Tasks and Duties
Objective
In the first week, you will focus on the planning and strategy phase essential for medical writing. The objective is to research a chosen medical topic and develop a comprehensive content outline for a potential article or report. This task is designed to take approximately 30 to 35 hours of dedicated work.
Task Overview
Your goal is to identify a relevant medical subject, explore publicly available literature and guidelines, and ultimately produce a detailed content outline that could be used for a full-length article. The topic you select should be current and of interest to the broader medical community. Use credible sources such as PubMed, reputable medical journals, and medical society guidelines available to the public.
Key Steps
- Topic Selection: Choose a relevant, timely topic in the realm of medicine that is also appropriate for a junior medical writer.
- Literature Review: Conduct a preliminary review of academic literature, guidelines, and expert opinions available online to understand existing discussions on the topic.
- Outline Development: Draft a detailed content outline including sections like Introduction, Background, Methods, Results/Discussion, and Conclusion. Ensure the inclusion of sub-topics and key points.
- Document Drafting: Prepare the outline in a DOC format file with clear headings and sub-headings.
- Self-Evaluation: Review the outline for coherence, clarity, and structure, ensuring all key components of a scientific article are addressed.
Expected Deliverables
A DOC file containing your detailed content outline with supporting written notes on research findings.
Evaluation Criteria
- Comprehensiveness of the literature review and accuracy of information.
- Clarity, structure, and logical flow of the content outline.
- Correct usage of headings and sub-headings in the DOC file.
- Adherence to assignment instructions and thorough completion of the task.
Objective
This week's task emphasizes the drafting and formatting phase of medical writing. Your mission is to produce a draft of a medical report or article based on the outline developed in Week 1. The focus is on transforming research ideas and outline points into coherent narrative text that suits an academic or professional audience. You are expected to invest around 30 to 35 hours to complete this task.
Task Overview
Build upon the content outline created during Week 1 and start drafting a complete article. This document should simulate an actual medical report, integrating factual information, logical structuring, and consistent formatting. You will learn how to articulate research findings in a scientifically accurate and readable manner.
Key Steps
- Review the content outline from Week 1 ensuring it is comprehensive and well-structured.
- Draft the Article: Begin drafting your article, converting outline bullet points into well-developed paragraphs. Ensure you explain technical details in plain language where necessary.
- Formatting: Format the document using DOC software, including an abstract, introduction, methodology, results or discussion, and conclusion. Maintain professional font styles and paragraph spacing.
- Source Integration: Incorporate citations and references from publicly available sources where applicable. Make sure to follow a consistent citation style.
- Self-Review: Edit your draft for clarity and consistency, paying attention to grammar, tone, and section transitions.
Expected Deliverables
A DOC file containing a drafted version of your medical report or article with proper sections, citations, and structured formatting.
Evaluation Criteria
- Depth and clarity in the development of the narrative.
- Correct and professional formatting of the document.
- Logical flow and cohesiveness between different sections.
- Proper citation and attribution of sources.
Objective
The third week centers on refining your medical writing draft by employing advanced editing and revision techniques. The objective is to enhance the clarity, readability, and scientific accuracy of your medical manuscript through a structured internal review process. Allocate approximately 30 to 35 hours to complete this in-depth editing task.
Task Overview
Your task for this week is to review and improve your draft article from Week 2. This phase requires a critical assessment of content accuracy, coherence, grammar, and formatting. Practice self-editing and, if desired, simulate a peer review process by interfacing with publicly available editorial guidelines or self-check tools.
Key Steps
- Initial Read-Through: Conduct a detailed read-through of your draft to evaluate overall structure, logical coherence, and clarity.
- Content Editing: Revise paragraphs, sentences, and sections to ensure clarity. Remove redundant content, fix inconsistencies, and adjust the narrative flow.
- Technical Accuracy: Verify the scientific facts, terminology, and citations included in your manuscript by cross-referencing public resources.
- Formatting Consistency: Ensure the DOC file follows a consistent structure and meets professional standards including heading styles, bullet points, and spacing.
- Revision Documentation: Document the changes made, providing brief rationales for major revisions to demonstrate your editing process.
Expected Deliverables
A DOC file containing the revised and edited version of your medical manuscript with tracked changes or a separate summary document of major edits undertaken.
Evaluation Criteria
- Effectiveness of revisions in enhancing clarity and readability.
- Accuracy and consistency of scientific content.
- Document organization and professional formatting.
- Clarity in documenting the editing process.
Objective
The final week focuses on the evaluation of your entire writing process, reflective analysis, and the development of an improvement strategy. This task is designed to encourage self-assessment and critical thinking about your work as a junior medical writer. Dedicate 30 to 35 hours to thoroughly reflect on your coding, identify your strengths and improvement areas, and propose actionable strategies for enhancing your future writing projects.
Task Overview
Your task is to compile a comprehensive review and reflection document that evaluates the entire journey of your medical writing project. You should think critically about what worked well in your process—from researching and outlining to drafting and editing. Identify key challenges, discuss how you overcame them, and propose a strategy for future projects. This reflection is essential for developing a mindset of continuous improvement in medical writing.
Key Steps
- Process Review: Revisit your prior deliverables from Weeks 1, 2, and 3. Analyze the progression from planning to execution and final editing.
- Self-Assessment: Critically evaluate your strengths, weaknesses, and the challenges you encountered.
- Feedback Simulation: Using publicly available guidelines for medical writing, compare your work to standard benchmarks.
- Improvement Strategy: Develop a detailed plan outlining how you intend to address gaps or challenges in future assignments. Include resource recommendations, time management strategies, and proposed techniques for quality improvement.
- Draft the Reflection: Create your final document in DOC format, ensuring it is well-organized with sections clearly detailing your evaluation and improvement plan.
Expected Deliverables
A DOC file that includes a comprehensive self-evaluation report covering the entire project cycle, complete with an actionable improvement strategy and reflective commentary on your work process.
Evaluation Criteria
- Depth and thoroughness of the self-assessment.
- Clarity in identifying strengths and areas for improvement.
- Practicality and detail of the improvement strategy proposed.
- Overall organization, presentation, and quality of the final document.