Medical Education Journal is the official journal of the Japanese Society for Medical Education. There are seven categories including original research papers and practice research articles. It is essential that original research is designed based on clear research questions and conducted using valid and reliable methodology. Literature review and discussions utilizing theoretical frameworks should not be omitted. This article illustrates the critical points in preparing full research papers and the lessons learned from unaccepted manuscripts. New category, Practice report: introduction of a new approach, is explained in this issue.

　When submitting research papers to international academic journals, we consider the aims and scope of the journals, readership, acceptance rate, impact factors, etc. to select which journal is most suitable for our studies. In this paper, the editorial board of Medical Education Japan analyzed articles published in international journals between 2009 and 2018 by first authors belonging to institutions in Japan. Pertaining to the number of articles, BMC Medical Education ranked first with forty-one articles (all were original research papers) and Medical Teacher ranked second with 22 (16 original research papers). There were 8 and 7 articles published by first authors from Japan in Academic Medicine and Medical Education, respectively. There are few articles published from Japan in Advances in Health Science Education and Teaching and Learning in Medicine. Some journals, like Advances in Physiology Education and Journal of Surgical Education, focus on specific fields of medicine. We will show characteristics of these major journals (e.g. area of interest, unique article categories, key points for submission, etc.). We hope that readers utilize this information for article submission.

　Even if a writer has obtained interesting data and results, the quality of the research paper depends on how the author has academically and logically presented the findings and his or her interpretation of the data. This paper discusses what potential authors need to know about writing a high-quality research paper from the following perspectives: identification of research gap (s) based on literature review, clarification of author’s epistemological assumptions and employment of theoretical framework, emphasis on methodological rigor, provision of theoretical and practical implications that are applicable to readers’ context, and ensuring the consistency of author’s argumentation throughout the paper.

　Why do we write medical education research papers and present them at academic conferences? Why do you read medical education research papers and listen to presentations at academic conferences? Medical education is often practiced in a closed space such as a lecture room, where there is a clear power dynamic such as <teacher / supervisor> and <medical student / resident>. In this paper, we will focus on power structure and develop an argument about the significance of educational case reports in medical education research from the epistemological standpoint of critical theory structure.

Introduction: To implement effective medical education, it is important to clarify the process of recognizing and comprehending medical terms.　Methods: We conducted a questionnaire survey of 492 first- to fifth-year medical students to evaluate the recognition and comprehension rates of 57 medical terms in each grade. The terms were classified using the hierarchical cluster analysis based on the recognition and comprehension rates.　Results: The response rate was 91.1% (n=448). The 57 terms were classified into the following five clusters: #1, 30 terms that the students recognized and comprehended from Y1; #2, 18 terms that the students recognized from Y1 and comprehended as the grade increased; #3, six terms that the students recognized and comprehended as the grade increased; #4, two terms that the students recognized from Y1 but had not comprehended even in upper grades; #5, one term that the students recognized as the grade increased but had not comprehended even in Y5.　Discussion: Teachers may need to devise educational strategies while considering different patterns of students’ recognition and comprehension of medical terms.

Purpose: To clarify the awareness of residency program coordinators on their roles and attributes.　Methods: We asked residency program coordinator’s to describe their perception of “roles” and “attributes” that they consider important, We then, qualitatively and semi-quantitatively analyzed the data.　Results: Administrative work, public relations activities, coordination, pastoral and educational roles such as mental support, life support, and social education for trainees were extracted as the roles they identified. Regarding the attributes, humanity, the improvement of the quality of work, and various attributes for human resource development were extracted such as counselors, communication, harmonious human relationship, trainee-centeredness and educational mindset.　Discussion: The residency program coordinators perceived the importance of their “roles” and “attributes” for the development of trainees. Our results may be able to contribute to the development of current and future coordinators.

　Recently, LGBT has become a popular topic, people of various gender expressions appeared on TV. Gender diversity is widely known in Japan. On the other hand, a transwoman who has diagnosed with gender identity disorder was prohibited from using women’s restrooms and locker rooms. The incomprehensible prejudice against gender dysphoria remains persistent. Since people with various gender expressions come to the hospital for consultation, medical professionals are not allowed to be biased against various gender expressions. In this article, a strategy for resolving prejudice against people with gender dysphoria will be proposed.

　In accordance with the new model-core-curriculum for medical education, the current status of education about the science of radiation health was surveyed in all medical schools in Japan. Among the four learning points related to the “Biological effects of radiation and radiation hazards” , about half of the schools covered issues on “radiation and human body” and the “effect of medical radiation exposure” in one, or less than one, 60-minutes class, but did not touch on “radiation risk communication” and “radiological disaster medicine” . A significant deviation of human resources was also observed between schools. Learning tools such as presentation files and video content were preferred as education support materials. Therefore, development and distribution of the learning tools, especially in “radiation risk communication” and “radiological disaster medicine” , may be a first step to promoting high-quality education on the science of radiation health risk in each school’s curriculum.