by David Woods Asked if she liked writing, American author Dorothy Parker (1893–1967) replied that, no, she liked having written. Any writer who has sat facing a blank computer screen and a fast approaching deadline will know what she meant. Just getting started – or restarted – that’s the challenge; and if you can’t, then…
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By Ruth B Murray In the 1930s, psychologists began to research how our brains process written information. They found that the longer a sentence the more difficult it is for a reader’s short-term memory to hold its meaning, so clearly shorter sentences improve comprehension. Readability formulas determine how difficult it is to read and understand…
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Edited by Michael F. Drummond, Mark J. Sculpher, George W. Torrance, Bernie J. O’Brien, and Greg L. Stoddart. Oxford University Press, 2005, $55/£29.50, 379 pages. Reviewed by Kevin D. Frick This book is an excellent addition to any collection on cost-effectiveness methods. It describes and gives usable examples of such methods. The first edition was…
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By David Woods, HOC editor During my eight year editorial tenure at the Canadian Medical Association Journal, I churned out some 200 articles, editorials, and reviews. One of the editorials was entitled ‘What is an editorial?’In it, I noted that an editorial is a signed expression of opinion, and quoted an example from its then-editor,…
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Singular mistakes A company is singular, not plural. Rx Communications is pleased to offer its services. The same for teams and groups: The team is working hard. But: Team members are working on the new project. Little words That or which – a little grammar Relative clauses modify the preceding noun. They can be restrictive…
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by Ruth B Murray Editing a manuscript through the draft stages to produce a final product is time consuming, but the process ensures clarity, sense, accuracy and consistency. Macro-editing Macro-editing involves rewriting and reorganising the document by asking: is there sense and clarity? are the title and abstract concise, accurate, informative, of the correct style…
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By Clare Gurton There are hundreds of healthcare agencies and trying to find one that will suit your needs is difficult and potentially time-consuming. The key is to limit your choice, and these simple steps will help you develop a shortlist of suitable prospects: First, try to decide what you want from an agency and…
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Edited by Anne Haddix, Steven Tuesch, and Phaedra Corso, Oxford University Press, 2002, US$45, £26.99, 286 pages. Reviewed by Kevin D. Frick This text is required reading for students in my introductory cost-effectiveness course. Why? Because it combines a discussion of the United States Panel on Cost-Effectiveness in Health and Medicine’s recommendations, general readability,…
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By David Woods, HOC editor It’s been said that copying from one source is plagiarism; but copying from several sources is research. Whether you’re an experienced writer or a neophyte, you’d be well advised to keep a wary eye on issues of plagiarism and copyright, in part because the internet has helped to create both…
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By Clare Gurton Are you hopelessly busy all day yet frustrated by how little you have achieved at the end of the day? You could improve productivity by using a few simple time management tricks and tools. Planning your time efficiently allows you to spread your work evenly over the day, avoid ‘traffic jams’ or…
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