Interlude: Reading for Writing, Grant Season, and AI Ethics

I'm often asked how someone can improve their writing. There are the more obvious ways, such as enrolling in courses, partnering with an editor, or working with a writing coach.

But there is another way you can improve your writing: reading.

And not just reading passively to consume information. Reading actively to dissect the writing.

What do you like and dislike about the writing? Do you like the word choice? Do the sentences have an interesting rhythm? What inspires you about the story? Do you disagree with the use of punctuation?

I also recommend that you read more than just scientific and medical writing. Read a variety of genres. Non-fiction and fiction, magazines and newspapers, blogs and social media posts. Read all types of writing.

Reading actively to dissect writing—all types of writing—will help you explore other ways of writing and experiment with your own writing.

To do this, you don't have to spend hours every day. In just 5 minutes, you can read something that may expand your writing skills.

Now onto this week's round-up...

💌 Round-up

🎉 Featured

What Does Medical Communication Mean to You?​
During my interview with the American Medical Writers Association last year, I was asked what medical communication means to me. Check out the snippet to hear what I had to say.

💻 From My Desk

How to Draft Your Specific Aims Page​
It's grant season. At least that's what I refer to this time of year. The month before an NIH R01 due date can be pretty busy. If you're submitting an NIH grant, this guide can help you craft a specific aims page that will win over your reviewers.

📆 Upcoming

Scientific Writing Simplified​
Want to take your scientific and medical writing to the next level? Scientific Writing Simplified will give you a systematic guide to crafting compelling writing that engages, informs, and persuades readers. Space is limited. Doors close on September 20, 2024, or when the class is full.

👓 Reading

Artificial intelligence in scientific medical writing: Legitimate and deceptive uses and ethical concerns​
"While AI can undoubtedly expedite the process of manuscript creation and correction, it raises several criticisms. The crossover between AI and health sciences is relatively recent, but the use of AI tools among physicians and other scientists who work in the life sciences is growing very fast. Within this whirlwind, it is becoming essential to realize where we are heading and what the limits are, including an ethical perspective.”

​Artificial intelligence at the pen’s edge: Exploring the ethical quagmires in using artificial intelligence models like ChatGPT for assisted writing in biomedical research​
"Currently, all the AI models like ChatGPT are in the infancy stage; there is a risk of inaccuracy of the generated content, lack of contextual understanding, dynamic knowledge gaps, limited discernment, lack of responsibility and accountability, issues of privacy, data security, transparency, and bias, lack of nuance, and originality. Other issues such as authorship, unintentional plagiarism, falsified and fabricated content, and the threat of being red-flagged as AI-generated content highlight the need for regulatory compliance, transparency, and disclosure. If the legitimate issues are proactively considered and addressed, the potential applications of AI models as writing assistance could be rewarding.”

🧰 Tools

Google Books Ngram Viewer​
Do you wonder how word use has evolved over time? By entering words and phrases into the Google Books Ngram Viewer, you can see how those phrases appeared in a collection of books over a range of years. You can also play around with the advanced usage features to get even more insight.

✅ Action

The next time you start reading something, take just 5 minutes to actively read the writing. What do you notice that you might want to use or avoid in your own writing?

Thank you so much for reading.

Warmly,

Crystal