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…
DetailsBy 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…
DetailsEdited 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…
DetailsBy 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,…
DetailsSingular 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…
Detailsby 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…
DetailsBy 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…
DetailsEdited 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,…
DetailsBy 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…
DetailsBy 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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