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…

Message from the President - Volume 22, Issue

Dear Medical Writers It is time for me to give you another brief update on the activities of the EMWA Executive Committee (EC) and our plans for 2013, as well as a short preview on the spring conference in Manchester. The autumn conference…

President's Message - Volume 24, Issue

Dear EMWA Members, When we surged en masse onto the dance floor at the Dublin Conference Spring Dinner, supercool ceilidh band ‘Perfect Friction’ were astonished, wondering ‘…what are these medical writers all about?’ We certainly breathed life…

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…

Message from the President - Volume 21, Issue

Dear Medical Writers Top of Form Bottom of Form I expect I am not the only one who at this time of year looks at their calendar in disbelief and asks how on earth another 12 months can have disappeared so quickly? The end of the year is always an…

The Light Stuff - Volume 22, Issue

Decoding the Japanese Code 1: Yes means yes, and no does not exist At a recent dinner, my husband and I were chatting with a university professor, a Japanese fellow who has lived and worked in Europe and the US. We talked about cross-cultural…

Medical Journalism - Volume 22, Issue

Before I write about my way from vet to journalist, I would like to make clear that neither my love for animals nor my admiration for James Herriot was the reason why I became a vet. When I was a kid, I dreamt, like many little girls, of being a vet…

Three strategies to help you write clearly for a lay audience - Volume 26, Issue

When writing health and medical content for a lay audience, it is important to think beyond simply writing well. Defining your ideal readers, reducing medical jargon, and producing a well-formatted piece of work  can all enhance your reader’s…

Teaching Medical Writing - Volume 27, Issue

Since 2014, I have offered a four-day course on academic writing for qualitative health researchers at the University of Southern Denmark. I tell the participants, mostly PhD students with backgrounds in the health professions, that “learning to…

Medical Devices - Volume 28, Issue

During a visit to Greece more than 15 years ago when I was involved in an animal protection campaign, I met a journalist who was investi gating prohibited fishing methods that local fishermen were using. When he was asked by the animal protection…