Reasrch Manuscript Editing/ Submission/ Handling reviewer comments

Title: Medical Manuscript Revision, Statistical Review and Journal Submission Support – General Surgery/ERCP Study I am seeking an experienced medical writer, clinical researcher or biostatistician with a strong publication record in general surgery, gastrointestinal surgery, hepatobiliary surgery or endoscopy. I have completed a retrospective UK NHS cohort study investigating laparoscopic cholecystectomy following ERCP for common bile duct stones. The manuscript examines the relationship between the ERCP-to-cholecystectomy interval, operative duration, operative complexity and postoperative outcomes. The manuscript has previously been rejected by journals and requires substantive scientific and methodological improvement rather than basic proofreading. I am aiming to submit it to a reputable PubMed/MEDLINE-indexed journal with an impact factor above 1.0. Cureus is not being considered. Scope of work The successful freelancer will be expected to: 1. Critically review the complete manuscript, dataset, tables, figures and previous journal rejection or reviewer comments. 2. Assess whether the study question, title, outcomes and conclusions are adequately supported by the data. 3. Strengthen the manuscript’s narrative around the operative burden and timing of cholecystectomy following ERCP, while appropriately discussing the emerging debate regarding routine cholecystectomy versus expectant management after successful duct clearance. 4. Revise the title, structured abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion and conclusion to publication standard. 5. Review the statistical methodology and independently verify the reported results, including descriptive statistics, group comparisons and p-values. 6. Advise on and, if appropriate, undertake additional statistical analyses. This may include: * Comparison of baseline characteristics between timing groups * Analysis of operative time as a continuous outcome * Adjusted regression accounting for relevant confounders * Assessment of surgeon grade, repeat ERCP, stent placement, BMI and presenting pathology * Analysis of objective operative-difficulty indicators * Appropriate handling of small and unequal timing groups * Sensitivity analyses where feasible 7. Ensure that findings based on small subgroups are presented cautiously and that causal claims are avoided where unsupported. 8. Review the accuracy and consistency of all references and update the literature using high-quality recent studies, guidelines and ongoing trials, including the UK ROSIER trial where relevant. 9. Format the manuscript according to the STROBE reporting guideline and the requirements of the selected journal. 10. Recommend three to five legitimate PubMed/MEDLINE-indexed target journals with an impact factor above 1.0, explaining the suitability, publication model, expected fees and relative probability of acceptance. 11. Prepare the complete submission package, including: * Final manuscript * Tables and figure legends * Journal-specific cover letter * Title page * Highlights or key points if required * STROBE checklist * Author declarations * Data-availability statement * Ethics/registration statement * Suggested reviewers if required 12. Provide guidance during the online submission process. Submission must remain under the corresponding author’s control. 13. Assist with responses to peer-review comments and revise the manuscript following reviewer and editor feedback for at least two rounds of revision. Required experience Applicants should have: * Demonstrable experience publishing clinical research in PubMed/MEDLINE-indexed journals * Experience with retrospective cohort studies and surgical outcomes research * Strong competence in medical statistics * Familiarity with ERCP, choledocholithiasis and laparoscopic cholecystectomy * Knowledge of STROBE, ICMJE and COPE requirements * Excellent academic English * Experience preparing point-by-point responses to peer reviewers Preferred qualifications Preference will be given to applicants who are: * Clinicians or clinical academics in general surgery, HPB surgery, gastroenterology or a related specialty * Qualified biostatisticians with experience in surgical research * Authors of peer-reviewed publications in relevant PubMed-indexed journals * Experienced with SPSS, R or Stata Deliverables * Detailed initial scientific and statistical critique * Agreed revision and analysis plan before major rewriting * Verified statistical results * Fully revised manuscript with tracked changes * Clean final manuscript * Publication-quality tables and figures * STROBE checklist * Shortlist of suitable target journals * Journal-specific cover letter and submission documents * Support with reviewer responses for at least two revision rounds Application questions Please answer the following: 1. What clinical or statistical qualifications do you hold? 2. Please provide links or PubMed identifiers for relevant manuscripts you have authored or substantially supported. 3. What are the three most important methodological problems you would look for in a retrospective study of ERCP-to-cholecystectomy timing? 4. Which statistical approach would you use for a continuous outcome such as operative time when the timing groups are small and unequal? 5. Which journals would you initially consider for this study and why? 6. Will you personally undertake the work, or will any part be subcontracted? 7. Please confirm that you do not guarantee acceptance or use inappropriate authorship, citation or submission practices. Confidentiality and research integrity The selected freelancer must agree to maintain strict confidentiality. Only anonymised data will be shared. All analyses and manuscript changes must be transparent, reproducible and compliant with ICMJE and COPE standards. No fabricated data, inappropriate citations, undisclosed AI-generated references, ghost authorship or guaranteed-publication arrangements will be accepted. Please quote separately for: * Initial manuscript and statistical review * Full revision and submission package * Each additional reviewer-response round beyond the two included rounds