1. Introduction to Medical Editing Build a freelance business or start a career as a professional medical editor  Medical & Biomedical Manuscripts  Editing principles and style guides  Working with journals and reviewers  Building a business or freelance career

2. Contents of this presentation: An Introduction to Medical Editing Medical & Biomedical Manuscripts Editing principles and style guides Working with journals and reviewers Building a business or freelance career

3. What are medical and biomedical “manuscripts”? These manuscripts are generally written to present original research in medicine, biomedical engineering, pharmaceuticals, and scientific disciplines. Who writes these manuscripts (“The Clients”): Academic Researchers (University & College) Government and Military Organizations Contract Research Organizations (CROs) Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Companies (Pharma & Biotech) Medical and Biomedical Manuscripts Introduction to Medical Editing

4. Other types of medical and biomedical documents: It is important to consider the target audience for different types of writing, generally professionals or general public (GP). This will affect the required writing style. Professional documents: Manuscripts: present research findings General Public (GP) documents: Marketing: advertising materials News: coverage of new scientific findings Medical and Biomedical Manuscripts Introduction to Medical Editing ProfessionalPublic vs.

5. Types of manuscripts: Original Research: Presentation of new research findings Technical Developments: Exploratory techniques or equipment reviews Perspectives: Reports of an author(s) viewpoint Reviews: Overviews of a body of material Special Report: Some original data combined but not a full study Editorial: Statements or opinions from the editorial staff Controversies: Essays reflecting opposing viewpoints Case report: Reports of certain case(s) of interest Letter to the Editor: Constructive replies to published articles Medical and Biomedical Manuscripts Introduction to Medical Editing

6. The most common type of manuscripts are reports of original research studies, which come in many different types. Study types: Treatment-based studies Randomized controlled trial Double-blind randomized trial Single-blind randomized trial Non-blind trial Nonrandomized trial Medical and Biomedical Manuscripts Introduction to Medical Editing Observational studies Cohort study Prospective cohort Retrospective cohort Time series study Case-control study Cross-sectional study

7. Treatment-based studies Randomized controlled trials are the preferred type of study used in clinical trials. These studies are characterized by random allocation of eligible subjects into experimental and control groups. Nonrandomized trials are similar, but subjects are not randomly allocated. Medical and Biomedical Manuscripts Introduction to Medical Editing

8. Blind = Lacking Information Blind studies refer to studies where study details, such as groups, are withheld from either participants or researchers to avoid bias. Double-blind: Information withheld from researchers and participants. Single-blind: Information withheld from participants but not researchers. Non-blind: No information withheld. Medical and Biomedical Manuscripts Introduction to Medical Editing

9. A cohort is a group of people who share a common characteristic or experience within a defined period. Observational studies Cohort studies: focus on risk factors within certain groups Prospective: study that follows a group of people over time Retrospective: study that uses historical data, such as hospital records Time series study: study using a series of data from set time points Case-control: Comparison between case(s) and control(s) Cross-sectional: observation of a whole population or a representative subset at one specific time Medical and Biomedical Manuscripts Introduction to Medical Editing

10. Manuscript structure: Normally, a manuscript is divided into several sections: Title Page: Title, author(s) names and affiliations Abstract: Summary of manuscript contents in 125-250 words (varies by journal and article type) Keywords: List of important keywords relevant to the article Body: Description of the study, divided into meaningful sections. References: Full description of all citations in the manuscript Figures and Tables: These are included at the end of the manuscript Appendix: Additional materials, such as figures, equations, or pertinent outside findings. Notes: Rarely, additional clarification or notes will be required. Medical and Biomedical Manuscripts Introduction to Medical Editing

11. Manuscript structure: Divisions of the body normally appear in this order: Introduction/Background: Background information about the topic, experimental methods, history, or techniques to be discussed in the manuscript and study objectives. Materials and Methods: Detailed descriptions of how experiments were performed, including participants, materials, and techniques. This should be presented in enough detail that a researcher can duplicate the experiment. Results: A clear description of the findings of the experiments described in the Methods section. Avoid including conclusions (such as “these finding indicate that…”) Discussion: Conclusions and clinical/research implications of the findings discussed in the results. Limitations and reviews of other studies may also be included. Conclusion (optional): A single paragraph highlighting the most important findings of the study. Conflict of Interest Statement, Funding Statement, and Acknowledgements Medical and Biomedical Manuscripts Introduction to Medical Editing

12. Write with the reader in mind – use clear organization Medical and Biomedical Manuscripts Introduction to Medical Editing Introduction/Background: What are you studying and why? Materials and Methods: How did you study it? Results: What did you find? Discussion: What do your findings mean? Conclusion: What is the main point of your study?

13. Write with the reader in mind – use clear organization Medical and Biomedical Manuscripts Introduction to Medical Editing

14. What to avoid in each section… Medical and Biomedical Manuscripts Introduction to Medical Editing Introduction/Background: DO NOT add specific details about your experiment or results Materials and Methods: DO NOT discuss results or findings Results: DO NOT repeat how you did your experiments Discussion: DO NOT repeat your results item for item (only summarize main points)

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