Twitterview with EMWA

On 14 March 2014 I was the twitterviewee of a twitterview organised by the European Medical Writers Association (EMWA).

What is a twitterview?

A twitterview is an interview that takes place over Twitter in real time.

How did the twitterview work?

Using Twitter, EMWA posted a number of questions about medical writing that I answered using a 140 character limit.

Julie Chaccour, a member of EMWA social media team, represented @official_EMWA. @official_EMWA asked the questions and I answered as @AAGMedical. Twitter users could follow the twitterview in real time using #EMWA

Abbreviations used during the tweeterview:
CSR(s): Clinical Study Report(s); EC: Executive Committee; EPDC: EMWA Professional Development Committee; IB(s): Investigator Brochure(s); MW(s): Medical Writer(s); Regs: Regulations; WS: Workshop; WSL(s): Workshop Leader(s);

The text of the twitterview:

@Official_EMWA: We are ready to start out twitterview with @AAGmedical. Follow us under #EMWA!

@Official_EMWA: Alison McIntosh @AAGMedical is an experienced medical writer who, after her PhD, completed 5 years as a postdoc in molecular virology. #EMWA

@Official_EMWA: @AAGMedical She started her medical writing career 20 years ago at GSK and has been working as a freelancer for the past 14 years. #EMWA

@Official_EMWA: @AAGMedical Her experience encompasses #regulatory-related documents (CSRs, IBs, patient narratives, ...) #EMWA

@Official_EMWA: @AAGMedical ... and medical communications (manuscripts, abstracts, posters, ...). #EMWA

@Official_EMWA: @AAGMedical is a valued EMWA workshop leader since 2001 and currently serves as member of the #EMWA Professional Development Committee.

@Official_EMWA: @AAGMedical Alison is also a section editor of the #EMWA journal MEW.

@Official_EMWA: @AAGmedical Hello and good morning, Alison. How are you today? #EMWA

@AAGmedical: @Official_EMWA I'm well and looking forward to the twitterview. Sunny here in Loughborough #emwa

@Official_EMWA: @AAGmedical Fantastic! Happy to hear. Let's begin with our first question. #EMWA

@AAGmedical: @Official_EMWA ok #emwa

@Official_EMWA: @AAGMedical A new medical writer asks: How do I get the most out of attending my first #EMWA conference?

@AAGmedical: @Official_EMWA Sign up to WSs, do pre, post WS homework, participate in class exercises. Network and talk to others in breaks & enjoy #EMWA

@Official_EMWA: @AAGMedical What would you recommend a new medical writer on how to get experience? #EMWA

@AAGmedical: @Official_EMWA Become a trainee MW. Use workplace training courses and mentoring. Attend #EMWA conferences & take relevant introductory WSs.

@Official_EMWA: @AAGMedical Is training a never-ending task for medical writers? #EMWA

@AAGmedical: @Official_EMWA Absolutely. Must keep up to date with regs & guidelines and be aware of any changes. True for regulatory & medcomms #EMWA

@Official_EMWA: @AAGMedical How many workshops are on offer at each #EMWA conference?

@AAGmedical: @Official_EMWA Up to 56 at Spring #EMWA conference and about 40 at Autumn. All for credit. Varying nos of other noncredit WS also offered.

@Official_EMWA: @AAGMedical Being a European organisation, why are all #EMWA workshops centered on English. MW is also done in many other languages.

@AAGmedical: @Official_EMWA Not sure of history. My thoughts:US/EU regdocs in Eng+most #emwa attendees write Eng or translate Eng into other languages…

@AAGmedical: @Official_EMWA ….also universal language of science considered Eng #EMWA

@Official_EMWA: @AAGMedical Which measures does the EPDC implement to ensure quality and interest of workshops? #EMWA

@AAGmedical: @Official_EMWA At each conf EPDC reviews every feedback form re comments & ratings. Concerns followed up with WS leader and addressed #EMWA…

@AAGmedical: @Official_EMWA WS leader also reviews & receives copy of forms. These forms are vital and why we always ask you to fill them in!! #EMWA…

@AAGmedical: @Official_EMWA New WSs are always mentored and observed at conference #EMWA

@Official_EMWA: @AAGMedical How often are older #EMWA workshops reviewed and updated?

@AAGmedical: @Official_EMWA They should be kept up to date by WSL. Personally I check all links & review content etc before presenting my own WSs #EMWA…

@AAGmedical: @Official_EMWA Topics no longer relevant are removed from the programme #EMWA

@Official_EMWA: @AAGMedical Who can be a 'workshop leader'? Can non-members participate in training?

@AAGmedical: @Official_EMWA Majority of WSLs #EMWA members with relevant experience of topic they teach. New WS proposals submitted & considered by EPDC.

@Official_EMWA: @AAGMedical Some workshops tend to fill up quite fast. Why not to offer them twice during the same #EMWA Conference?

@AAGmedical: @Official_EMWA All WSL are volunteers & many give >1 WS already. No guarantee that will fill 2 WSs on the same topic at 1 #EMWA conference.

@Official_EMWA: @AAGMedical #EMWA is very well-known for training at Conferences. How will the association cope with eLearning demand in the near future?

@AAGmedical: @Official_EMWA This is separate from EPDC and I believe #EMWA EC is looking into eLearning at the moment. I do not have details.

@Official_EMWA: @AAGMedical What would the ‘cons’ of eLearning be as compared to conference workshops? #EMWA

@AAGmedical: @Official_EMWA Depends on the eLearning model #EMWA adopts. I don’t have info on exact approach being considered. Time for EC update?

@Official_EMWA: @AAGMedical Which is the most popular #EMWA workshop ever? Why?

@AAGmedical: @Official_EMWA Several #EMWA WS widely applicable & always popular. They fill up fast & that’s why need to register early to get full choice.

@Official_EMWA: @AAGMedical Which are the least attended #EMWA workshops? Why?
@AAGmedical: @Official_EMWA As with other conferences, at #EMWA the WSs in last morning session are harder to fill ‘cause of attendee travel arrangements.

@Official_EMWA: @AAGMedical After leading an #EMWA workshop, what makes you think ‘That went well’?

@AAGmedical: @Official_EMWA Usually when there has been a lot of good interaction and people leave still talking about what was covered in my WS #emwa

@Official_EMWA: @AAGMedical How do you relax after a busy day or after a busy week?

@AAGmedical: @Official_EMWA Walk dog, go to cinema or theatre, mainly read a good book, preferably fiction & currently H Mantel Bring up the Bodies #emwa

@Official_EMWA: Thank you, Alison @AAGMedical for answering our questions. Thank you all for following. We hope you enjoyed this #EMWA twitterview.

@AAGmedical: @Official_EMWA Thanks for asking me to do twitterview and to all who submitted these great questions #emwa

@Official_EMWA: @AAGMedical In case you have missed it, you will be able to find a complete transcript on www.emwa.org soon!

Beginning Your First Draft: Turtle or Rabbit?

As a writer do you describe yourself as a turtle or rabbit? Intrigued? Read on to find out what this statement actually refers to.

The suggested descriptions refers to an approach to writing that builds and maintains a writer's momentum using "natural habits" in order to capitalise and make progress in a writing task. This means spending some time working out which approach to writing that first draft is best for your personality.

Two types of writer are described by Michael Alley [1]. You can decide which category best fits you – a rabbit or a turtle?

A rabbit he suggests hates first drafts: "In a first draft, they sprint; they write down everything and anything…rabbits strap themselves to the chair and will not get up for anything. Rabbits finish drafts quickly, but their early drafts are horrendous, many times not much better than their outlines. Nonetheless they've got something. They've got their ideas on paper, and they're in a position to revise."

On the other hand a turtle is the opposite: "A turtle tries not to write down a sentence unless it's perfect. In the first sitting, a turtle begins with one sentence and slowly builds on that sentence with another, then another. In the second sitting, a turtle…revises everything from the first sitting before adding on. It usually takes a turtle several sittings to finish a first draft, but the first draft is strong…the beginning and the middle are usually very tight because they've been reworked so many times. Revision usually entails smoothing the ending as well as checking the overall structure."

If you have turtle tendencies Alley suggests starting with the sections you feel most comfortable writing and for many this will be the methods section, whereas a rabbit type will begin at the beginning and work through each section to the end.

When I wrote my PhD thesis I was certainly a turtle. The emphasis for this task was very definitely on writing because I used a pen and paper during the day to complete the sections, transcribing only the finished text onto the computer at night. For those of you too young to remember, back in 1989 this was cutting edge technology! When I started my first job as a medical writer I soon realised that with tight timelines I couldn't continue to write as a "turtle". So now my writing style combines a bit of "rabbit" with "turtle". I suspect that few medical writers fit strictly into one or other category. Depending on the time available and client requirements a mix of both types will emerge and as deadlines approach rabbit tendencies might be what's most required!

References:
1. Alley M (1987). The craft of Scientific Writing. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall (pages 195-196)

The content has been adapted from an article that I first published in TWS 14(4)2005.