EMWA news - Volume 21, Issue

News from the EMWA Website Manager   New role At the recent EMWA conference held in Cyprus, I assumed the position of EMWA Website Manager. While this is a daunting task, it is a challenge I am pleased to take on. To ensure that I was in a…

In the Bookstores - Volume 22, Issue

The Spirit Level

Ever had a ‘ping’ moment? This book might have been mine. I'm not a natural pessimist, but Western society today seems less cohesive and people more materialistic, stressed, unhealthy, and unhappy than in times gone by. Wealth and s…

Setting up for success: An overview of why mentoring matters for aspiring medical writers - Volume 30, Issue

The most successful people attribute their success to an effective mentoring network. Developing a great mentor network is critical to ensuring long-term professional development and growth. This article presents an overview of the mentoring…

Pleasing the reader by pleasing the eye—Part 2 Page layout and readability - Volume 22, Issue

The purpose of page layout is to consciously arrange text and graphics on a page in a way that supports the reading process and allows the reader to effortlessly follow the flow of information. It should blend words and images into an effective…

The illusion of certainty and the certainty of illusion - Volume 25, Issue

Critical thinking is necessary to edit a scientific article. However, in addition to questions about the language, we can also question the assumptions, documentation, and implications of the research, in a process I call “analytical editing.” A…

Rush to publication – What do we have to lose? - Volume 29, Issue

Just as the research and development of new drugs requires careful, often painstaking, adherence to empirical processes, the peer-review process and, indeed, the manuscript preparation process, are likewise laborious and time-consuming. The benefits…

EUPATI: Patient engagement through education as an important contributor to shared decision making - Volume 30, Issue

Building knowledge and capacity for patients and their advocates about the “systems” of healthcare is empowering for patients. The European Patients’ Academy (EUPATI) was established across Europe in 2012 to provide education and training to…

The Crofter: Sustainable Communications - Volume 31, Issue

Greeting from the croft! During my non-linear career path, there has been one recurring theme that always rang true: “Context matters”. As a physical therapist working in a rehabilitation centre, understanding my clients’ social roles, home…

When less is more: Medical writers as guardians of curated content - Volume 28, Issue

In this data-driven era, the type and format of publicly available medical and scientific information is significantly changing. Medical writers can serve as guardians of the information entering the public domain by ensuring accuracy and…

The needs assessment in continuing medical education - Volume 23, Issue

The needs assessment component of a continuing medical education grant proposal document describes why a specific programme should be developed. Medical writers frequently play a central role in producing the needs assessment as an important first…