AMWA SW Networking Zoom Event

Hi, AMWA Southwest Chapter Members,

It’s Dean Colston. I wanted to personally thank you for making our virtual networking event for our out-of-area members a success. It was terrific to see all of you and to talk about the medical communications profession. I found this event to be not only an excellent learning opportunity, but fun.

As you can see, we captured a lively photo of our accomplished attendees on Feb. 4, 2021.

A special thanks goes to Kimberly Mankiewicz, PhD, ELS and J. Kelly Byram, MS, MBA, ELS for hosting this event with me.

I’m looking forward to the next out-of-area members event. So we’ll see you soon. amwasw.org

Note: I added my voice to this video thanking members for attending this event.

#medicalwriters #medicalwriting #medicaleditors #medicalediting #healthcommunication

#technicalwriting #sciencewriting #freelance #smallbusiness #medcomm #regulatorywriters

#professionaldevelopment #networking #lifesciences #sciencejournalism

Arizona Council of the Blind Anniversary

Feb3

Back view of a female talking with diverse multiracial colleagues during a (virtual) Zoom conference. The Arizona Council of the Blind logo is located in the lower-right corner of this photo. © [fizkes] / Adobe Stock

Join us in celebrating the golden anniversary of the Arizona Council of the Blind (AzCB) on Zoom!

When: Friday, April 16 and Saturday, April 17

Registration cost: $10.00

This event will feature keynote speaker Joel Snyder, Director of the Audio Description Project at the American Council of the Blind (ACB). In addition, we will have several other presentations, as well as entertainment, games, and drawings for gift cards.

AzCB started in 1971, spearheaded by John Vanlandingham, an attorney who was blind. We are an affiliate of the ACB, a national nonprofit organization which advocates for the interests, needs, and capabilities of those who are blind or visually impaired.

More details to come—so stay tuned.

#ACB #AzCB #accessibilitymatters #GCBVI #visionloss #blindness #ADA #webaccessibility

#vocationalrehabilitation #disabilities #guidedogs #assistivetechnology #visionevaluators

#deafblind #advocacy #braille #education #awareness

AMWA SW Chapter. Follow Us on Social Media

Aug7

Our AMWA Southwest Chapter is ready to help you with education, training, and networking events. Find out how we can support you while you connect with other health and medical communicators. Be sure to follow us on social media.

#medicalwriters #medicalwriting #medicaleditor

#medicalediting #healthcommunication #technicalwriting

#sciencewriting #freelance #smallbusiness #medcomm

#regulatorywriters #professionaldevelopment

Micro-learning Lesson #3: The Word “Data”

Sep23

Concept about the value of data for information and knowledge. © [NicoElNino] / Adobe Stock

In informal writing, datum is considered a collective singular noun. But data is a plural word used in formal writing, such as scientific communication.

A good technical communicator would not write “the data is” or “this data” in a scientific paper.

It is written as “these data” or “the data are” to be grammatically correct

As you probably guessed, one of the most popular words in the sciences is data. Be certain that your pronouns and verbs agree in number, as in the following sentence:

These data are persuasive. They suggest new grounds for novel discoveries in emotion research.

Micro-learning Lesson #2: Powerful Verbs for Scientific Papers

Aug27

Scientific reviewing. © [Tomas Skopal] / Adobe Stock

Are you looking for the perfect verbs to use in your scientific papers? As most researchers know, specific action words are critical for your research manuscripts. As you join the community of scientists, you will gain an understanding of the commonly used conventions in scientific discourse. Remember, your writing goals are to be clear, concise, and informative.

To support your writing endeavors, I created a list of meaningful verbs that are useful in scientific writing.

Adapted
Addressed
Argued
Asserted

Clarified
Collaborated
Collected
Compared
Comprised
Conducted

Decreased
Defined
Demonstrated
Determined
Developed
Displayed
Disputed

Emphasized
Evaluated
Examined
Explained
Explored

Focused
Found

Hypothesized

Identified
Improved
Increased
Indicated
Introduced
Investigated

Linked

Measured

Noted

Observed

Predicted
Proposed

Reported
Researched
Revealed
Reviewed

Solved
Speculated
Stressed
Studied
Suggested
Summarized
Surveyed

Tested

Validated

Micro-learning Lesson #1: Pronouns in the Subjective and Objective Case

Aug26

Pronouns, English language sign series for writing & teaching. © [EdwardSamuel] / Adobe Stock

There are eight parts of speech in the English language: verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, interjection, noun, and pronoun. Many students find some aspects of pronouns tricky. As you may already know, pronouns take the position of nouns and function as nouns do.

A pronoun that functions as the subject of a clause or sentence is in the subjective case. Case refers to the form of a word that indicates its use in a sentence as the subject of a verb, the object of a preposition, etc.

The subjective case includes I, we, he, she, it, you, they, who. The subjective case is also used when the pronoun follows a linking verb, which is a verb that relates the subject to the subject complement. For example, words commonly used as linking verbs are become, seem, feel, appear, taste, look, smell, sound, and the forms of the verb be. To apply this concept in a more traditional sense, I have presented three examples of the subjective case:

He is my teacher. (subject of verb)
My teacher is she. (subject complement)
The only ones on stage were Kevin and she. (subject complement)

A pronoun that functions as the object of a verb or preposition is in the objective case (me, us, him, her, it, you, them, whom). I have noted two examples for your review as follows:

Dr. Smith hired Susan and me. (object of verb)
Between you and me, he’s wrong. (object of preposition)

Discriminatory Language: How to Reduce Bias in Language

Sep1

Words Have Power concept. © [tumsasedgars] / Adobe Stock

Discriminatory language is far too common in communication today. To reduce bias in language, one must follow some general guidelines to ensure respectful communication. Effective writers and editors must aim to be inclusive and avoid all negative stereotypes of a particular group. To assist with these goals, editors need to appropriately address outdated and discriminatory language.

Some everyday terms or phrases that are based in discriminatory perspectives, stereotypes, or prejudices, or which may be hurtful because of their alternate meanings include the following:

salesman
executives and their wives
sexual preference
homosexuals
cripple
the elderly
blind as a bat
defective child
borderlines
Oriental

As we can see, these words and phrases imply bias against people on the basis of sexual orientation, disability, gender, age, racial or ethnic group. The following terms are preferred because they are more precise and sensitive:

sales agent or sales associate
executives and their spouses
sexual orientation
lesbians or gay men
person who…or a person unable to walk
older person
visually impaired
child with a birth impairment
people diagnosed with borderline personality disorder
Asian

Online Resources for Technical and Academic Editors

Sep1

Free Images: Laptop, Smartphone, Coffee, and Technology. WebSource: pxhere.com through Google Advanced Image Search.

Free Image: Laptop, Smartphone, Coffee, and Technology. WebSource: pxhere.com through Google Advanced Image Search.

My objective of this exercise was to find online resources to help technical and academic editors with their grammar, usage, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, and abbreviation questions. I selected the following reputable online resources:

1. Penn State. Style for Student’s Online. Effective Technical Writing in the Information Age. The URL is https://www.e-education.psu.edu/styleforstudents/c2_p9.html

2. Purdue University Online Writing Lab. Associated Press Style. The link is https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/735/02/

3. APA Style. This URL is located at http://www.apastyle.org/manual/

4. Chapman University. Writing Style Guide. The link is https://www.chapman.edu/campus-services/marketing-communication/guidelines-and-resources/writing/index.aspx

5. Princeton University. Princeton Editorial Style Guide. The link is http://www.princeton.edu/communications/services/editorial/resources/style-guide/

6. MLA Style Sheet. By Abel Scribe, PhD. The link is located at https://debate.uvm.edu/dcpdf/mlacrib.pdf

7. The Chicago Manual of Style Online. The link is http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/16/contents.html

8. Abbreviations.com. The world’s largest and most comprehensive directory and search engine for acronyms, abbreviations and initialisms on the Internet. The link is http://www.abbreviations.com/

9. Merriam-Webster Dictionary. The URL is found at http://www.merriam-webster.com/

10. Acronym Finder. It is the world’s largest and most comprehensive dictionary of acronyms, abbreviations, and initialisms. The link is http://www.acronymfinder.com/

11. Visuwords™ online graphical dictionary. The URL is http://www.visuwords.com/

12. Grammar Girl: Quick and Dirty Tips. The link is http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/grammar-girl

13. 100 Most Often Mispelled Misspelled Words in English. The URL is http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/spelling-and-word-lists/misspelled.html

14. alphaDictionary. The Most Often Mispelled Misspelled Words in English. The link is http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles/misspelled_words.html

15. About Education. The 201 Most Commonly Misspelled Words in English. The URL is http://grammar.about.com/od/words/a/misspelled200.htm

16. GrammarBook.com. Capitalization Rules. This link can be found at http://www.grammarbook.com/punctuation/capital.asp

17. About Your Dictionary. Ten Rules of Capitalization. The URL is http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/capitalization/10-rules-of-capitalization.html

18. Grammarly Handbook by Grammarly. The site is at http://www.grammarly.com/handbook/

19. Middlebury College. Preferred Spelling and Capitalization List. The website is located at http://www.middlebury.edu/offices/administration/communications/styleguide/spelling

20. Illinois Identity Standards. University of Illinois at Urbana at Urbana-Champaign. Writing Style Guide. The URL is http://identitystandards.illinois.edu/writingstyleguide/

Category Archives: Online Resources for Writers and Editors