Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Remarkable Medical Writing

  • Chapter
What Every Medical Writer Needs to Know

  • 1097 Accesses

Abstract

In this chapter the reader will find stories of medical writers who have received the Pulitzer Prize and other writing awards. Also presented are some tongue-in-cheek special awards in biomedical writing, such as the most intriguing title, the most arcane use of jargon, and the heaviest medical tome. There is a section on the most unnecessary articles published in the scientific literature, and another on the most intriguing first sentences in clinical reports. The most readable medical journal, the most recognized medical book, and most influential scientific paper of all time are named, as well as the most infamous medical report of the modern era.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 64.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. The Pulitzer Prizes. Available from: http://www.pulitzer.org/.

  2. 2003 Pulitzer Prize: journalism awards, beat reporting. Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_Pulitzer_Prize/.

  3. Harvey Williams Cushing.jpg. Source: http://wellcomeimages.org/indexplus/image/V0026788.html. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Available at: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Harvey_Williams_Cushing.jpg.

  4. The emperor of all maladies: a biography of cancer. Publisher’s book description. Available from: http://www.amazon.com/Emperor-All-Maladies-Biography-Cancer/dp/1439170916/ref=la_B003SNL6EA_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1398366065&sr=1-1/.

  5. Multiauthored papers: onward and upward: Science-Watch. Available at: http://archive.sciencewatch.com/newsletter/2012/201207/multiauthor_papers/.

  6. Cronin B. Hyperauthorship: a postmodern perversion or evidence of a structural shift in scholarly communication practices? J Am Soc Inf Sci Technol. 2001;52:558.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Oliver Sacks at TED 2009.jpg. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. Available at: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oliver_Sacks_at_TED_2009.jpg.

  8. Chan AL. Cutting edge issues in Goodpasture’s syndrome. Clin Rev All Immunol. 2011;41:151.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Taylor RB. Family medicine: principles and practice. 2nd ed. New York: Springer; 1983.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  10. Bulwer-Lytton E. Paul Clifford. Available at: http://www.readbookonline.net/read/20417/57414/.

  11. Edward bulwer-lytton.jpg. This image is in the public domain because its copyright has expired. Available at: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Edward_bulwer-lytton.jpg.

  12. The Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest. Available at: http://www.bulwer-lytton.com/.

  13. Kennedy M. Bad sex award goes to Manil Suri and his shoals of atomic nuclei. The Guardian, 3 Dec 2013. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/dec/03/manil-suri-wins-bad-sex-book-award-city-of-devi/.

  14. Suri M. The city of Devi. New York: Norton; 2013.

    Google Scholar 

  15. The Bad Writing Contest. Philosophy and literature. Available at: http://denisdutton.com/bad_writing.htm.

  16. Butler J. Further reflections on the conversations of our times. Diacritics. 1997;27:13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Barron AB, et al. Effects of cocaine on honeybee dance behavior. J Exp Biol. 2009;212:163.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Jonason PK, et al. The “booty call”: a compromise between men’s and women’s ideal mating strategies. J Sex Res. 2009;46:460.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Remh J, et al. Alcohol consumption and the intention to engage in unprotected sex: systematic review and meta-analysis of experimental studies. Addiction. 2012;107:1360.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Williams LP, et al. Salmonella excretion in joy-riding pigs. Am J Public Health Nations Health. 1970;60:926.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Steinhauser G. The nature of navel fluff. Med Hypotheses. 2009;72:623.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Whitcombe B. Sword swallowing and its side effects. BMJ. 2006;333:1285.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Bakkevig MK, et al. Impact of wet underwear on thermoregulator responses and thermal comfort in the cold. Ergonomics. 1994;8:1375.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Ford ES, et al. Trends in mean waist circumference and abdominal obesity among US adults, 1999–2012. JAMA. 2014;312:1151.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Ince C, et al. Why Rudolph’s nose is red: an observational study. BMJ. 2012;345, e8311.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Fourkala EO, et al. Association of skirt size and postmenopausal breast cancer risk in older women: a cohort study within the UK Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening (UKCTOCS). BMJ Open. 2014;4, e005400.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Barreca G. Questions you can’t skirt past. The Virginian-Pilot, 13 Oct 2014, p. 17.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Palazzo FF, et al. Surgeons swear when operating: fact or myth? BMJ. 1999;319:1611.

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Malani PN. Review of Harrison’s principles of internal medicine. JAMA. 2012;308:1813.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Orient JM. Sapira’s art and science of bedside diagnosis. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins; 2005.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Wieger L. Chinese characters. 2nd ed. New York: Dover; 1965.

    Google Scholar 

  32. Hemingway E. Death in the afternoon. New York: Scribner; 1932.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Sir William Osler quotes, or Oslerisms. Available at: http://lifeinthefastlane.com/resources/oslerisms/.

  34. Jenner E. An inquiry into the causes and effects of the variola vaccine, or cowpox. London: Sampson Low; 1798.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Child with smallpox Bangladesh edit.jpg. This image is a work of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, part of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, taken or made as part of an employee’s official duties. As a work for the U.S. Federal government, the image is in the public domain. Available at: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Child_with_Smallpox_Bangladesh_edit.jpg.

  36. Plotkin SA, et al. Vaccines. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders; 1999.

    Google Scholar 

  37. Asimov I. Isaac Asimov’s book of facts. New York: Bell; 1979. p. 68.

    Google Scholar 

  38. Sloof P, et al. The nucleotide sequence of a 3.2 kb segment of mitochondrial maxicircle DNA from Crithidia fasciculate containing the gene for cytochrome oxidase subunit III, the N-terminal part of the apocytochrome b gene and a possible frameshift gene; further evidence for the use of unusual initiator triplets in trypanosome mitochondria. Nucleic Acids Res. 1987;15:51.

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Wakefield AJ, et al. Ileal-lymphoid nodular hyperplasia, non-specific colitis, and pervasive developmental disorder in children. Lancet. 1998;351:637.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Godlee F, et al. Wakefield’s article linking MMR vaccine and autism was fraudulent. BJM. 2011;342:c7452.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Stobbe M. Will autism fraud report be a vaccine booster? The Boston Globe, Associated Press, 7 Jan 2011.

    Google Scholar 

  42. Flaherty DK. The vaccine-autism connection: a public health crisis caused by unethical medical practices and fraudulent science. Ann Pharmacother. 2011;45:1302.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Meikie J, et al. MMR row doctor Andrew Wakefield struck off register. London: The Guardian; 2010.

    Google Scholar 

  44. Best and worst physicians of the year. Medscape 2011. Available at: http://www.medscape.com/features/slideshow/physicians-of-the-year/2011.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Family and Community Medicine, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA, USA

    Robert B. Taylor MD (Professor, Professor Emeritus)

  2. Department of Family Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine, Portland, OR, USA

    Robert B. Taylor MD (Professor, Professor Emeritus)

Authors
  1. Robert B. Taylor MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Taylor, R.B. (2015). Remarkable Medical Writing. In: What Every Medical Writer Needs to Know. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20264-8_7

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20264-8_7

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-20263-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-20264-8

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation