Structuring paragraphs - Volume 26, Issue

Paragraphs are meant to make a text understandable and readable, and to help tell the story. Key aspects of good paragraphs include using topic sentences and story structures. Starting with an outline or a planand using it to build to topic…

Paragraphing (Part 1 of 2) - Volume 21, Issue

The purpose of paragraphing is to make text understandable and easy to read, and to help you tell your story effectively. Paragraphing is difficult because the purpose of the documents we produce and their readership are diverse. To make matters…

Finding the action in your writing: Avoiding nominalisation - Volume 26, Issue

Dense, hard-to-follow writing obfuscates complex subject matter, but writers can improve their ability to communicate complex topics with clear writing that is easily understood on a first read. Science and medical  writing often contain grammatical…

Medical Communications - Volume 26, Issue

Well here’s a sentence I never thought I’d write: In this issue we learn how the Argentine Tango can make us better writers. Really! When our contributor, Susanne Geercken, told me that this was the topic she’d  chosen, I was both intrigued and…

Elements of storytelling in medical journalism - Volume 24, Issue

Medical journalists marry the techniques of technical medical writing and storytelling in their work. They need a high-level understanding of the science behind the story, but they must also skilfully employ techniques that draw in readers who may…

Medical Communications - Volume 23, Issue

I must admit to feeling very strongly about information that is written for patients – both about the quality and the appropriateness of the information itself, and about how it is communicated. Thankfully, this topic is now enjoying some long…

Biotechnology - Volume 31, Issue

Ahmad Nazzal defines biotechnology as, “a field of science that involves using living organisms and organic substances to create or modify environments, produce goods, or improve human health.” Biotechnology is a vast topic and can be defined by…

Social media, communication challenges, and the role of a scientific writer in standing up for science - Volume 30, Issue

Social media and other communication technologies are great tools to raise awareness regarding public health challenges and measures to overcome them. At the same time, these modern technologies are used to spread misinformation and conspiracy…

From the Editor - On social media: Once a passive observer – now an active user - Volume 30, Issue

It is with great pleasure that I write my first editorial for this amazing issue on social media. The idea of this issue came to me in 2019, inspired by two special colleagues.

I had social media accounts even before I became a medical writer. I rec…

My First Medical Writing - Volume 31, Issue

I am pleased to share an article by an aspiring medical writer from Poland. Hanna KurlandaWitek finished her PhD in geoscience at the University of Edinburgh, specialising in microbiology. After working in an environmental consultancy for a few…