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    Manuscript Editing: Tools and Tips for Medical Communicators

    Every document improves with editing, and medical editors are key to the process of creating consistent, readable, and error-free manuscripts.

    What are the fundamentals of manuscript editing for medical communicators? What are editors looking for when they edit manuscripts? What tools are available when editors seek to create high-quality manuscripts?

    March 11, 2024 at 9:00 AM

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    The Promise and Possibility of Open Access Publishing

    Open access (OA) publishing is a model of publishing that mainly shifts the costs of publishing an article from the reader to the authors and distributes scholarly works online without paywalls or other barriers.

    The concept of open access is part of a larger movement called Open Science that seeks to make scientific documents, data, and research more accessible and equitable.

    February 26, 2024 at 11:27 AM

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    What Types of Medical Writing Are There?

    Medical communicators are key collaborators in a scientific ecosystem where critical research findings and discoveries move from laboratories to the wider world, improving the health and lives of patients and communities.

    As the fields of medicine and health care advance, the demand for medical writers increases. 

    February 15, 2024 at 2:12 PM

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    Understanding Authorship in a Changing World

    AMWA acknowledges the contributions of Crystal Herron PHD, ELS, as lead content developer, and Michelle Sauer Gehring PHD, ELS, for peer review, in the development of this AMWA resource.

    As the world moves in a more interconnected, digital, and collaborative direction, best practices in authorship have become less straightforward. 

    Medical writers may find themselves contributing to manuscripts in many ways and might encounter problematic examples of ghost authorship, gift authorship, and guest authorship.

    January 31, 2024 at 9:00 AM

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    Tips from the Experts on Freelance Time Tracking

    Why should you track your time as a freelancer? 

    Freelance medical writers and editors are often juggling multiple projects for multiple clients. Whether you are getting paid per project or per hour, tracking the time you spend on each client’s work is essential for making sure you and the client are meeting expectations. If you don’t track your time, you can’t bill for it.

    January 29, 2024 at 9:00 AM

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    Topics: Freelancing

    Furthering the Public’s Understanding of Science with Plain Language Summaries

    In recent years, medical communicators have been creating documents called plain language summaries (PLS) to help patients, caregivers, and the general public to better understand the latest scientific findings and clinical trial results. 

    The terms plain language summaries (PLS), plain language summaries (PLS) for clinical trials, plain language summaries for publication (PLSP), and plain language writing can be confusing — and are sometimes used interchangeably. Although each term has a different application, the documents share a single goal: to work toward inclusion and empowerment of nonexpert audiences.

    January 15, 2024 at 9:00 AM

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