Pleasing the reader by pleasing the eye—Part 1 The role of format and design in readability - Volume 21, Issue

Whoever writes wants to be read. Yet, even if we succeed in creating an informative, logically structured, and adequately worded text tailored to our target audience, i.e., text we consider to have an adequate level of readability, our documents may…

Fake news and vaccination: How the Science Anti-Fake News team in Argentina is fighting the infodemic - Volume 31, Issue

At the outset of the pandemic, it became clear that misinformation (“fake news”) on COVID-19 was spreading rapidly. In this article, we discuss our efforts to combat misinformation by joining with researchers from various disciplines in Argentina to…

The Crofter: Sustainable Communications - Volume 30, Issue

Greetings from the croft! In this special issue on medical journalism, we have two contributions that discuss topics that have enjoyed attention in the press: 1. the emerging environmental problem because of the growing drug market for pets, and 2.…

A stroll through the medical blogosphere - Volume 24, Issue

Medical blogs are a very popular way of communicating health-related information. They can be written by medical professionals or laypeople, and topics include diseases, procedures, health policies, and personal topics such as everyday experiences.…

Winners of the Geoff Hall Scholarship Essay Competition - Volume 30, Issue

Dear all, When I wrote the editorial for this issue last year, I never dreamed that a year later we would still be dealing with global lockdowns and quarantines. I hope and pray that you and your loved ones are staying safe (and sane!). The Geoff…

Mentorship from the inside - Volume 30, Issue

In this article we interview Jose Francisco Sanchez Herrero from the Germán Trias i Pujol Institute in Badalona. He is Selma’s tutor and gives us a glimpse of what it is like to be a mentor in an academic setting. If there is one thing we learned…

How to write about coronavirus: Best practices for health writers - Volume 30, Issue

FOCUS ON FACTS AND EVIDENCE-BASED REPORTING 

what we know, not what we think might happen

AVOID FEAR-MONGERING

watch your language

In the Bookstores - Volume 21, Issue

A personal view incorporating the insights of a UK-based book group Henrietta Lacks was a 31-year-old African American who died in 1951 from cervical cancer. Her biopsied cancer cells were taken without her permission, propagated seemingly forever…

Mentor vs. line manager: Differences and similarities - Volume 30, Issue

A good mentor may be a good line manager in a business setting and vice versa, but there are some key differences: mentors are more skill-oriented, while line managers are more goal-oriented. People who are both good line managers and mentors are…

Race and ethnicity in biomedical literature: A narrative review - Volume 31, Issue

Race and ethnicity are not clearly defined in biomedical literature and misaligned with genomics and epigenomic findings; the guidelines for consistent reporting in publications and regulations from health authorities are lacking. Minority…