Interlude: Past-Year Reviews, Misused Words, and Deep Reading

The end of the year is near! In the final days of each year, I like to do a year-end review. For this process, I follow Tim Ferriss' advice on "past-year reviews," but I add my own twist.

When I review my calendar, I also include the time I block to work on projects. That way, I not only review what people and activities nourish me, but also what projects motivate and inspire me. This process has helped me identify what drains me and what motivates me so that I can focus on what I am most passionate about—helping you to be the best writer you can be.

So at the end of this year, I encourage you to do a past-year review. And in the new year, commit to doing less of what drains you and more of what nourishes you.

"When you recover or discover something that nourishes your soul and brings joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life." – Jean Shinoda Bolen

Now onto my latest curated round-up of the best tips, tools, and resources on scientific and medical writing.

💌 Round-up

🎉 Featured

The 5 Most Commonly Misused Words in Medical Writing (According to an Editor)
I am delighted to share my latest publication in the AMWA Journal. In the article, I describe how ambiguous, inaccurate, or imprecise words encourage ambiguous, inaccurate, and imprecise thinking in readers. And I clarify how to effectively use the five words that I believe are the most commonly misused words in scientific and medical writing.
 

💻 From My Desk

10 Most-Read Scientific and Medical Writing Articles of 2022
At the end of each year, I like to do a year-end review to reflect on what went well and what could be improved. Part of this process involves reviewing which of my articles were most read during the past year. These 10 articles were the most read in 2022.
 

📆 Upcoming

Scientific Writing Masterclass – Starts January 30, 2023
Do you want to master the craft of writing in the new year? Join my masterclass to transform you writing into clear, concise, and compelling stories. Space is limited. Registration closes January 23, 2022, or when the class is full.

👓 Reading

These are the top 10 most passive-aggressive phrases you’re probably using in email
"Unfortunately, the human brain naturally skews toward the negative. Your message may come across as aggressive, condescending, or just plain rude, when that was never your intent."

Before you click “submit,” be your own first reviewer
"For various reasons...manuscripts may be rushed to submission while lacking consistency. This article provides a clear outline of the final round of checks for section consistency, subsection consistency, and overall coherence that a scientific manuscript should undergo before submission."

Retracted papers originating from paper mills: cross sectional study
"The rise of paper mills is a new ethical problem in research and, more specifically, in publication ethics. Not only does this issue entail the sale of authorship, but these types of papers have also been observed to contain fabricated and manipulated data and images, thus disseminating false results in scientific literature. "

🎧 Listening

This is your brain on 'deep reading.' It's pretty magnificent.
As our world has become more digitized, we consume information in different ways. And how we consume information affects how we process and retain that information. In this podcast, Maryanne Wolf talks about the act of reading, how our brains process information that we read digitally versus in print, and how the abundance of information we process is rewiring our brains.
 

💭 Thoughts

Editors are essentialists. They subtract everything that is not needed to add vitality to the ideas and the story.

Thank you so much for reading.

Warmly,

Crystal

Interlude: Keywords, Feelings, and Conscious Writing

A couple of weeks ago, I attended my first in-person conference since the pandemic started. I had a fantastic time connecting with medical writers and editors from all over the country. And I came back energized with new knowledge and ideas that I can't wait to share with you when they're ready.

Now onto my latest curated round-up of the best tips, tools, and resources on scientific and medical writing.

💌 Round-up

🎉 Featured

Conscious Writing
I'm so delighted to share that the AMWA Journal invited me to be a regular contributor in a column I titled "Conscious Writing." In every issue, I will share tips to help medical writers and other authors bring awareness and intention to their craft. The winter issue comes out next month, so keep your eyes out for my first article in the series.
 

💻 From My Desk

How to Choose the Best Keywords for Your Research Manuscript
Keywords are important for indexing manuscripts and making them easier to retrieve with search engines. To help people find your article—and to make the greatest impact—follow these 7 tips for choosing the best keywords for your manuscript.
 

📆 Upcoming

Writing Journal Club – November 30, 2022, 11 am Pacific
Join fellow scientists, clinicians, and trainees as we explore the strengths and weaknesses of scientific and medical manuscripts.

👓 Reading

Science’s no-fee public-access policy will take effect in 2023
"The publisher of the prestigious journal Science will soon allow the authors of its research papers to make public an almost-final version of their manuscript in a repository of their choice immediately on publication, without paying any fees."

Journal seeks to upend scientific publishing by only reviewing—not accepting—manuscripts
"eLife—a nonprofit, selective, online-only journal that focuses on the life and medical sciences—announced it will cease accepting or rejecting manuscripts for publication, instead offering only peer reviews of manuscripts."

Authorship climate: A new tool for studying ethical issues in authorship
"We found that individuals who tend to have more power on science teams perceived authorship climate to be more positive than those who tend to have less power...Individuals with more marginalized identities also tended to perceive authorship climate more negatively than those with no marginalized identities."

🧰 Tools

TextExpander
TextExpander has been a huge timesaver for me. I tend to write similar emails to clients or the same comments in writing projects I am editing. To streamline the process, I created templated text for emails, comments, and more in TextExpander. I highly recommend this software if you find yourself writing the same things over and over again.

💬 Quote

“It’s more important to influence people than to impress them.” –Adrian Rogers
 

💭 Thoughts

Facts don’t persuade. They inform.

Feelings persuade. They spark emotions that influence thoughts and actions.

The best way to tap into those feelings is to tell a story.

Thank you so much for reading.

Warmly,

Crystal

Interlude: Generosity, Presentations, and Short Words

I've been doing quite of bit of speaking and teaching this year. And you know what? I'm one of those weirdos who enjoys giving presentations.

Sure, I feel nervous being in front of everyone (even virtually). But I "rechannel" that feeling of nervousness to feelings of excitement and gratitude. I'm excited to share knowledge and grateful that the attendees are sharing their most valuable assets with me: their time, energy, and attention.

I recently read an article that said you can overcome your fear of public speaking by "speaking with a spirit of generosity" and focusing on "helping the audience." I think this spirit is what helps me "rechannel" my nervousness. I feel fulfilled by helping others and being generous in the ways that I can.

What do you do to overcome your fears of public speaking? Reply to this email and let me know. I'd love to learn your strategies.

Now onto my latest curated round-up of the best tips, tools, and resources on scientific and medical writing.

💌 Round-up

💻 From My Desk

How Short Words Add Clarity to Your Scientific and Medical Writing
Many authors use long words in their writing. Often they fear that using short, simple words will seem simplistic and offend readers. But short words are a key element of clear writing.

10 Things to Avoid Saying in Your Research Presentation
To help you feel more prepared—and less nervous—during your next presentation, avoid saying these 10 phrases. You'll be well on your way to making a great impression on your audience.
 

📆 Upcoming

The Backbone of Manuscripts: Supporting Your Writing With Storytelling – November 5, 2022, 9 am Mountain Time
Are you attending the 2022 AMWA Medical Writing & Communications Conference in Denver, CO? If so, I hope to see you during my education session on storytelling as a key element of manuscripts.

👓 Reading

Atlas of the Heart, by Brené Brown
Although this book focuses on clarifying the language of emotions and the human experience, Brené emphasizes the importance of the words we use to communicate. I correlate much of what she says with how to write in a way that connects with readers.

An update to SPIRIT and CONSORT reporting guidelines to enhance transparency in randomized trials
"The SPIRIT and CONSORT checklists...are being updated to reflect recent advances and improve the assessment of healthcare interventions."

Analysis of Sex and Gender Reporting Policies in Preeminent Biomedical Journals
"There is a paucity of policies outlining appropriate collection and reporting of sex and gender variables, even among the most influential biomedical journals."

💬 Quote

“Don't use words too big for the subject. Don't say 'infinitely' when you mean 'very'; otherwise you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite.” —C.S. Lewis
 

💭 Thoughts

If you don’t have time to refine your writing, when do you have time to refine your thinking?

Thank you so much for reading.

Warmly,

Crystal

Interlude: Relationships, Reverse Outlines, and “Academic Year” Resolutions

Fall is in the air! On my morning walks with the little guy, I'm starting to feel the crisp air of the fall season. I love that feeling.

Fall also marks the start of the academic year. I know that many researchers like to set New "Academic Year" Resolutions, such as submitting more grant proposals or papers. Although I'm technically not on an academic calendar, I still see this time as a great opportunity to revisit my goals for the year and reinvigorate my energy to accomplish them.

What goals do you have for this academic year? Reply to this email to let me know. I'd love to hear from you.

Now onto my latest curated round-up of the best tips, tools, and resources on scientific and medical writing.

💌 Round-up

🎉 Featured

Building Meaningful Relationships and a Positive Reputation With Your Clients and Colleagues 
I'm so delighted that my presentation on building relationships at the Pacific Coast Conference was featured in AMWA NorCal's Pacemaker newsletter. If you'd like to see the presentation, the article tells you how you can get access to the recording.
 

💻 From My Desk

How to Find Problems in Your Draft with a Reverse Outline
Have you reviewed a document and thought that the organization was off, but you couldn’t pinpoint the problem? A great way to help you find the problem is to create a reverse outline.
 

📆 Upcoming

Enlighten Experts with Simple Language: The Power of Plain Language in Scientific Writing – September 26/28, 2022
I'm so excited to facilitate a workshop for the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation program at Vanderbilt University. We'll be discussing my favorite topic: the value of using simple language to enlighten expert readers.

Writing Journal Club – October 19, 2022, 11 am PT
Join me and fellow scientists, clinicians, and trainees as we explore the strengths and weaknesses of a scientific or medical manuscript.

👓 Reading

White House Pushes Journals to Drop Paywalls on Publicly Funded Research
"The policy, hailed by researchers as 'transformational,' will be fully in place by 2026 and make publicly financed research available immediately at no cost."

GRReaT expectations: are editable templates the future of manuscript writing?
"Authors may soon be able to use the GoodReports.org website to generate a manuscript template incorporating the recommended reportable items from the most appropriate set of EQUATOR reporting guidelines."

Clear Writing Q&A with Ben Riggs from Kettering Health
"In this engaging interview, Ben Riggs confronts the assumptions that lead to unclear communication and shows us the empathy that we should have for readers facing life-changing decisions."

🎧 Listening

Top 10 Tips for Writing Your Scientific Paper
In this podcast, the Editor-in-Chief of Radiology and a scientific editor share their top 10 tips for writing a scientific paper.
 

🖥️ Watching

How to Use Writing to Sharpen Your Thinking
In this 6-minute video, Tim Ferriss offers some great tips on how to use writing to improve your thinking, revise your drafts, and seek advice from others who review your writing. 
 

💭 Thoughts

Even the best writers need editors.

Olympians have coaches. CEOs have mentors. Presidents have advisors.

An editor will help you become the best writer you can be.

Thank you so much for reading.

Warmly,

Crystal

Interlude: Persuasion, Plagiarism, and Perseverance

I hope that you are enjoying the final few weeks of summer.

I just got back from a short trip to my hometown. The drive takes a few hours, so I like to use the time to listen to some of my favorite podcasts. On this trip, I listened to an interview with Gary Klein on The Knowledge Project. In the interview, Gary shared insights on making better decisions. But what really stood out to me was his thoughts on how language is a means of communication and of miscommunication. He highlights how using words with ambiguous meanings can hinder understanding. I highly recommend listening to at least the first half of the podcast.

Now onto my latest curated round-up of the best tips, tools, and resources on scientific and medical writing.

💌 Round-up

💻 From My Desk

3 Pillars of Persuasive Writing That Motivate Readers
Writing persuasively involves carefully considering the three pillars of rhetoric—ethos, logos, and pathos—and the foundation that underlies them.

8 Powerful Patterns to Persuade Your Reviewers
Persuasive patterns can help you organize your arguments to build on what readers know and help them easily understand information.
 

📆 Upcoming

The Backbone of Manuscripts: Supporting Your Writing With Storytelling – November 5, 2022, 9 am Mountain Time
Mark your calendars for the 2022 AMWA Medical Writing & Communications Conference in Denver, CO! I will be speaking about how storytelling underlies the structure of manuscripts.

👓 Reading

Adjectives and adverbs in life sciences across 50 years: implications for emotions and readability in academic texts
"...between 1969 and 2019...an increasing number of adjectives and adverbs were used and the readability of scientific texts have decreased..." 

How to ACTUALLY Avoid Plagiarism
This article discusses the most common plagiarism mistakes and how to avoid them with The Cleanroom Technique.

Factors Affecting the Use of Medical Articles for Citation and Academic Reference
Survey respondents indicated the the language of the article and availability on PubMed/Medline were more important than the country of origin, institution, and impact factor. Other important factors included year of publication, availability on Google/Google Scholar, open access, and free access.

🧰 Tools

Pexels
Are you looking for images and videos for your presentations? This website has become my go-to resource for free stock photos, royalty free images, and videos.

💬 Quote

"Persuasion is achieved by the speaker's personal character when the speech is so spoken as to make us think him credible." — Aristotle
 

💭 Thoughts

Rejection is an inevitable part of science.

Perseverance is the antidote.

Thank you so much for reading.

Warmly,

Crystal

Interlude: Hyphens, Hollywood, and Awful Papers

When someone gives you advice, do you find that you—intentionally or unintentionally—do the opposite?

I believe that we all do this from time to time. I certainly do when I hear advice about skipping dessert (not a chance!) or cold plunging (no, thank you!).

But do you find that you resist advice for writing a manuscript? If so, check out this quick read on how to skillfully write an awful research paper. The author hoped to inspire you to do the opposite of their advice. It's an oldie but a goodie, and it's worth the entertaining read.

Now onto my latest curated round-up of the best tips, tools, and resources on scientific and medical writing.

💌 Round-up

💻 From My Desk

How to Use Hyphens to Create Connections and Clarity in Your Writing
Hyphens might be tiny punctuation marks, but they are powerful tools for adding clarity to your writing. Do you know when you should use hyphens in your writing?

When to Use Apostrophes in Formal Scientific Writing
Apostrophes are used often in everyday writing but rarely used in scientific and medical writing. But when used carefully, apostrophes can add simplicity and clarity to your writing. 
 

📆 Upcoming

Writing Journal Club – August 24, 2022, 11 am Pacific Time
Join fellow scientists, clinicians, and trainees as we explore the strengths and weaknesses of scientific and medical manuscripts.

The Backbone of Manuscripts: Supporting Your Writing With Storytelling – November 5, 2022, 9 am Mountain Time
Mark your calendars for the 2022 AMWA Medical Writing & Communications Conference in Denver, CO! I will be speaking about how storytelling is a foundational aspect of manuscripts.

👓 Reading

Many researchers were not compliant with their published data sharing statement: mixed-methods study
"Even when authors indicate in their manuscript that they will share data upon request, the compliance rate is the same as for authors who do not provide DAS [Data Availability Statement], suggesting that DAS may not be sufficient to ensure data sharing.

What Hollywood can teach researchers about scientific storytelling
"Stories invite others along with us on our research experiences, making science more accessible and engaging to diverse audiences....'There’s nothing in the world more powerful than a good story.'”

Ethical Considerations for the Inclusion of Patient-Reported Outcomes in Clinical Research
"The PRO ethics guidelines provide recommendations for ethical issues that should be addressed in PRO clinical research. Addressing ethical issues of PRO clinical research has the potential to ensure high-quality PRO data while minimizing participant risk, burden, and harm and protecting participant and researcher welfare."

🧰 Tools

List of Title Word Abbreviations
This website includes a list of all standardized abbreviations used for words in scientific and technical citations. When I'm not sure how to abbreviate the title of a journal, this website is my go-to resource.
 

💭 Thoughts

Rewriting is when the magic happens in the writing process.

Revising your writing is when you get to become a reader who has the power to change the writing.

Thank you so much for reading.

Warmly,

Crystal

Interlude: Because, Reproducibility, and History

I've heard many people say that there is an element of sales in scientific and medical writing. That you need to sell your data and ideas.

I think there is some truth to that notion. Salesmanship involves persuading people to behave in a certain way. Similarly, in scientific and medical writing, you want to persuade your readers to think or behave in a certain way, whether that's to fund your proposal, publish your manuscript, or cite your work.

An important aspect of this persuasion is credibility. Credibility is foundational in science, and a key part of maintaining integrity in your work and in your field. And this combination—persuasion and credibility—is a powerful way to build trust and sell your data and ideas.

Do you notice an element of salesmanship in your work? Feel free to reply to this email. I'd love to know what you think.

Now onto my latest curated round-up of the best tips, tools, and resources on scientific and medical writing.

💌 Round-up

💻 From My Desk

The Persuasive Power of the Word Because
One of the most powerful ways to persuade your readers is to use one simple word: because.

12 Powerful Ways to Persuade Your Reviewers
These techniques will help you master the art of persuasive writing to influence and motivate your readers.
 

📆 Upcoming

Writing Journal Club – July 20, 2022, 11 am Pacific Time
Join me for discussions with fellow scientists, clinicians, and trainees as we explore the strengths and weaknesses of scientific and medical manuscripts.

The Backbone of Manuscripts: Supporting Your Writing With Storytelling – November 5, 2022, 9 am Mountain Time
Mark your calendars for the 2022 AMWA Medical Writing & Communications Conference in Denver, CO! I will be speaking about how storytelling is a foundational aspect of manuscripts.

👓 Reading

Funding: end ‘publish or perish’ for postdocs
"EMBO, which publishes and funds life-sciences research, is changing its criteria for postdoctoral fellowships to help early-career applicants to focus more on scientific progress than on accumulating publications."

Peer reviewers equally critique theory, method, and writing, with limited effect on the final content of accepted manuscripts
"The finding here that reviewers focused nearly equally on critiquing the methodological detail, theoretical basis, and communication style of manuscripts indicates that reviewers are aiming to achieve the principal function of peer review to detect flaws and deficiencies in the design and interpretation of studies and ensure the clarity and quality of their presentation."

NIH bid to tackle reproducibility crisis – is data sharing the answer?
"NIH policy requiring all grant applications to include a data management and sharing plan comes into effect in January 2023. The policy sets to improve reproducibility in biomedical research, reduce wasted resources, and help regain public trust in science, but some researchers worry about the associated logistical challenges."

Introducing the EMPIRE Index: A novel, value-based metric framework to measure the impact of medical publications
"The EMPIRE Index provides a richer assessment of publication value than standalone traditional and alternative metrics and may enable medical researchers to assess the impact of publications easily and to understand what characterizes impactful research."

🎧 Listening

The History of English Podcast
This podcast explores the roots of the English language. If you want to know about the history and development of English, this podcast is for you!
 

🖥️ Watching

How Five Simple Words Can Get You Want You Want - TEDx talk by Janine Driver
This video inspired my blog post on the persuasive power of "because." I think that Janine does an amazing job of describing why we need to pay attention to the words we use.

💬 Quote

“A well-known principle of human behavior says that when we ask someone to do us a favor we will be more successful if we provide a reason. People simply like to have reasons for what they do.” ― Robert B. Cialdini
 

💭 Thoughts

Don’t choose the sophisticated message to try to sound smart. Choose the straightforward message that can be easily understood.

Strive to enlighten readers, not to impress them.

Thank you so much for reading.

Warmly,

Crystal

Interlude: Abbreviations, Text Recycling, and Writing Journal Club

I recently wrapped up the first offering of my Scientific Writing Masterclass. I got some great feedback from the participants, many of whom said that they want to work through even more examples. So, I decided to start a virtual Writing Journal Club.

And you're invited!

Each month, you can join fellow scientists, clinicians, and trainees in live discussions that explore the strengths and weaknesses of a scientific or medical manuscript.

As a member of the Redwood Ink community, you get early access to register before I open up registration to the public on Friday. Space is limited, so register early!

💌 Round-up

💻 From My Desk

How to Define Abbreviations in Scientific and Medical Writing
Do you know when to define abbreviations? These general guidelines will help you know when and how to define abbreviations in your writing.

Why You Need a Writing Journal Club and How to Create One
A writing journal club is a spin on the classic journal club. But rather than review the science, you review the writing to help you hone your writing skills.
 

📆 Upcoming

Simple Language for Expert Readers: Debunking Misconceptions for Easier and Faster Reviews – June 8, 2022, 9 am Pacific Time
I am delighted to speak for DIA Global about the value of using simple language when writing regulatory documents for expert readers. All are welcome to attend. Follow me on LinkedIn to get updated on when registration opens.

Writing Journal Club – June 22, 2022, 11 am Pacific Time
Join me for discussions with fellow scientists, clinicians, and trainees as we explore the strengths and weaknesses of scientific and medical manuscripts.

👓 Reading

Building Consensus on Author Selection Practices for Industry-sponsored Research: Recommendations From an Expert Task Force of Medical Publication Professionals
Are you unsure of whether a potential author meets the first criterion in the ICMJE guidelines for authorship? This article clarifies what is considered a substantial intellectual contribution.

Top 10 Tips for Writing Your Scientific Paper: The Radiology Scientific Style Guide
This article offers great tips for writing any clinical manuscript. I really appreciate the authors' rationale for why we make mistakes in our own papers.
#1 - It is very difficult for an author to critique their own writing.
#2 - Expert researchers and clinicians are not trained writers. 

A Model Text Recycling Policy for Publishers
This article describes the challenges of "text recycling" and shares a model policy for text recycling that scientific publications can use in the publication process.

How to Stop Writing Mediocre Words: 186 Better Ways to Say “Great”
Words are a powerful tool for persuasive writing. If you over-use "great" (or similar words) in your writing, this list of synonyms is for you.

🧰 Tools

Notion
I rediscovered Notion earlier this year. The software is a really powerful and highly customizable tool for managing tasks, projects, clients, and more. I used it to create an intranet (or external brain) that helps me manage all aspects of my business.

💬 Quote

“Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life forever.” ― Amy Poehler
 

💭 Thoughts

The best way to describe complexity is, paradoxically, with simplicity. 

Thank you so much for reading.

Warmly,

Crystal

Interlude: Strong Verbs, Zombie Nouns, and the Power of Simple

I'm currently enjoying the sound and smell of rain outside my window. I live in California and am grateful for every drop we get.

When it's gloomy out, I like to focus on a task that brings me joy. Lately, I've been focusing on my Scientific Writing Masterclass. I'm so delighted to be teaching again. It fuels my soul. And I'm really looking forward to creating more courses to help you overcome your writing challenges.

Do you want to learn about something in particular? Please reply to this email to let me know. Your thoughts will help me to create something that will work well for you.

Now onto my latest curated round-up of the best tips, tools, and resources on scientific and medical writing.

💌 Round-up

🎉 Featured

Growing Your Career as an Editor
At the 2021 AMWA Conference, I joined two in-house editors in a panel discussion about tips and tricks for navigating the world of editors. This article summarizes our discussion. Access requires an AMWA membership.
 

💻 From My Desk

Craft Compelling Aims with Strong Verbs
Compelling aims spark your reviewers’ curiosity and excitement with strong verbs that add clarity and energy to your writing.

Comprise vs Consists
Comprise and consists have similar definitions, but only one of these terms is followed by the word of.
 

📆 Upcoming

Build Meaningful Relationships and a Positive Reputation with Your Clients and Colleagues – May 6
I'm looking forward to talking about strategies that help to strengthen your working relationships at the 2022 AMWA NorCal Pacific Coast Conference. All are welcome to attend. Register

Enlighten Experts with Simple Language and Easy Reading – Save the date! May 12, 3 pm PT
I'm delighted to speak for the AMWA Florida Chapter about the value of using simple language for expert readers. Open to anyone who wants to attend.

👓 Reading

Novelist Cormac McCarthy’s tips on how to write a great science paper
"McCarthy’s most important tip is to keep it simple while telling a coherent, compelling story." The article offers 17 great nuggets of advice for writing a great science paper.

Analysis of 567,758 randomized controlled trials published over 30 years reveals trends in phrases used to discuss results that do not reach statistical significance
If you describe nonsignificant results as "trends," "approaching significance," or similar, this article highlights some important things to consider in this practice.

The big idea: should we get rid of the scientific paper?
This article suggests shifting from traditional manuscripts to mini-websites that openly report the details of a study. Although these websites would need some form of oversight, I think the model is an interesting concept.

Nature is trialling transparent peer review — the early results are encouraging
I like the idea of publishing peer-review exchanges for manuscripts. I think that the practice promotes transparency about the peer-review process, especially for that manuscript.

How to Rehearse for an Important Presentation
"...rehearsing is the single best use of time before a critical presentation. More preparation means less panic and more confidence."
 

🖥️ Watching

Beware of nominalizations (AKA zombie nouns) - Helen Sword
I recently revisited this video about nominalizations (or abstract nouns). I really like the creativity of the story and design.

🧰 Tools

RODE NT-USB Microphone
When I decided to create online courses, I invested in this microphone. My students say that the sound quality is exceptional and puts them at ease while listening to my presentations.

💬 Quote

“Verbs are the most important of all your tools.” —William Zinsser, On Writing Well
 

💭 Thoughts

Short sentences with short words make powerful points. Simple is powerful.

Thank you so much for reading.

Warmly,

Crystal

Interlude: Parallel Structure, Diversity, and Cues

One of my core values is to help others. And this value is a pillar of my business at Redwood Ink.

This newsletter is an extension of that value. I want to share the best resources to help you communicate your hard work in a meaningful way.

To share even more resources, I am also posting tips and insights on LinkedIn. If you're interested in following my posts, head over to my profile. I'd love to have a conversation about your joys and challenges with writing.

Now onto my latest curated round-up of the best tips, tools, and resources on scientific and medical writing.💌 Round-up

🎉 Featured

Prewriting, Writing, Rewriting: Three Steps to Drafting a Compelling Grant Proposal
I had a great time talking about developing grant proposals for the Center for Research, Artistic, and Scholarly Excellence at the Univerity of San Francisco. Now I am looking forward to working with each of the attendees in one-on-one coaching sessions.
 

💻 From My Desk

How to Create Clear Patterns with Parallel Structure
Parallel structure ensures that information follows the same grammatical pattern in a sentence. This structure makes the information easier to understand and remember.

Make Sure to Choose the Right Word: Assure vs Ensure vs Insure
The verbs assure, ensure, and insure all relate to “making sure” of something. But these verbs have distinct meanings that can affect how readers interpret your writing.
 

📆 Upcoming

Scientific Writing Masterclass - Summer 2022
I'm getting great feedback from the participants in the course. If you're interested in joining the next offering, simply reply to this email. I'd love to hear from you.

👓 Reading

Writing up your clinical trial report for a scientific journal: the REPORT trial guide for effective and transparent research reporting without spin
"The REPORT guide...is intended to supplement established first choice reporting tools, such as Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT), by adding tacit knowledge...about reporting topics."

The giant plan to track diversity in research journals
"Efforts to chart and reduce bias in scholarly publishing will ask authors, reviewers and editors to disclose their race or ethnicity."

Editors publishing in their own journals: A systematic review of prevalence and a discussion of normative aspects
"Journal guidelines should include clear information about the handling procedure for submissions authored by editors."

🎧 Listening

Cues - On Charisma with Vanessa Van Edwards
"We all have patterns for when we...are at our most confident and natural. Tracking those and taking advantage of them to give yourself more comfort and ease in your communications can immediately increase your charisma."

🧰 Tools

Word Histories
Do you ever wonder about the history behind phrases, such as "one fell swoop"? This website is packed with little-known facts about common phrases.

💬 Quote

"Your passion for words and sentence structure should equal a painter’s passion for color and brushstroke." — Andrew McAleer

Thank you so much for reading.

Warmly,

Crystal

Interlude: Persuasive Patterns, Modifiers, and Jargon

Here's my latest curated round-up of the best tips, tools, and resources on scientific and medical writing.

💌 Round-up

💻 From My Desk

8 Powerful Patterns to Persuade Your Reviewers
Persuasive writing is a powerful approach to communicating information and motivating readers. With some language patterns in your toolbelt, you can craft persuasive arguments that influence your readers and compel them to take action.

How the Location of Modifier Words Ensures Clarity in Your Writing
Modifiers can add emphasis or important details to your writing. But misplaced modifiers can cause confusion by conveying a different (and sometimes humorous) meaning. To ensure clarity in your writing, put modifiers next (or as close as possible) to the word or phrase they modify.
 

📆 Upcoming

The Anatomy of a Grant Proposal
In a few weeks, I'm heading to the University of San Francisco to speak about the anatomy of a grant proposal. I'm looking forward to meeting with the faculty in the Center for Research, Artistic, and Scholarly Excellence and hearing about their exciting research projects.

Scientific Writing Masterclass - Summer 2022
The Scientific Writing Masterclass is underway! If you are interested in joining the next group of participants, add your email to the mailing list or simply reply to this email with "Interested" in the subject line.

👓 Reading

Online archives where scientists post their research spark information revolution
This article does a great job of summarizing the peer-review process. It also covers the pros and cons of pre-print servers, including why posting a study on a preprint server is appealing, whether preprint articles should be trusted, and what nonscientists need to consider when covering preprint articles.

Publishing of COVID-19 preprints in peer-reviewed journals, preprinting trends, public discussion and quality issues
"COVID-19-related preprints were more publicly discussed and favored for publishing in peer-reviewed journals, typically with a shorter peer-review process, which might have possible repercussions on the quality of journal-published articles."

Patient-driven innovations reported in peer-reviewed journals: a scoping review
"Peer-reviewed publications on patient-driven innovations are increasing and we see an important opportunity for researchers and clinicians to support patient innovators’ research while being mindful of taking over the work of the innovators themselves."

🧰 Tools

De-Jargonizer
Jargon is a top predictor of readability (and has been correlated with imposter syndrome). To ensure your writing is accessible, especially for a general audience, check out this free tool to identify jargon in your writing.

💬 Quote

“Persuasion occurs when trust and confidence meet belief, risk tolerance, and safety.” — Jeffrey Gitomer
 

Thank you so much for reading.

Warmly,

Crystal

Interlude: Guiding Principle, First Authors, and Voice Memos

Here's my latest curated round-up of the best tips, tools, and resources on scientific and medical writing.

💌 Round-up

🎉 Featured

The Guiding Principle in Scientific Writing
I was delighted to be invited to write an article for Edge for Scholars at Vanderbilt University. This community fosters candid conversation about doing good research, networking, productivity, writing grants, and more. In the article, I discuss how the guiding principle in scientific writing means hard work for the author—and what authors can do to make that job easier.
 

💻 From My Desk

Why You Need a Writing Journal Club and How to Create One
Many academic institutions have journal clubs that meet regularly. Most of these clubs focus on content, such as sound methods, accurate findings, and convincing interpretations. But very few focus on the writing itself. By creating a journal club that focuses on the writing, you can help participants develop their writing skills.

Communication Conundrum: Continual vs Continuous
Sometimes words are so similar that we use them interchangeably without really thinking about it. For example, I have noticed that some authors use the term continuous as a synonym for continual. Although these terms may seem similar, they have different meanings that can affect how a reader interprets your writing.
 

📆 Upcoming

Scientific Writing Masterclass - Starts February 14
Are you still thinking about how mastering scientific and medical writing can take your career to the next level? It's not too late to enroll in my Scientific Writing Masterclass. Registration closes February 7.

👓 Reading

Up-Dated ICMJE Recommendations (December 2021)
The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) revised its Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals. Most of the changes regard preprint materials, including choosing a preprint archive, submitting manuscripts that are in preprint archives to a peer-reviewed journal, and referencing preprints in submitted manuscripts. For more details, review the annotated pdf of changes.

Who’s on first? Duking out scientific paper authorship order
"Recently Stanford researcher Garry Nolan, PhD, tweeted about an unconventional way two researchers in his laboratory who had each contributed equally to a study decided who should be listed first on the print version of the paper. The researchers...played three games [and] the winner...was permitted to list himself as the first author..."

How artificial intelligence is changing the landscape of scientific communication
"AI is expected to play an increasingly important role in complex editorial processes and improving AI literacy among scholarly publishing stakeholders will be important for future adoption."

A comparison of systematic reviews and guideline-based systematic reviews in medical studies
"Ranking the citation impact of the different document types has revealed that PRISMA-based systematic reviews dominate irrespective of indicator and citation window. ...this dominance could represent the idea that methodological quality leads to higher citation impact..[or] that whatever makes authors achieve high citation impact also leads them to willingly apply new methodological standards."

🧰 Tools

Voice Memos
I recently started using a voice memos app on my phone (check out the link for app options). When I am walking my dog or cooking, and I think of an idea or a great way to phrase something, I'll record a voice memo to capture it. It's been a game-changer for me.

💬 Quote

“Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life forever.” ― Amy Poehler

Thank you so much for reading.

Warmly,

Crystal

Interlude: Most-Read Articles, Citations, and The Feynman Technique

Here's my latest curated round-up of the best tips, tools, and resources on scientific and medical writing.

💌 Round-up

🎉 Featured

Secondary review reduced inpatient MRI orders and avoidable hospital days
I am excited to share my latest writing collaboration with researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research. Precis: "A standardized workflow and automation platform encouraged a second review of inpatient MRI orders to reduce inappropriate orders, avoidable hospital days, and hospital costs."

Elected Board Member for AMWA Northern California Chapter
I am delighted to share that I was recently elected as a Board Member and the Communications Committee Chair for the AMWA Northern California Chapter. I am looking forward to working with a great organization to help them enhance their communication efforts in the upcoming year.
 

💻 From My Desk

10 Most-Read Scientific and Medical Writing Articles in 2021
A few years ago, I started writing articles about scientific and medical writing. My goal has been to give researchers bite-sized guidance and helpful tools on a variety of topics related to writing. As I looked at the most-read articles in 2021, I thought I would gather the top 10 in one place so that you can easily find them when you need them.

5 Helpful Books to Boost Your Writing Productivity
Many of us are obsessed with productivity. But to be more productive, we need to focus less on time management and more on attention management. How can you focus your attention during the writing process? Check out these books to learn how to design processes and fuel your motivation to maximize your writing productivity.
 

📆 Upcoming

Scientific Writing Masterclass - Starts in February
I created this course to help scientific and medical researchers master the craft of writing effectively. In this course, you will learn key skills that will help you transform your writing into clear, concise, and compelling stories.

👓 Reading

The Feynman Technique: The Best Way to Learn Anything
"Richard Feynman was a Nobel prize-winning physicist. His real superpower, however, was his ability to explain complicated subjects to others in simple terms. He realized that jargon, vague words, and complexity reveal a lack of understanding....The most successful people in the world can take complicated subjects and explain them simply (and memorably) to an audience."

Reducing tensions and expediting manuscript submission via an authorship agreement for early-career researchers: A pilot study
"Authorship can be a source of tension [that can] disrupt professional relationships and damage careers...The authors implemented an Authorship Agreement for use when collaborating on a manuscript."

I, we and they: A linguistic and narrative exploration of the authorship process
"Descriptive statistics suggested that female participants used we subjects and material verbs (of doing) more than men and that full professors used relational verbs (of being and having) more than assistant and associate. Three broad types of agency were narrated: distributed..., focusing on how resources and work were spread across team members; individual..., focusing on the first author's action; and collaborative..., focusing on group actions."

Citation rules through the eyes of biomedical journal editors
"Our results show that publishers, authors of standard styles and editors all agree that references should be uncomplicated and concise. A reduction in the number of various styles used might be attainable but would require an agreement between the publishers and authors of the standard styles, which would incorporate the preferences of journal editors."
 

🖥️ Watching

A Copyediting Carol
This fun video explores where a comma should go in a traditional Christmas carol. I found the video both informative and entertaining.

🧰 Tools

Otter.ai
Do you need to transcribe interviews for a research project? Or maybe you want to dictate part of your manuscript to help you write the first draft? Otter.ai instantly transcribes audio so that you can capture and find what you need.

💬 Quote

"If you’re trying to be more productive, don’t analyze how you spend your time. Pay attention to what consumes your attention." – Adam Grant
 

Thank you so much for reading.

Warmly,

Crystal

Interlude: Writing Groups, Research Integrity, and Plain Language

Here's my latest curated round-up of the best tips, tools, and resources on scientific and medical writing.

💌 Round-up

🎉 Featured

Plain Language – Pacemaker, AMWA Northern California Chapter
"During the annual membership meeting in February, our Chapter members were treated to an enthusiastic presentation from Crystal Herron, PhD, ELS about plain language and its positive effect on readability. Herron's passion for clear, direct communication was evident in her presentation. When it ended, I was energized about putting plain language practices into my daily work."
 

💻 From My Desk

7 Great Reasons to Start a Writing Group
Writing is often a solitary practice. But continually connecting with other writers can be immensely helpful for your writing process. Here are 7 excellent reasons why you need to establish and regularly meet with a writing group.

Describe Action with the Right Preposition: By vs With
In scientific and medical writing, some authors will use the prepositions by and with interchangeably. Although both words show how something can be done, they have different meanings that boil down to who or what did the action.
 

📆 Upcoming

Scientific Writing Masterclass - Starts February 2022
As researchers advance in their careers, they often shift from doing research to writing about research. Yet, many researchers have not had any formal training in writing. To help researchers learn key skills for writing effectively, I am starting a Scientific Writing Masterclass in February 2022. Apply now to transform your writing into clear, concise, and compelling grants, manuscripts, and more.

👓 Reading

Integrating the patient voice into plain language summaries
"The PFMD guide strongly encourages patient input at every stage of PLS development, including selecting which publications are most suitable to develop summaries for, planning the content of PLS, and writing them."

Researchers urge funders and institutions to crack down on false investigators
"...researchers who listed false investigators on grant applications attracted 70% more funding...[but] the latest analysis found that adding false investigators does not affect the chance of individual grant proposals being accepted. It’s likely that those who list false investigators attract more funds because in the long run they tend to submit more grant proposals overall, the new study found."

Female authorship of covid-19 research in manuscripts submitted to 11 biomedical journals: cross sectional study
"The low rates of female first, last, and corresponding authorship on submissions may fall further as the pandemic continues to cause disruption to working patterns and may be compounded once the new research that was conceived and designed during the pandemic flows through to publication stage. Thus, our findings should give early warning of inequity to those who rely on authorship of published articles as a metric of productivity to inform academic promotion and award research grants."

Systematic review and meta-analyses of studies analysing instructions to authors from 1987 to 2017
"...six factors that explain a substantial part of the wide heterogeneity we found between journals’ coverage of...research integrity topics [include]: (1) time (year when the instructions were applicable), (2) country (in which the journals were published), (3) database (in which the journals were indexed), (4) impact factor, (5) scholarly discipline, and (6) sub-discipline."

ResearchGate pulls 200,000 files from its site, amid publisher pressure
"...the online platform has started implementing a new system called Jarvis, which matches publisher rights information with user content when articles are uploaded. Jarvis can prevent a researcher from uploading content to ResearchGate that cannot be freely shared. The site is urging authors to comply with any licence terms or restrictions when uploading their content."

🧰 Tools

Academic Phrasebank
This database is a gold mine of phrases commonly used in manuscripts, proposals, dissertations, and more. Whether you're struggling with finding the right words for a transition, reporting results, or describing trends, this database organizes phrases by type and section to help you find the best phrase to use in your writing.

💬 Quote

"Writers tend to be so paranoid about talking about their writing...But it can help a great deal if you have someone you can call when you need a pep talk, someone you have learned to trust, someone who is honest and generous and who won't jinx you." – Anne Lamott

Thank you so much for reading.

Warmly,

Crystal

Interlude: Key Questions, Judgment, and Authorship

Here's my latest curated round-up of the best tips, tools, and resources on scientific and medical writing.

💌 Round-up

🎉 Featured

Webinar: Choosing Language that Promotes Inclusive Communication
Did you miss my live webinar on how to recognize and replace stigmatizing language? Watch the recording to learn what you can do to adopt inclusive language with guidelines supported by the American Medical Association.

How Plain Language and Readability Strengthen Writing
I am looking forward to speaking about one of my favorite topics at the annual American Medical Writer's Association (AMWA) conference next week. I am thrilled that the planning committee highlighted the upcoming education session in the AMWA Journal.

Growing Your Career as an Editor: Honing Skills and Balancing Responsibilities
Next week, I am delighted to join two other seasoned editors in a panel discussion at the annual AMWA conference. We will talk about grant editing, mentoring trainees, working remotely, and the different mindsets you use when writing and editing.
 

💻 From My Desk

What Key Questions to Ask When Reviewing Your Grant Proposal
Constructive feedback is a valuable part of grant writing. And the better feedback you get, the better your proposal—and project—will be. To help you get the specific feedback you need to write a strong proposal, ask your colleague reviewers some key questions (bonus: free checklist download).

Prevent Judgment by Avoiding the Term "Comply"
Some scientists and clinicians use the terms adhere and comply as synonyms. But these terms have different meanings. And one of them connotes judgment that could be stigmatizing. Learn why you rarely want to use the term comply in your writing.
 

📆 Upcoming

Lay Summary Webinar - November 4, 2021
Compose a clear, informative lay summary

Scientific Writing Masterclass - Starts February 2022
Transform your writing into clear, concise, and compelling content

👓 Reading

Open Pharma recommendations for plain language summaries of peer-reviewed medical journal publications
"We recommend that plain language summaries should be in the style of an abstract, free of technical jargon, unbiased, non-promotional, peer reviewed, and easily accessed. Plain language summaries should also meet the technical requirements to be indexed in directories such as PubMed."

Biomedical Authorship: Common Misconducts and Possible Scenarios for Disputes
"...this article reviews the criteria of authorship recommended by related international organizations of [the] biomedical field and discusses common scenarios that may lead to authorship disputes and misconducts as well as issues related to authorship in multicenter studies."

A Survey-Weighted Analytic Hierarchy Process to Quantify Authorship
"The scoring rubric...transforms the binary tetrad ICMJEc...[and provides] a transparent method to objectively assess authorship contributions, determine authorship order and potentially decrease the abuse of authorship."

Predatory Journals- The Power of the Predator Versus the Integrity of the Honest
"A majority of the work published in these pseudo journals aside from being incorrect and mundane, provide no advancement to science. But more importantly, the negative impact of these journals can have direct implications on patient health care and research."

🧰 Tools

Upright
Better posture can improve your oxygen flow to optimize your thinking while writing. Last year, I discovered this little device that gently reminds me to straighten up when I start slouching at my computer. Since then, my posture and concentration have both improved.

💬 Quote

“Writing is thinking. To write well is to think clearly. That's why it's so hard." – David McCullough

Thank you so much for reading.

Warmly,

Crystal

Interlude: Citations Placement, Conflicts of Interest, and Inclusive Language

Here's my latest curated round-up of the best tips, tools, and resources on scientific and medical writing.

💌 Round-up

🎉 Featured

Inclusive Language Matters: Recommendations for Health Care Providers to Address Implicit Bias and Equitable Health Care
I was delighted when I was invited to write this manuscript on best practices for using inclusive language in health care. With guidance from resources such as the AMA Manual of Style, health care providers can replace stigmatizing language to reduce implicit bias in health care.
 

💻 From My Desk

How Your Citation Placement Can Signal an Effective Introduction
For the Introduction section, some authors write a literature review. But in an effective Introduction, you need to convince readers of why the problem is important. Where you place citations in your sentences can indicate whether you are writing a literature review or a convincing Introduction.

How to Write a Conflicts of Interest Statement for Your Manuscript
Most journals require that authors disclose any conflicts of interest related to the work in a manuscript. But not all authors understand what is considered a conflict of interest. Learn the types of conflicts of interest and how to write this important section of your manuscript.
 

📆 Upcoming

Inclusive Language Webinar - October 7, 2021
Choose language that promotes inclusive communication

Lay Summary Webinar - November 4, 2021
Compose a clear, informative lay summary

Scientific Writing Masterclass - Starting February 2022
Transform your writing into clear, concise, and compelling content

👓 Reading

The use of person-first language in scientific literature focused on drug-seeking behavior: a cross-sectional analysis
"The power of language can be profound, and should be understood by researchers, health care providers, and educators alike, specifically when dealing with known and exhibited characteristics of substance use disorders."

The ISMPP authorship algorithm: standardising the application of the ICMJE authorship criteria
The algorithm "focuses on standardising and simplifying decision-making on ICMJE criterion #1. ...the algorithm quantifies/ranks the relative contributions of each contributor/potential author...[and] calls out specific administrative contributions that are considered important and worth acknowledging but not sufficient to qualify an individual for authorship."

Predictors of Above Average 6-Year Citation Rates in Leading Spine-Specific Medical Journals
"Studies originating in North America, those with six or more authors, sample sizes > 100, and those that are retrospective or prospective case series are independent predictors of greater citation rates at 6 years in orthopedic spine-specific medical literature."

💬 Quote

"Research is creating new knowledge." – Neil Armstrong

Thank you so much for reading.

Warmly,

Crystal

Interlude: Credibility, Isolated Pronouns, and Open Grants

Here's my latest curated round-up of the best tips, tools, and resources on scientific and medical writing.

💌 Round-up

💻 From My Desk

3 Phrases That Can Damage Your Credibility in Research
Good credibility goes hand in hand with good science. But vague language can undermine your logic and erode confidence in your work. Learn how three vague phrases—"little is known," "to our knowledge," and "first to show"—can damage your credibility in research.

How Isolated Pronouns Create More Work for Readers
Isolated pronouns ask readers to either reread the previous sentence or carry the cognitive load of that sentence into the next sentence. Learn how pairing an isolated pronoun with a verb can add clarity that guides your reader through your writing.

👓 Reading

Do research articles with more readable abstracts receive higher online attention? Evidence from Science
"Results showed that abstract readability is significantly related to the online attention RAs [research articles] receive, and that this relationship is significantly affected by discipline and publication time." 

Pressure in a Pandemic: Lessons for Communicating Scientific Research
This article describes how authors can help to better address communication challenges exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The valuable tips and perspectives can help you "...ensure your publications are timely, understandable, relevant, and inclusive across all therapy areas and audiences."

Autocorrect errors in Excel still creating genomics headache
"A 2016 analysis found that 20% of papers featuring gene names had errors created by spreadsheet autocorrect functions, but a bigger survey now finds the proportion is up to 30%. Since 2014, the number of papers with errors has increased significantly." 

More women than ever are starting careers in science
"Women are more likely to start a research career now than they were 20 years ago, reveals a longitudinal study of the publishing records of millions of researchers around the world. But they are less likely to continue their academic careers than are their male contemporaries, and in general publish fewer papers."

‘Tortured phrases’ give away fabricated research papers
"...these strange terms — which they dub 'tortured phrases' — are probably the result of automated translation or software that attempts to disguise plagiarism.... Preliminary probes show that several thousands of papers with tortured phrases are indexed in major databases...[and] other tortured phrases related to the concepts of other scientific fields are yet to be exposed.”

🧰 Tools

Open Grants
This website shares examples of grant proposals written by researchers at various stages of their careers. The examples include funded and not funded proposals that cover a variety of fields and grant types (eg, NIH, NSF, foundations). You can explore their examples and share some of your own.

💬 Quote

"A statement is persuasive and credible either because it is directly self-evident or because it appears to be proved from other statements that are so." ― Aristotle

Thank you so much for reading.

Warmly,

Crystal

Interlude: Running Starts, Comparisons, and Common Errors

Here's my latest curated round-up of the best tips, tools, and resources on scientific and medical writing.

💌 Round-up

💻 From My Desk

How Running Starts Can Leave Your Reader Behind
In effective scientific and medical writing, an author will smoothly lead their reader from one idea to the next. But when authors get a running start, they get ahead of their readers and risk leaving them behind. Learn how to revise running starts to help guide your reader through your writing.

The Right Words to Describe Comparisons
Many scientific and medical authors use the phrases "compared to" and "compared with" interchangeably. But these phrases have different meanings. If you're unsure which phrase to use, you can make simple substitutions that will be clearer for readers AND reduce your word count.

👓 Reading

The Reader's Brain: How Neuroscience Can Make You a Better Writer
I recently finished this book by Yellowless Douglas. Although I hoped for more scientific support, I liked the five-category structure—clarity, continuity, coherence, concision, and cadence—and enjoyed the author's acerbic humor.

No study is ever flawless: A scoping review of common errors in biomedical manuscripts
"The most reported common errors included inappropriate study design, inadequate sample size, poor statistical analysis, and unclear and inadequate description of methods. Abstracts not reflecting the content of the paper were the most frequent general common error in biomedical manuscripts."

Recommendations for including or reviewing patient reported outcome endpoints in grant applications
"Based on existing international guidelines developed through rigorous, stakeholder engaged, formal consensus processes, this article gives practical recommendations on what information on patient reported outcomes should be included in grant applications, along with example text to demonstrate how to deal with each recommendation."

Gender Disparity in Citations in High-Impact Journal Articles
"In this study, articles written by women in high-impact medical journals had fewer citations than those written by men, particularly when women wrote together as primary and senior authors. These differences may have important consequences for the professional success of women and achieving gender equity in academic medicine."

Scientific publishing’s new weapon for the next crisis: the rapid correction
"Any crisis that requires scientific information in a hurry will produce hurried science, and hurried science often includes miscalculated analyses, poor experimental design, inappropriate statistical models, impossible numbers, or even fraud. Having the agility to produce and publicize work like this without having the ability to correct it just as quickly is a curiously persistent oversight in the global scientific enterprise."

Challenges in Identifying the Retracted Status of an Article
"In this study, journal websites and bibliographic databases did not consistently display the retracted status of articles....The ICMJE recommends that retractions should be “prominently labelled,” and we propose that an explicit recommendation to add a prefix of “Retracted:” to the title of a retracted publication would fulfill this aim. This change would provide a consistent visual signal to the reader and would change the metadata that can be ingested into citation managers."

🧰 Tools

Capitalize My Title
Do you debate which words you need to capitalize in titles? This tool will help you format your titles and headings according to the main capitalization styles, including AMA, APA, MLA, and Chicago.

💬 Quote

"If you detect a needlessly complex style when you read, look for characters and actions so that you can unravel for yourself the complexity the writer needlessly inflicted on you.” ― Joseph M. Williams

Thank you so much for reading.

Warmly,

Crystal

Interlude: Superheroes, Passive Voice, and Word Functions

Here's my latest curated round-up of the best tips, tools, and resources on scientific and medical writing.

💌 Round-up

💻 From My Desk

How Superheroes Can Help You Find Passive Voice
Academic authors started overusing passive voice to make their writing sound more objective. Although we are seeing more support for active voice, you might struggle to notice passive voice in your text. With this simple test, you can enlist superheroes to help you find passive voice in your writing.

The Main Functions of Words in Sentences
Many academic authors learn to write by mimicking what they read. But few receive formal training in writing or know the fundamentals of sentence structure. If you understand the basic components of a sentence, then you can more easily construct well-written sentences and clear, engaging content.

👓 Reading

Trends and Characteristics of Retracted Articles in the Biomedical Literature, 1971 to 2020
Researchers evaluated more than 5,000 articles retracted from biomedical journals. They found that scientific misconduct—most often duplication, plagiarism, and fabrication of data—was the most common reason for retraction. More than two-thirds of the articles were retracted for multiple reasons.

Good Presentation Skills Benefit Careers — and Science
"An individual might not want to spend 5 hours improving their hour-long presentation, but 50 audience members might collectively waste 50 hours listening to that individual’s mediocre effort....An effective presentation can enhance the research and critical-thinking skills of the audience, in addition to what it does for the speaker."

Preparing Accessible and Understandable Clinical Research Participant Information Leaflets and Consent Forms: A Set of Guidelines from an Expert Consensus Conference
"...these recommendations are informed by the current literature and have been ratified by expert stakeholders....[they] will help investigators and sponsors to consistently and efficiently produce more accessible clinical research Participant Information Leaflets/Informed Consent Forms."

Survey Finds Lack of Diversity Among Journal Editors
"Overall, more work clearly needs to be done to establish an inclusive environment for sexual and gender minorities in medicine and science; this applies for journals as well."

🧰 Tools

Hemingway Editor
If you find that even with superheroes, you still feel unsure of whether your sentence is passive, Hemingway Editor will highlight the passive phrases in your writing. The app will also point out unnecessary adverbs, long sentences, long words that can be replaced with short words, and more.

💬 Quote

"All research scientists know that writing in the passive voice is artificial; they are not disembodied observers, but people doing research." – Rupert Sheldrake, author and biologist

Thank you so much for reading.

Warmly,

Crystal

Interlude: Word Count, Biographical Sketches, and Co-Authorship

Here's my latest curated round-up of the best tips, tools, and resources on scientific and medical writing.

💌 Round-up

💻 From My Desk

10 More Ways to Reduce Your Word Count in Academic Writing
As an academic author (regardless of your field), you will face the challenge of meeting a word, page, or character limit in your writing. I love this challenge and have already shared some of my tricks for cutting the word count. This article has become overwhelmingly popular, so I put together a list of even more ways to reduce the word count of your writing.

These Terms Best Describe Death in Your Scientific and Medical Writing
When some authors describe death, they use mild or indirect words to avoid words that might seem too harsh or direct. Although these substitutions may be preferred in social situations, direct language is preferred in the sciences. This article describes which words are best to use when describing death in biomedical research.

👓 Reading

Upcoming Changes to the Biographical Sketch and Other Support Format Page for Due Dates on or after May 25, 2021
The NIH is updating the format of biographical sketches for both non-fellowship and fellowship applications. This article outlines the specific changes that go into effect next week. If you would like some help revising your biosketch to meet the new requirements, please reach out.

How to Handle Co-authorship When Not Everyone’s Research Contributions Make It into the Paper
"We conclude that the ICMJE and other organizations interested in authorship and publication ethics should consider including guidance on authorship attribution in situations where researchers contribute significantly to the research process leading up to a specific paper, but where their contribution is finally omitted."

Plain-Language Summaries: An Essential Component to Promote Knowledge Translation
"At times, it might be challenging for researchers to make their work available [and] open for interpretation by the non-scientific audience, including patients, as it could lead to misinterpretation of their work. However, misinterpretation of scientific information should be considered as an opportunity by the researchers to understand and clarify the questions that arise among non-scientific readers."

Gender Disparity in the Authorship of Biomedical Research Publications During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Retrospective Observational Study
"Our findings document a decrease in the number of publications by female authors in the biomedical field during the global pandemic. This effect was particularly pronounced for papers related to COVID-19, indicating that women are producing fewer publications related to COVID-19 research. This sudden increase in the gender gap was persistent across the 10 countries with the highest number of researchers."

The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews
"The PRISMA 2020 statement...includes new reporting guidance that reflects advances in methods to identify, select, appraise, and synthesise studies...this article...present[s] the PRISMA 2020 27-item checklist, an expanded checklist that details reporting recommendations for each item, the PRISMA 2020 abstract checklist, and the revised flow diagrams for original and updated reviews."

🎧 Listening

All About Grants Podcast: Loan Repayment Program - An Overview
"If a researcher can commit to performing research for at least two years in areas that NIH considers to be absolutely mission critical, then we can commit to repaying up to $50,000 per year of their qualified educational debt as well as covering resulting federal taxes..."
iTunes | MP3 | Transcript

🧰 Tools

Storytoolz
This website is my favorite tool to assess readability, especially if I am working on a lay summary. I like this tool because it measures readability with several formulas, so you can get a more accurate estimate of the readability of your writing.

💬 Quote

“Be grateful for every word you can cut.” – William Zinsser, author of On Writing Well
 

💭 Thoughts

The right solution might be expensive, but the wrong one costs a fortune.

Thank you so much for reading.

Warmly,

Crystal