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 Matters - Volume 21, Issue

Writing matters to medical writers … or at least it should. But sometimes we are more consumed with the content of a document than the writing itself. And some might even argue that detailed medical or scientific information cannot be written as…

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…

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…

Thirty-seventh EMWA Conference, 7–9 November 2013, Barcelona, Spain - Volume 22, Issue

EMWA's 37th Conference will be held at the Fira Palace Hotel in Barcelona from Thursday, 7 November to Saturday, 9 November 2013. The Fira Palace Hotel is ideally situated in the trade-fair and exhibition area and is a short walk from Barcelona's…

NICE guidance on health technologies and the role of editors - Volume 22, Issue

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent organisation in England responsible for developing national guidance, standards, and information on providing high-quality health and social care, and preventing and…

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…

Letter from the Editor - Volume 25, Issue

A step – no a leap – forward In 2012, the journal’s precursor, The Write Stuff, became Medical Writing under the guidance of then Editor-in-Chief Elise Langdon-Neuner. The Write Stuff had been managed almost single-handedly by Elise, and the shift…

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…

Post-approval regulatory writing - Volume 23, Issue