A guide to pre-approval regulatory documents - Volume 23, Issue

Potential implications of wider data transparency in medical communications - Volume 22, Issue

The current medical communication environment is characterised by growing calls for increased data transparency. There are ongoing concerns about the selective publication of trial results and the potential impact on use of medicines by prescribers…

Regulatory writing basics - Volume 23, Issue

The role of a regulatory writer is to produce regulatory documents (usually taken to refer to documents that are submitted in some form to the health authorities). These documents should adhere to the relevant guidance and be fit for purpose, meani…

Risk Management - Volume 24, Issue

The thalidomide tragedy of the early 1960s cost several thousand lives, but it ultimately led to changes that will undoubtedly save many thousands more: it triggered a chain of events involving the WHO and the ICH that resulted in the…

President's Message - Volume 24, Issue

Welcome to the first issue of medical writing in 2015 on plain language, which means that this message had better be simple and easy to read. I am a huge advocate of plain writing and, as a Publication Manager, spend much of my time working with…

The launch publication for Clarity and Openness in Reporting: E3-based (CORE) Reference

The 2 year EMWA-AMWA CORE Reference project resulted in the publication of the open-access CORE Reference at http://www.core-reference.org on 03 May 2016. The full peer-reviewed publication supporting the launch of CORE Reference: Hamilton S,…

Out On Our Own - Volume 22, Issue

Editorial We hope that you enjoyed the summer months and found time to step away from your desks and relax. This time last year, Kath organised her first ‘Medical Writers’ Retreat’, the aim of which was to provide an opportunity for fellow…

Non-clinical health writing - Volume 23, Issue

We medical writers have a unique and valuable skill set, which includes, most notably, the ability to understand and clearly communicate complex medical information. We are also experts at working with multifunctional teams, compiling detailed…

Writing for lay audiences - Volume 24, Issue

For most of us, medical writing is highly technical. We prepare regulatory or clinical documents or write materials targeted to medical doctors. Medical writing for lay audiences is different, and it does not come naturally to most of us because…

Plain language and readability - Volume 24, Issue

Plain language is writing in clear, concise language that is easy to read and understand. Whenever I hear the term plain language I am reminded of a lay summary I was once asked to edit. The stream of technical language (‘self-source bias’, ‘effect m…