From Data to Publication: How to Turn Clinical Trial Results into a Publishable Manuscript

Turning the results of a clinical trial into a peer-reviewed manuscript is both a scientific responsibility and a strategic opportunity. For pharmaceutical and biotech companies, timely publication can enhance scientific credibility, support regulatory pathways, and inform clinical decision-making. However, navigating the path from raw data to accepted manuscript is complex and often underestimated.

At Rockwood Medical Writing Agency, we work with sponsors, investigators, and research teams to transform trial results into clear, accurate, and compelling publications. Below, we outline the critical steps involved in preparing a clinical trial manuscript and highlight how expert medical writing support can make a measurable difference.

1. Choose the Right Journal Early for your Clinical Trial

Targeting the correct journal is foundational. Each journal has its own focus, readership, formatting requirements, and acceptance criteria. Considerations include:

• Therapeutic area and scope

• Impact factor and indexing

• Open access vs subscription model

• Time to publication

Selecting a journal early helps shape the structure, tone, and word count of the manuscript and avoids costly rewrites later in the process.

2. Adhere to Reporting Guidelines

Reputable journals, and ethical publication standards, require compliance with established reporting guidelines. For clinical trials, these include:

• CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials)

• ICMJE (International Committee of Medical Journal Editors)

• EQUATOR Network tools for various study designs

Failure to comply can delay peer review or lead to rejection. A medical writer ensures these guidelines are not only followed but clearly visible in the submission.

3. Distil Complex Data into a Coherent Narrative

A manuscript is not just a summary of statistical outputs. It is a structured scientific argument that:

• Presents the clinical rationale for the study

• Explains the study design and methods

• Objectively presents the results, highlighting key efficacy and safety findings

• Places the data in context within the Discussion, linking to prior literature and implications for practice

An experienced medical writer knows how to shape this narrative while remaining faithful to the data.

4. Avoid Common Pitfalls

Several issues frequently undermine manuscript success:

• Overly technical language that obscures meaning

• Inconsistent data between tables, figures, and text

• Incomplete disclosures of funding or conflicts of interest

• Neglecting journal-specific instructions for authors

These are all preventable. A professional writing agency conducts thorough quality control and formatting checks prior to submission.

5. Navigate Authorship and Approvals

Clinical manuscripts often involve multiple contributors: investigators, statisticians, sponsors, and medical affairs professionals. Managing input and approvals can slow progress without a structured process.

Medical writers can facilitate:

• Draft reviews and reconciliations

• Authorship compliance with ICMJE criteria

• Coordination of final approvals and submission documents (cover letter, ethics statements, trial registration, etc.)

6. Understand the Role of Medical Writing Support

A specialist medical writing agency does not just polish grammar. At Rockwood, we support:

• End-to-end manuscript development, from outline to final draft

• Gap analysis to strengthen arguments or clarify data presentation

• Revisions post-peer-review, including responses to reviewers

Whether you are working under time pressure, limited internal bandwidth, or require therapeutic area expertise, external writing support adds strategic value.

Final Thoughts

Publishing clinical trial results is both a scientific imperative and a reputational asset. With regulatory, academic, and public stakeholders all scrutinising the quality and transparency of published data, clear and compliant communication has never been more important.

At Rockwood Medical Writing Agency, we help ensure that your clinical data is not only published, but published well.

Contact us today to discuss your next clinical trial manuscript writing project.