Med Comms SIG

• Key subgroup members: Andrea Bucceri, Thomas Schindler, Lisa Chamberlain James, Art Gertel, Andrea Rossi, Chris Winchester, Martin Delahunty, Sampoorna Rappaz, Slavka Baronikova.
• Putting plain language summaries into perspective https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03007995.2022.2058812
• What terminology are health journals using to refer to plain language summaries of peer reviewed manuscripts? A new open access study published last week shows 18/27 (66.7%) journals with plain language summary information in author instructions are using the term “plain language summary”. See the full study here, and key results in Table 2.
  https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40271-022-00606-7

Objectives

Plain Language Summaries of Scientific Publications

• Development, best practice, accessibility and discoverability of scientific peer-reviewed publications-associated plain language summaries
• The activities of this group include the identification of, and update on, best practice concerning writing for patients and the general public.
• This group is working on the development of the CDISC glossary as well as interacting with EMA for the development of the EMA glossary.

Links to relevant documents

• CDISC glossary
• Open Pharma recommendations for plain language summaries of peer-reviewed medical journal publications

Open Science and Open Access

• preparation of ESS and seminars at EMWA conferences and developing articles for MEW

Predatory publishing and congresses

• development of seminars at EMWA conferences, webinars, articles for MEW as well further educational materials
• JPS with AMWA and ISMPP, liaison on educational activities with these associations with aim to enlarge the JPS impact, knowledge and training

Links to relevant documents

• 2020 webinar to be added
• AMWA-EMWA-ISMPP Joint Position Statement (JPS) on predatory publishing and available translations
• Why do authors publish in predatory journals?
• Defining predatory journals and responding to the threat they pose: a modified Delphi consensus process- BMJ Open
• Predatory journals: no definition, no defence - a Nature article.
• Predatory publishing presentation
• Survey on predatory publishing: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/5949743/Combatting-Academic-Predatory-Journals-and-Conferences

Predatory Publishing Seminar

Publisher Perspectives on AI: Empowering Medical Writers for the Future

• Clinician of the future attitudes toward AI - Adrian Mulligan
• AI in Scholarly Publishing - the Good, the Bad, and Ugly
• Summaries: AI Generated and Expert Verified
• Artificial Intelligence: A Primer for Practical & Ethical Use

• Key subgroup members:  Claire Harmer, Ana Sofia Correia
  

Objectives

The Translation Enthusiasts group aims to explore how to enhance the quality and effectiveness of health-related communication across diverse linguistic, cultural, and regulatory landscapes. It focuses on discussing different approaches, tools, and resources that support medical translation and the broader spectrum of medical communications, by serving as a hub for medical translators and all professionals involved or interested in global health communications.

The activity of this group includes writing articles on medical translation to explore the various different approaches, tools and resources that can be used. It also aims to raise awareness of medical translation in the wider med comms field. 

Links to relevant documents

• EMWA MW Volume 33, Issue 1 - Translation
• Gained in Translation - Editor: Ana Sofia Correia
• The essentials of medical translation - Foundations and best practices - Diagnosis: Medical Translator
• The essentials of medical translation - Foundations and best practices - Streamlining Medical Translations: Navigating Complex Workflows for Accuracy and Compliance
• The essentials of medical translation - Foundations and best practices - Inside Pharma: Understanding Translation and Documentation Needs for a Growing Industry
• The essentials of medical translation - Foundations and best practices - Navigating Translation and Localisation in Medtech: Challenges and Solutions

• Key subgroup members: Andrea Bucceri, Catherine Hill, Tim van Hartevelt
• Click here to view the slides from the Updates on best practices for conducting and publishing Real-World Evidence Studies session at the November 2024 EMWA Conference

Objectives

The activity includes the identification of best practices to disclose RWE data, data transparency (including the registration and publication of observational trials) and the levels of evidence.

An SBB is under preparation for next congress.

Links to relevant documents

• EMWA 2019 symposium slides to be added
• STROBE guidelines

Co-chairs: Jessica Norberg, Pooja Phogat

Supporting members: Sampoorna Rappaz, Lisa Chamberlain James, Uma Swaminathan, Jen Bell, Roshini Beenukumar, Angela Potts, Michela Luciano  

Objectives

The focus of the sub-SIG is medical and scientific communication deliverables that are not related to publications. The scope includes but is not limited to materials for conferences, marketing, sales and educational initiatives. Activities will include discussions, Meet and Shares and providing information on the role of the medical writer or medical copywriter, best practices, ethical considerations, and effective writing strategies, such as scientific storytelling.

Links to relevant documents

• Corporate Communications SIG
• Meet and Share: Fact Checking

The 8th EMWA symposium day explored the challenging topic of research integrity. Research integrity is at the core of the research endeavour. It is the basis for researchers’ trust in each other and in the research record and, equally importantly, society’s trust in research.

To address mounting concern about research transparency and reproducibility, researchers, funders and journals need to work together to deliver practical solutions. Addressing research integrity is a shared task and we, as medical communicators and publication planners, have an important role to play.

At the first virtual EMWA symposium, researchers, journal publishers, the pharmaceutical industry and medical communications agencies provided their perspectives, gave their recommendations and fostered real-world discussion on research integrity – why it matters to all of us, and how we can work together to strengthen it.

• Session 1 - Click here
• Session 2 - Click here
• Session 3 - Click here