EMWA's position on ghostwriting - Volume 22, Issue

The European Medical Writers Association would like to make it clear that, contrary to what you may have read in a recently published popular science book, it is not a ‘ghostwriters' association’. EMWA is an association for professional medical…

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…

Message from the President - Volume 23, Issue

These two years in the Executive Committee flew by. They will remain in my heart for ever. It is difficult to summarise the emotions and the things we accomplished these last two years. When this adventure started in Cyprus, Susan Bhatti, the…

Special section: Winners of the Geoff Hall Scholarship essay competition - Volume 24, Issue

The Geoff Hall Scholarships (GHSs) are given in honour of a former President of EMWA. Geoff was a very special person, an extremely valued member of EMWA, and a very good friend to many EMWA members. He firmly believed that the future of EMWA lies in…

A first-timer's perspective on the 2013 EMWA conference in Barcelona - Volume 23, Issue

This story may sound familiar. Having spent my entire career on the academic bench, I decided it was time for a change. I still want to use my brain, I still want to be a part of the biomedical sciences, but I am ready to put the pipette down for…

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…

Is cheap outsourcing a threat to your career? - Volume 24, Issue

Many writers are concerned that the rise of cheap freelance medical content outsourcing will be a threat to their careers. Yet while outsourcing may be a cheaper option, there is no guarantee that the quality will be superior. There are also…

Origin and development of English for Medical Purposes. Part I: Research on written medical discourse - Volume 23, Issue

In this two-part review, I present the birth and growth of ‘English for Medical Purposes’, a branch of applied linguistics. This first part summarises the research conducted on English-medium written medical discourse, from early register analysis…

How to soften the red pen’s blow: Tips for editing a colleague’s work - Volume 27, Issue

Applying the dreaded red editing pen to colleague's work can be nerve-racking for professional writers. But there are some concrete steps every writer can take that will improve his or her ability to communicate the type of clear, constructive…

Veterinary Medical Writing - Volume 30, Issue

The placebo-by-proxy effect – another argument against homeopathy

Chances are you know about the placebo effect. There are many variables to study,1 but in general, the placebo effect means that if you believe in a positive outcome of a drug, you wi…