recorder2In my last post, I discussed a few options for recording presentations if you’re a medical writer who’s decided to start reporting medical conferences – or maybe you just need to record interviews with experts or key opinion leaders for articles you are writing.
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First-Time Use

Once you decide on your device, I can’t stress enough how critical it is to get familiar with it before the meeting. I realize this may seem natural to most folk, but I’ve seen enough writers at meetings, frazzled because they’ve had some kind of issue with a new recording device – they hadn’t checked it out in advance because it had seemed like it would be so intuitive to use.
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I’m not at all a tech-geek, so I’m definitely someone who tests out new tech devices before I REALLY need them – more times than I probably need to, just to appease my anxiety level! You may not need to be quite as Type A about it as I am, but I definitely advise playing around with your new device until you feel comfortable using it. Whatever device you’ve decided on, don’t let the conference be the first time you use it!
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If you get the chance, test it out at some kind of presentation in a big hall, similar to what you’ll experience at a conference. Maybe your local university or community college hosts some public lectures – attend one and give your recorder a test drive. This will allow you to see how the audio holds out in a large auditorium.
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A Couple of Tips

  • Use earphones: Your audio quality will vary depending on the speaker, acoustics in the room, your location, etc. – a lot of things you have no control over. When you’re listening to the recordings as you write articles, if you’re struggling with the audio just using your computer’s speakers, plug your earphones into the computer and see if that helps. It often helps me a lot. In all the years I’ve been using mine at conferences, I’ve never had an issue where I’ve not been able to understanding the audio from a lecture, and I’ve had a lot of “poor” audio issues (often when you’re attending a lecture, you just know it’ll be rough listening to the audio because it’s difficult enough hearing it adequately in person – maybe the acoustics are producing lots of reverberations in the room).

  • For one-on-one conversations, let the speaker know you’re recording their comments: If you’re chatting individually with a speaker at a conference, or even with an expert over the phone, be sure to ask their permission first. It’s the polite, professional thing to do. I’ve never had anybody refuse to be recorded – I think most professionals kind of expect to be recorded during interviews, but it’s still polite to ask. And explain why you’re recording the conversation – it’ll put them at ease, and help them figure out how best to answer your questions. If the purpose is to obtain a direct quote, they may prefer to take a couple of moments to think about how they phrase something, so that it flows better in your article. If it’s just so you have their information for paraphrasing in the article, they may not feel the need to be as succinct, because they know you can select the information that you feel is most pertinent.
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Hopefully this will help with your preparation for the conference!

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screenshot_127The Scientist is hosting a virtual career expo about alternative careers for scientists, outside of academia. One of the panels on their agenda will explore the field of scientific communication.
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It’s taking place on Wednesday June 10th, 2015, at 11:30 am EDT.
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And the best part? It’s free to register

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So don’t delay – sign up now to secure your spot!

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recorderIn past decades, the warmer weather used to signify the height of conference season – although these days it seems to pretty much run all year round – especially with many organizations holding their annual meetings in the winter in a warm and inviting location. And some just choosing to host them in the winter in a not-so-warm location (my specialty college has decided on Minneapolis for our typical winter meeting this year! Although they’ve at least brought it forward to October, instead of the usual December!)
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Anyway, if you’re a medical writer and are considering conference reporting for the first time, you’ll need to take some kind of recording device with you.
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What Choices Do I Have?

Digital Voice Recorder: The good news is that, nowadays, you have heaps of choices when it comes to a recording device. Everyone is different when it comes to recording devices and what they prefer to use. Digital recorders also come in all shapes and sizes – from pocket-sized ones like mine, to huge things with their own cages and wheels! I like using my Olympus recorder (that’s mine in the photo), it’s small and light, simple, reliable, and works well for me – plus, I’m a creature of habit, and it’s what I’ve always used! But, what works great for me may not suit you. But if you’re thinking of an actual device and don’t know where to start, you may be interested in this this Top 10 Review that I came across recently.
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Unless you have specific additional needs for your recorder, you don’t need to spend a whole load of money on it – I’ve had mine for many years, and I think it cost me around $90 – it runs at about $120 these days. A few things to consider when deciding on one:

  • The USB connection (mine has a USB port that folds out of the device – no need for a USB cord)

  • Size (you’re going to be using it like an extra appendage at the conference – you’ll like it better if it’s small and light, and easy to kick into action if you’re late running into a presentation)

  • Storage

  • Battery life

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Smartpens: I’ve heard a lot of good stuff about these Livescribe Pulse Smartpens. Personally, I’ve never even tried using one, but they seem intriguing and I’ve come across a lot of folk who love theirs. Unless you’re someone who likes risking buying gadgets anyway, it might be worth doing some detective work yourself before investing in one of these. See if any of your medical writer friends have one you could try – if you have a AMWA local chapter (or other networking) meeting coming up, ask if someone might bring their pen with them so you can test it out during the evening.

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Smartphones & Tablets: At the very least, there’s a high chance you own some kind of smart phone or tablet, allowing you access to either a built-in recorder and/or the use of some kind of downloadable app for recording purposes. Your laptop may also serve a similar purpose with its built-in recorder. So they’ll also be options you can consider, although they likely won’t be as good as an actual digital recorder – but some folk use them as their primary recording source, so you may find this a great option for you.

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AIf you’re an aspiring medical writer – or even a seasoned one – and are looking for some inspiration, motivation, or additional tips about medical writing, Dr. Emma Hitt Nichols has compiled an awesome series of podcasts that should fit the bill nicely.

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Check out Medical Writers Speak for a great listening selection (or get them directly from iTunes). In addition to hearing some cool stories about a variety of medical writers from different backgrounds, you’ll get to hear how they got into medical writing, as well as the snippets of advice they have to offer.

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AMWA members – have 1you registered yet for the upcoming webinar on Web-Based Software for Literature Reviews (May 28th, 1pm EST)?

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It’s free for AMWA members to attend, so if you haven’t already done so, go ahead and register asap! And if you’re a medical writer but not yet a member of AMWA, I highly recommend joining – particularly if you’re just transitioning into the field. The benefits of joining AMWA are many and varied, and you’ll get to meet the nicest people – that’s certainly been my experience over the years, especially at local chapter meetings.

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Last week I attended our fall AMWA-NE Chapter dinner meeting, which turned out to be another fun evening.

We met at Mick Morgan’s Irish Pub & Restaurant in Newton, MA. It was a fun venue, although our private room turned out to be not-so-private! It was a side room that was continuous with the main part of the bar, and had no door. So we could still hear the music and antics in the bar, as well as the “Open Mic” event that started up shortly after ours did! But regardless, it was fun, and we all coped admirably with the side noise!

Our speaker for the evening was our very own AMWA fellow and former New England Chapter president, Jill Shuman. A certified Editor in the Life Sciences (ELS) and a Certified CME professional (CCMEP), Jill discussed various routes for a medical communicator to take in order to bridge gaps in expertise. A selection of those that she reviewed, included:

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Certification/credentialling programs

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Certificate programs

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University degrees

Although some colleges offer programs that require classroom presence, some now offer programs for medical writers that are completely online. These include:

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Although AMWA currently offers a variety of certificates for members to undertake, it will soon also offer a certification program – the first examination is set to be held in 2015, and the program will be open to all medical writers, not just AMWA members. And just in case you need a refresher, this link explains the difference between certification and a certificate.

If you haven’t already done so, don’t forget to join AMWA and check out your local chapter meetings.

And if you’re local to the New England region, please come and join us.

 

 

Last Tuesday I joined a bunch of other medical writers at an AMWA-New England networking lunch. We typically have our lunch meetings at a Chinese restaurant in Cambridge, MA –  it’s a great, central location for a midweek gathering because they have a parking lot – somewhat of a rarity in Boston, especially when there’s the added bonus of free parking! Plus it’s even better for me because I work in Cambridge, so only a 15 minute drive if traffic cooperates.

It was great to get out of the office, catch up with some old friends, and also to meet some new additions to the group.

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Starting Out in Medical Editing

One topic that arose was “editing”. Someone was discussing how they provide editing services for one of the “well known” companies that acts as a middle man, outsourcing work to medical editors who are willing to work with them as contractors  (most of you in medical writing and editing will know the companies that I’m referring to). Another new member in the group is thinking about getting into the field of medical writing, and thought she might like to try this.

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I encouraged her not to go down this route, and here are some reasons why:

  • Peanuts: Now I like peanuts, don’t get me wrong. But not in my bank account. If you work for these companies, you’d better not have a nut allergy – they’ll pay you a mere fraction of what they charge the client.
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  • Donkeys: You’ll be at the very end of their food chain – doing all the grunt work while they barely get their feet wet. Do you really like climbing mountains on the promise of a carrot?
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  • Goldfish: As long as you choose to stay with companies like these, you’ll be stuck in this tiny whirlpool, with little hope of reaching the ocean. They’ll throw no end of projects your way, you’ll work like a donkey for peanuts, and this will leave you zero time and energy to market yourself appropriately. And don’t expect a letter of recommendation or a testimonial either – you’ll be a ghost in the works. Acknowledging your brilliance would detract from their “efforts”. So you’ll continually go unnoticed and unrecognized. Consequently you’ll never gain clients who actually respect and value your work, and pay you accordingly.

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So What are the Alternatives?

If you’re just starting out in medical editing, it can be difficult finding your first client. So it’s understanding that some people will be tempted to join forces with companies like this. Obviously if you’re out of work and need “something” to help feed your family, then I can understand that “anything” is better than nothing. But if you’re serious about setting yourself up as a freelance medical editor, then you’d better work smarter, not harder.

A few options to get you out of the starting gate:

  • Get journaling: Choose your field of greatest expertise, and do some online research to find the names of a bunch of journals in that field. Then contact the editor for each of them, and ask if they would be willing to add your name to a list of freelance editors. Not all journals operate in this way, but some do – when authors submit manuscripts, if substantive editing is required, they will be advised to seek editing assistance before their paper is considered for publication. If asked by the author for a list of possible editors, the journal editor may provide this. Understand that you would not be working for the journal in this case, and that they would not be endorsing your work – you would merely be on a list of freelance editors. But it’s a start.
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  • Get pinning: Do you have a medical school or a university nearby? If so, get some exercise by wandering up and down their hallways to figure out where their general advertisement boards are. You know the ones I mean – where anyone can post a notice advertising a service, a car for sale, or a room for rent. Construct some business flyers to advertise your service – take them, along with some pins and a small envelope containing business cards, and fix them firmly to that wall (repeat this if there are numerous hallways used for this purpose).
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  • Get networking: If you’ve worked in science or medicine, you probably have science or medicine friends! Send some of your flyers and business cards their way – physically and electronically. Ask them to forward your details around to their colleagues, or even pin them to their academic walls if they’re in different geographical locations to you.
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  • Get new friends: Feel free to also forward these flyers and business cards to people who you don’t know! Pick a medical school or university, do some online research to find researchers there in your field of expertise, and send them a short, professional, friendly introductory email. Attach your flyer containing all your contact details, and let them know that if anyone in their group is looking for editing assistance, you’ll be happy to help. And ask if they’ll also kindly forward your flyer to other colleagues.
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  • Get visible: If you don’t have a website or blog, now is the time to get one! If people don’t know you’re offering editing services, they can’t contact you. An online presence is extremely useful, and amongst other things, it helps to make you more “real” – add the URL to your flyer & business card, and researchers can find out more about you and your background. It’s also a great way to showcase your portfolio for people to look through. Even if you don’t yet have any clients, chances are that you have some publications behind you. List these, and wherever possible, link up to pdf versions of various articles that you have authored.

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For any of you out there who are trying to break into the world of medical editing, I’d strongly encourage you to check out Katharine O’Moore-Klopf’s site – you’ll find lots of wonderful reading there, including her Copyeditors’ Knowledge Base – a wealth of information to help you get started in medical editing.

And not a peanut, donkey, or goldfish in sight.

Oh and by the way, the “no peanuts, donkeys, or goldfish” rule applies to any genre of freelance work  – editing, writing, even skydiving. They’re only allowed if you happen to be selling them…..

 

Image credit Pong @FreeDigitalPhotos

Science editors and writers (any editors and writers, for that matter) all have their own pet peeves when it comes to the written word. When I’m reading something for my own interest or education, I’m relatively forgiving about how it is written – provided the content, spelling and construction are good. In a nutshell, you’re not going to find me squirming when I see a split infinitive, or wagging my finger if someone’s describing their experiment in the first person.

When it comes to editing scientific work for others, however, I work hard to do whatever it takes to turn someone’s manuscript into more than just legible. I strive to make it flow well, and do whatever possible to ensure that it fits the journal’s guidelines if an author has asked me to do the latter. 

In fact, I always guarantee an author that their article will not be rejected on the basis of its English content. I tell them that if they accept all my grammatical/spelling edits, I will be happy to address any required language changes after review, at no extra charge. 

I’ve been involved in writing and editing scientific manuscripts since 1992, and have never received any editor’s comments requesting grammatical changes. Until three days ago!

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My Friday morning started off with an email from a client who is a non-native English speaker. I’d edited his paper in May, and he’d recently submitted it to a scientific journal. His letter from the editor suggested that he use a native English-speaking scientist or medical editor to correct his article.

Hadn’t I already done that? I was naturally very confused, having spent many hours dutifully re-crafting his article.

It didn’t take me long, however, to determine the source of the problem. Despite the author’s message that no changes had been made to my originally edited version, I found plenty of evidence to the contrary. 

The author had not only declined to accept the majority of my edits before submitting his article, but additionally had added in some extra text here and there before submitting. This combination didn’t do his great experimental science any favors. Consequently, it’s not surprising that there was a request for the paper’s grammar to be corrected.

The net result was that I spent about 4 hours yesterday and today resuscitating the manuscript. Rather frustrating, but hopefully the author now more than fully understands the benefit of hitting “accept all changes”.

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Do you have any writing or editing pet peeves?

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Academia can be a “publish or perish” environment at the best of times – so after working long, hard hours to collect all your scientific data, you deserve a final article that is free of errors and most accurately represents your efforts. You may have extremely impressive scientific data, but if your manuscript lacks readability and clarity, it will typically be rejected by the peer-review process when submitted for publication.

 

Language and Publication in “Cardiovascular Research” Articles [Cardiovasc Res (2002) Feb 1:53(2):279-285] by Coates et al, surveyed 120 articles that were submitted to the journal “Cardiovascular Research”. They reported: “There is a clear indication that badly written articles correlated with a high rejection rate.”  Additionally they stated: “On equal scientific merit, a badly written article will have less chance of being accepted … even if the editor does not identify language as a motive for rejection.”   

So the way in which your data is communicated is almost as crucial as the data itself. Writing quality clearly influences whether a paper is accepted for publication, regardless of the research quality. As with all kinds of writing, it is therefore extremely valuable to allow a fresh pair of eyes to review your finished paper – a skilled academic editor will not only proofread your work, but will greatly enhance its scientific clarity. This will therefore not only improve its chances of being published, but also speed up the publication time.

Writing therefore plays a pivotal role in the communication of your scientific data. Therefore, although the process of editing and revising your manuscript can seem overwhelming (especially if English is not your native language), it is a necessary step if you hope to maximize the impact of your work within the scientific community.