Volume 21, Issue 3 - Writing Matters
Getting what you want from your scientific writing: tips for writing clearly
Author: Michele Arduengo
Abstract
Good medical writing is like good writing in any discipline: the writer should explain complex concepts and ideas clearly and accurately and engage the reader. In this article, I provide four suggestions to help clarify writing on complex subjects: avoiding nominalizations, using language precisely, using parallel construction, and placing information where readers expect to find it. Applying these principles to science and medical writing can help readers understand difficult concepts more easily the first time they read your document.
Download the full article
References
- Purdue Online Writing Lab, Medical Writing. Available from: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/732/01/
- Knight J. Clear as mud. Nature 2003;423:376–8.
- Gopen GD, Swan JA. The science of science writing. Am Scientist 1990;78:550–8.
- American Medical Writers Association. Essays for biomedical communicators. Vols. 1 and 2. 2001 Available from: http://www.amwa.org/default.asp?id=181
Visit the EMWA website
Search
Articles
Member Login
Links
Editoral Board
Editor-in-Chief
Co-Editors
Managing Editor
Victoria White
Deputy Managing Editor
Alicia Waltman
Associate Editors
Section Editors
Digital Communication
EMWA News
Gained in Translation
Getting Your Foot in the Door
Good Writing Practice
Alison McIntosh / Stephen Gilliver
In the Bookstores
Manuscript Writing
Medical Communications/Writing for Patients
Medical Devices
My First Medical Writing
News from the EMA
Out on Our Own
Pharmacovigilance
Regulatory Matters
Regulatory Public Disclosure
Teaching Medical Writing
The Crofter: Sustainable Communications
Jennifer Bell / Louisa Marcombes
Veterinary Writing
Editors Emeritus
Lay out Designer
Chris Monk