The illusion of certainty and the certainty of illusion - Volume 25, Issue

Critical thinking is necessary to edit a scientific article. However, in addition to questions about the language, we can also question the assumptions, documentation, and implications of the research, in a process I call “analytical editing.” A…

When less is more: Medical writers as guardians of curated content - Volume 28, Issue

In this data-driven era, the type and format of publicly available medical and scientific information is significantly changing. Medical writers can serve as guardians of the information entering the public domain by ensuring accuracy and…

Selling evidence over the counter: Do community pharmacists engage with evidence-based medicine? - Volume 22, Issue

Community pharmacy has been recently criticised for selling products which do not have a rational or robust evidence base. Available evidence suggests that pharmacists understand and are willing to embrace the concepts of evidence-based medicine…

Blockchain in healthcare, research, and scientific publishing - Volume 28, Issue

Data are being transmitted and stored on cloud-based networks, including clinical, research, and publishing data. These cloudbased systems often lack comprehensiveness, accessibility, interoperability, confidentiality,accountability, and…

AMWA-EMWA-ISMPP Joint Position Statement on the Role of Professional Medical Writers - Volume 26, Issue

This joint position statement of the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA), the European Medical Writers Association (EMWA), and the International Society for Medical Publication Professionals (ISMPP)    describes the appropriate role of…

Rush to publication – What do we have to lose? - Volume 29, Issue

Just as the research and development of new drugs requires careful, often painstaking, adherence to empirical processes, the peer-review process and, indeed, the manuscript preparation process, are likewise laborious and time-consuming. The benefits…

Honing your proofreading skills - Volume 27, Issue

As part of their role, medical writers andeditors are expected to be excellentproofreaders with the ability to identify andremedy mistakes such as grammatical,spelling or formatting errors. This articledetails the steps that can be taken with…

"Processing health-related data for scientific research: Is consent an appropriate legitimate ground?" - Volume 29, Issue

I first met Brussels-based lawyer, An Vijverman, at the European Centre for Clinical Research Training Data Transparency Conference in February 2019. The conference brought together the clinical trials industry – sponsors and contract research…

To be or not to be – Are medical and scientific writers of non-native English origin at a disadvantage? - Volume 26, Issue

Anonymisation: A new challenge for medical writers - Volume 27, Issue

In its commitment to transparency, the EMA implemented Policy/0043 and Policy/0070 to make data accessible to all; however, this has given rise to the need for anonymisation of personal data in clinical reports. The analysis of the 64 submission…