include:

• Study design (experimental, observational, case study, etc.).

• Materials used (chemicals, drugs, instruments, software).

• Method steps (step-by-step procedure).

• Sample size (if human/animal study).

• Ethical approval (mandatory for human/animal research).

• Data collection (lab readings, surveys, patient records).

• Statistical analysis (t-test, chi-square, ANOVA, regression, etc.).

5. Collect Data & Perform Experiment

• Record raw data neatly in a lab notebook or Excel sheet.

• Repeat experiments if needed for accuracy.

• Apply statistical tests using software (SPSS, GraphPad Prism, Excel, R, Python).

6. Structure of a Research Article

A standard format is IMRAD (Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion).

🔹 Title

• Short, clear, informative.
  Example: “Phytochemical Screening and Antimicrobial Activity of Neem Extract”

🔹 Abstract

• Summary in 150–250 words.

• Include background, objectives, methods, results, and conclusion.

🔹 Keywords

• 4–6 important words for indexing.
  Example: Neem, antimicrobial, phytochemical, herbal medicine

🔹 Introduction

• Background of the topic.

• Literature gap (what is missing in past research).

• Objective & hypothesis.

🔹 Materials and Methods

• Detailed procedure.

• Instruments, chemicals, and conditions.

• Ethical clearance if needed.

🔹 Results

• Tables, graphs, and figures (neatly labeled).

• No interpretation here — just raw outcomes.

🔹 Discussion

• Interpret results.

• Compare with past studies.

• Explain significance.

• Limitations of your study.

🔹 Conclusion

• Short summary of findings.

• Possible applications in pharmacy.

• Future scope.

🔹 References

• Use APA, Vancouver, or Harvard style (depends on journal/college).

• Tools: Mendeley, Zotero, EndNote can help.

7. Proofreading & Plagiarism Check

• Check for grammar and flow.

• Use Turnitin, iThenticate, or Grammarly to ensure plagiarism < 15%.

• Simplify long sentences.

8. Journal Selection & Submission

• Choose a journal according to your topic:

  • For pharmacy: Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Research Journal of Pharmacy and Technology (RJPT), etc.

• Read their author guidelines carefully before formatting.

• Submit online and wait for peer review.

✅ Pro Tip for Students:
If you don’t have access to advanced labs, you can still do:

• Review articles (summarize 50–100 papers on a focused topic).

• Survey-based studies (e.g., “Awareness of Generic Drugs among Pharmacy Students”).

• Prescription audits (hospital/community pharmacy data).

📖 Step-by-Step Guide to Writing a Research Article

1. Choose a Research Topic

• Relevance: Select a topic related to your pharmacy curriculum (pharmacology, pharmaceutics, clinical pharmacy, pharmacognosy, pharmaceutical analysis, etc.).

• Novelty: Look for a gap in existing studies. For example:

  • New formulation techniques (e.g., nano-drug delivery).

  • Herbal drug evaluation.

  • Clinical case study (adverse drug reaction reporting, prescription pattern).

  • Stability studies of formulations.

• Feasibility: Choose a topic you can realistically complete with the resources, labs, and time you have.

👉 Example Topics:

• “Formulation and Evaluation of Herbal Mouthwash”

• “Prescription Pattern Analysis of Antibiotics in a Tertiary Care Hospital”

• “In-vitro Dissolution Study of Marketed Tablets vs. Laboratory Formulations”

2. Conduct a Literature Review

• Search PubMed, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, ResearchGate for similar works.

• Collect 10–20 papers to understand:

  • What is already studied.

  • What gaps exist.

  • Standard methods and tools.

• Make notes of:

  • Definitions.

  • Techniques.

  • Statistical methods.

  • References you will cite later.

3. Define Objectives & Hypothesis

• Objective: What you want to achieve (clear and concise).

• Hypothesis: Your assumption before research.

👉 Example:

• Objective: “To evaluate the antibacterial activity of herbal extract against E. coli.”

• Hypothesis: “Herbal extract X shows better antibacterial effect than standard drug Y.”

4. Plan Methodology

This is the heart of your research article. It should be clear, reproducible, and scientifically valid.

Include:

• Study design (experimental, observational, case study, etc.).

• Materials used (chemicals, drugs, instruments, software).

• Method steps (step-by-step procedure).

• Sample size (if human/animal study).

• Ethical approval (mandatory for human/animal research).

• Data collection (lab readings, surveys, patient records).

• Statistical analysis (t-test, chi-square, ANOVA, regression, etc.).

5. Collect Data & Perform Experiment

• Record raw data neatly in a lab notebook or Excel sheet.

• Repeat experiments if needed for accuracy.

• Apply statistical tests using software (SPSS, GraphPad Prism, Excel, R, Python).

6. Structure of a Research Article

A standard format is IMRAD (Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion).

🔹 Title

• Short, clear, informative.
  Example: “Phytochemical Screening and Antimicrobial Activity of Neem Extract”

🔹 Abstract

• Summary in 150–250 words.

• Include background, objectives, methods, results, and conclusion.

🔹 Keywords

• 4–6 important words for indexing.
  Example: Neem, antimicrobial, phytochemical, herbal medicine

🔹 Introduction

• Background of the topic.

• Literature gap (what is missing in past research).

• Objective & hypothesis.

🔹 Materials and Methods

• Detailed procedure.

• Instruments, chemicals, and conditions.

• Ethical clearance if needed.

🔹 Results

• Tables, graphs, and figures (neatly labeled).

• No interpretation here — just raw outcomes.

🔹 Discussion

• Interpret results.

• Compare with past studies.

• Explain significance.

• Limitations of your study.

🔹 Conclusion

• Short summary of findings.

• Possible applications in pharmacy.

• Future scope.

🔹 References

• Use APA, Vancouver, or Harvard style (depends on journal/college).

• Tools: Mendeley, Zotero, EndNote can help.

7. Proofreading & Plagiarism Check

• Check for grammar and flow.

• Use Turnitin, iThenticate, or Grammarly to ensure plagiarism < 15%.

• Simplify long sentences.

8. Journal Selection & Submission

• Choose a journal according to your topic:

  • For pharmacy: Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Research Journal of Pharmacy and Technology (RJPT), etc.

• Read their author guidelines carefully before formatting.

• Submit online and wait for peer review.

✅ Pro Tip for Students:
If you don’t have access to advanced labs, you can still do:

• Review articles (summarize 50–100 papers on a focused topic).

• Survey-based studies (e.g., “Awareness of Generic Drugs among Pharmacy Students”).

• Prescription audits (hospital/community pharmacy data).

📝 Sample Research Article Draft

1. Title

Prescription Pattern Analysis of Antibiotics in a Tertiary Care Hospital: A Prospective Study

2. Abstract

Background: Irrational use of antibiotics is a major cause of antimicrobial resistance. Prescription audits help in promoting rational drug use.
Objective: To evaluate the prescribing pattern of antibiotics in patients admitted to a tertiary care hospital.
Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted over 2 months in 120 patients. Prescriptions were collected from inpatient wards and analyzed for type of antibiotic, dosage form, route of administration, and WHO prescribing indicators.
Results: Out of 120 prescriptions, 68% contained cephalosporins, followed by penicillins (22%) and fluoroquinolones (10%). 80% of antibiotics were given by parenteral route. Fixed-dose combinations were prescribed in 35% of cases.
Conclusion: Cephalosporins were the most commonly prescribed antibiotics. The high use of injectables and fixed-dose combinations suggests a need for strict antibiotic stewardship programs.

Keywords: Antibiotics, Prescription pattern, Cephalosporins, Rational drug use, Antimicrobial resistance

3. Introduction

Antibiotics are one of the most frequently prescribed drug classes in hospitals. However, irrational prescribing has led to increased antimicrobial resistance, treatment failure, and economic burden. Prescription audits are an important tool to evaluate rational drug use.

Previous studies in India have shown a high prevalence of cephalosporin use in tertiary care settings. However, irrational use of fixed-dose combinations and over-prescription of injectables are also common.

Therefore, the present study was undertaken to analyze the prescription pattern of antibiotics in a tertiary care hospital and to compare the results with WHO guidelines.

Objective:

• To identify commonly prescribed antibiotics.

• To analyze the route of administration and dosage forms.

• To compare prescribing indicators with WHO guidelines.

4. Materials and Methods

• Study design: Prospective observational study.

• Study site: General Medicine ward, XYZ Tertiary Care Hospital.

• Study duration: 2 months (June–July 2025).

• Sample size: 120 inpatient prescriptions.

• Inclusion criteria: Patients receiving at least one antibiotic.

• Exclusion criteria: Outpatients, incomplete records.

• Data collection: Prescription copies from hospital records.

• Parameters studied:

  • Class of antibiotic prescribed.

  • Dosage form (tablet, injection, syrup).

  • Route of administration (oral, IV, IM).

  • Use of fixed-dose combinations.

• Statistical analysis: Data analyzed using MS Excel; results expressed as percentage distribution.

5. Results

Table 1. Distribution of Antibiotics Prescribed (n=120)

Key Findings:

• Cephalosporins were the most prescribed (68%).

• 80% of antibiotics were administered via parenteral route.

• Fixed-dose combinations accounted for 35% of prescriptions.

6. Discussion

Our study shows that cephalosporins are the most commonly prescribed antibiotics, similar to findings by Sharma et al. (2022). However, the high prevalence of injectables (80%) is above WHO recommendations, which suggest limiting parenteral use.

The irrational use of fixed-dose combinations (35%) highlights the need for antibiotic stewardship programs to promote rational prescribing.

This study indicates that continuous monitoring of prescription patterns is essential to control antimicrobial resistance.

7. Conclusion

• Cephalosporins were the most prescribed antibiotics.

• Overuse of injectables and fixed-dose combinations was noted.

• Rational drug use policies and stewardship programs should be implemented.

8. Acknowledgment

The authors are thankful to the Department of Pharmacy Practice, XYZ College of Pharmacy, and the staff of XYZ Hospital for their support in data collection.

9. References (Vancouver Style)

1. Sharma R, Gupta A. Prescription pattern of antibiotics in a tertiary care hospital. Indian J Pharm Pract. 2022;15(3):210-215.

2. World Health Organization. WHO prescribing indicators. Geneva: WHO; 2020.

3. Patel V, Singh A. Antibiotic utilization and resistance trends. J Clin Pharmacol. 2021;61(4):530-537.

✅ This draft already follows the IMRAD format. You just need to:

• Replace “XYZ Hospital/College” with your institute.

• Insert your own data tables and graphs from your survey/experiment.

• Update references with real studies you cite.