Checklist of format of scientific journal analysis in Comparative Vertebrate

Anatomy

Title: Effect of sodium fluoride on the grey matter of spinal cord in the albino rat
and the protective role of green tea extract
1. Is the title clear and informative?
Yes, because the important contents in the paper was already summarized in the
title.

Abstract
2. Is there background information leading up to a statement of the problem?
Yes, there is a background information leading up to the statement of the
problem. In the paper they stated that researchers over the world felt that there is
a need to study the effects of fluorides on the other tissues of the body including
CNS, as the fluorides are known to cross blood brain barrier.

3. Are some significant results presented?

Yes, Soliman et. al stated that there is a significant increase in the body weight at
the end of the experiment in the animals of negative control subgroups. While the
animals of fluoride treated group also showed a significant decrease in the body
weight.
4. Is the experimental method described briefly?
The experimental method was described briefly. They included the approval of
the ethics committee on animal experiment of the Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia
University in accordance with the international regulations on care and use of
laboratory animals.
5. Is there a statement of a conclusion?
Yes, they concluded that the green tea extract exerted a protective effect against
NaF-induced neurotoxicity.

Introduction
6. Is there sufficient background information to understand the significance of the
problem?
Somehow they managed to give us sufficient information to understand the
significance of the problem. But, they should also cite some journals about the
effect of sodium chloride on the grey matter and the extract used was other plant.
7. Is the problem, objective, question, or hypothesis clearly stated?
Yes, but they should also include other plants other than the green tea. Because
green tea extract is widely used and there are plenty of plants to be extracted
that are rich in flavonoids such as catechins. In searching different extract other
than green may also give us another significance and may inspire others to
search for new medicinal plants.
Methods
8. Is the experimental procedure clearly described? Could an individual not familiar with
the lab understand the procedure?
It was clearly described. If a non-medicine field student will be reading this then
he or she will not understand the methodology. Understanding the protocols in a
research is a must to study because it is one of the most important part of a
research.

9. Is the experimental design appropriate?

The experimental design was a step by step process and it is appropriate in the
study.

Results
10. Are the results described in a narrative fashion?
The results were described in order and photomicrographs are also included.

11. Is there excessive concentration on reporting of statistics without general

description?
There is none excessive concentration on reporting of statistics without general
description.

12. Are the results presented in a clear and logical fashion (general to specific)
Yes. They clearly stated the results from general to specific.

13. Are the figures and tables referred to correctly?

The figures and tables are very important in a journal for the readers and other
researchers to cite and understand the results of the experiment.

14. Are appropriate statistical tests performed?

They clearly stated the statistical test performed they used IBM personal
computer and statistical package SPSS version 2.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL,
U.S.A). Two types of statistics were done: Descriptive statistics: i.e. mean (9) and
standard deviation (SD), and an analytic statistics.

15. Are statistical results interpreted correctly?

Yes because they showed us the number of astrocytes in cervical sections of the
rat of the spinal cord and the mean body weight of rats at the start and end of the
experiment.

Figures and tables

16. Are figures and tables numbered correctly?
Yes the figures and tables are numbered correctly. If not they will not published it
with wrong numbers.

17. Do figure and table legends accurately reflect their content?

Yes I believed so the legends they used are easy to understand.
18. Are data in figures graphed correctly with appropriate axes, labeling, etc.?
The data in figures are graphed correctly with appropriate axes and labelling.
They should be. Because if not, readers will report it for not understanding its
content.

19. Are data in figures and tables redundant or unnecessary?

All the data that was included were not redundant or uncessary. It was included
in the paper for us to understand briefly and for us to see what does it look like.

Discussion
20. Does the discussion show analysis, interpretation, and comparison of data
collected?
Yes, the researchers showed us clear analysis, interpretation and comparison of
the data they collected.

21. Is there an explicit statement supporting or refuting the hypothesis?

22. Are there citations of primary work that support the comparisons of this study with
the work of others?

23. Is there explanation of mechanism of action or function that helps the reader
understand the results obtained?

24. Does the discussion draw conclusions from the data analyzed?
They stated that they had many attempts for them to explain the changes of their
data.

Literature cited
25. Is literature cited appropriately throughout the report?
Yes it is clear and all of the literature cited are related to the research. They didnt
cite an article that was too old or published a very long time ago.

26. Are there at least five references, three of which are primary literature?
Yes there is, actually, they included numerous related literature which is a good
thing for us to understand their study and for additional purpose.

27. Are the references cited in the proper format?

In writing a paper, there are formats that need to be followed especially in
literature cite. APA style is most common.

Overall
28. Is the writing clear, concise, and logical?
Yes it is clear and gave a lot of information clearly and in a few words, brief but
comprehensive.

29. Are proper grammar and spelling used?

Before publishing a long journal like this one I am pretty sure that they hire or
know someone who can proof read their works. If not it will be reported and will
gain a negative feedback to the readers and to their workplace.
30. Is the report informative and easy to read?
The journal is over 20 pages and I am honestly saying that some of its part I
havent fully understand so, I checked those few words from the internet to be
able to find out what the authors are trying to explain. It caught my attention
because of the green tea extract they used. My thesis is also about crude extract
of medicinal plants that is why somehow I can relate to the article.