Instructions for Authors

Instructions for Authors SCOPE Medical Writing, the official journal of EMWA (the European Medical Writers Association), is a quarterly journal that aims to educate, inform, and entertain medical writers. Medical Writing publishes themed issues…

Psychotropics: A scientific, regulatory, and public view on the medicinal uses of cannabinoids and psilocybin - Volume 32, Issue

Research on psychotropics is gaining more popularity worldwide and support from drug regulatory agencies, which recognise the unmet medical needs of certain patient communities, such as patients with mental disorders and patients with cancer who…

The hard truth about soft skills in medical writing - Volume 33, Issue

Historically, hard skills – such as technical, digital, or life sciences qualifications – have been seen as more valuable than soft skills in successful medical writing. However, hiring managers now recognise soft skills as one of the top…

How to shorten a text by up to 30% and improve clarity without losing information - Volume 26, Issue

What if everything you read was up to 30% shorter and more easily understood? What if everything you wrote was up to 30% shorter and more easily understood? Would that be a skill worth developing? Would  your employer or clients notice if your work…

Lay titles for clinical trials: A balancing act - Volume 27, Issue

With increasing transparency demands andthe new legal requirements for providingclinical trial information to lay readers, clinicaltrials need to be given titles that patients canunderstand and recognise. Trial titles informthe readers what the…

HTA decision-making: Do ethics matter? - Volume 30, Issue

Before reviewing the article in this issue of Medical Writing by Larry Liberti and Tina Wang, The regulatory-HTA decision-making interface: What the medical writer should know (p. 50), I put on my ethicist’s hat. Thus, I tuned my ethics antennae to…

Unlocking the power of emotional intelligence in medical writers - Volume 33, Issue

Emotional intelligence (EI), the ability to recognise and understand emotions (one’s own and those of other people), is a valuable attribute for medical writers (MWs). MWs play a pivotal role in communicating medical and scientific information to…

The MHRA perspective on the new pharmacovigilance legislation - Volume 21, Issue

Following an extensive period of drafting, consultation, negotiation, and re-drafting the new European Legislation came into effect in July this year. The new measures will be the biggest change to medicines legislation since the creation of the…

The Light Stuff - Volume 22, Issue

A call to abandon the useless anachronism of the ‘define at first use’ rule for abbreviations Definitions CTD – Common Technical Document (dossier submitted for marketing authorization) eCTD – Electronic Common Technical Document QC – Quality…

Out On Our Own - Volume 24, Issue

Editorial

All of us are aware by now that we can't live without technology and not only at work. With advice, aids, appliances and apps in abundance, we are at the point where we can't see the wood for the trees. Thank goodness we have advice from M…