[How to edit a scientific article and where to publish it?].

The editorial aspect of scientific writing cannot be dissociated from the scientific message it carries. Precision, clearness and conciseness are qualities which express the level of rigour reached in the scientific work presented. By gaining knowledge of the universally accepted rules for medical writing, and abiding by them, authors can expect optimal diffusion of the scientific content and facilitate reader comprehension. This paper outlines the precise rules common to all scientific articles and gives details on the elements on which a biomedical journal bases its decision on whether or not to publish the results of the author's work.