Freelance medical writer, Jo Whelan, talks about the European Medical Writers Association (EMWA) guidelines on the role of medical writers in developing peer-reviewed publications.
Recorded 1 June 2016 at a MedComms Networking event in Oxford. Produced by NetworkPharma.tv
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ABSTRACT:
The EMWA guidelines on the role of medical writers in developing peer-reviewed publications, though published in 2005, remain valid and relevant. The guidelines are intended for medical writers who develop papers for publication in biomedical journals, or presentations for scientific conferences, on behalf of named authors. However, they may also apply to authors’ editors and others who carry out substantive editing in preparing publications for submission. In most cases, such work will be funded directly or indirectly by pharmaceutical companies – and the guidelines are intended to clarify the role of the medical writer, set out ethical standards, and promote openness and transparency re medical writer involvement.
The EMWA guidelines are predicated on the belief that medical writers have a legitimate role in assisting named authors in developing peer-reviewed publications; that properly trained writers bring expertise in the requirements and conventions of biomedical publishing, as well as language and communication skills; and that they (we) can raise the standard of publications and accelerate the publication process. A key element of the EMWA guidelines is that the contribution of medical writers should be openly acknowledged, along with their source of funding, and that such acknowledgement should be specific, avoiding vague phrases, such as ‘editorial assistance’. Medical writing is not ‘ghost-writing’ and should not be concealed as such. All medical writers should endeavour to ensure that publications are produced in a responsible and ethical manner, in accordance with relevant guidelines, and that they are accurate and scientifically sound. The guidelines give specific guidance on the preparation of review articles.
Written by Penny Gray, Freelance Medical Writer
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We are building a library of free webcasts, like this one, for the global MedComms Community and others at http://www.networkpharma.tv and we’d welcome your suggestions for new topics and speakers.
Full details of this MedComms Networking event are at http://medcommsnetworking.com/event74.html
Jo’s presentation (PDF format) is at http://medcommsnetworking.com/presentations/whelan_02_010616.pdf
Jo’s Linkedin page is at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-whelan-70b77b12/
More about EMWA and their positioning statement can be found at http://www.emwa.org
Ref: Jacobs A, Wager E. European Medical Writers Association (EMWA) guidelines on the role of medical writers in developing peer-reviewed publications. Curr Med Res Opin 2005;21:317-321 is at http://www.emwa.org/documents/about_us/EMWAguidelines.pdf
More about Jo Whelan can be found at:
Filming and technical direction by Mario Crispino, Freelance Cameraman & Editor
[For the avoidance of doubt: this video is intended to be freely accessible to all. Please feel free to share and use however you like. Cheers Peter Llewellyn, Director NetworkPharma Ltd and Founder of the MedComms Networking Community activity at http://www.medcommsnetworking.com]
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