Writing services - scientific / medical science writers
To find writing services (scientific / medical science writers) click on a country or region below. Also see below for tips for finding the right writing service.
When searching for the right scientific or medical science writer / writing service, consider the following:
Qualifications
For single person operations and small companies, the individual writer(s) are usually displayed. If the individual writers (or the company founder) is clearly displayed check their qualifications. It builds confidence to find a service where the qualifications of the writers or founders (where & what they have studied) is transparently displayed on their website or a LinkedIn profile.
There is no mandatory rule for the qualifications required to be a scientific / medical writer. Common qualifications include a bachelors degree in applied science or medical science etc, along with a certificate, diploma or masters in writing or communication etc. Or alternatively a bachelors degree majoring in science and minoring in writing etc. There are also specific medical / scientific writing / communication courses.
Most importantly it is ideal for the writer to have a combination of qualifications displaying writing / communication skills along with in-depth scientific / medical knowledge.
Experience
It builds confidence if the writer / writing service provides a list of previous clients. Ideally they will have some high quality clients such as universities, foundations, associations, published books, online science & medical magazines, or other companies providing scientific & medical products and services. Not only will they have a list of previous clients on display but also links or directions to see specific examples of the work done for those clients. For example, a specific review article in an online science or medical magazine. Alternatively they can provide you with previous client contact details that you can contact as a reference.
Easily contactable by phone
Email communication may be sufficient for initial introductions and questions etc. When it comes time to talk with the writer on the telephone, it may be easier to use a local writer, or at least a writer within your country as calls will be cheaper and you will be operating on the same time zone as your writer. However, if you can afford to, you should use the writer best suited to the task regardless of their location. For long or ongoing projects, make sure a communication plan is established for how often you will talk with the writer on the telephone and at what times. This will assist you to identify problems early.
Clear quoting & working to deadlines
Regardless of whether you have a small budget or a big budget, the most important thing will be the writers ability to provide a clear quote and deliver the project on budget and on time. To assist the writer to give you a clear quote and time frame, you should clarify the length of the article etc required. You should also clarify the target audience (scientists etc vs the general public) so the writer knows what style is required. To keep the price down or shorten the time frame you can provide the writer with background information so they don't have to spend as much time researching. You can also provide them with some starting material to build on so they don't have to start from scratch. Using a writer in your country will ensure you can pay in your currency usually by easy bank transfer. However, many international service providers have multiple currency payment options via payment gateways such as PayPal.
Use a specialist writer if possible
For example, if your project is centred around drug discovery, use a writer that is experienced in this field, either because they have written in this field in the past or they have worked in this field prior to becoming a writer. Though a good idea, the problem with this approach is you can spend a large amount of time trying to find the specialist.
Inform the writer that you may have more projects in the future
The prospect of future business with you should ensure the writer puts in 100% effort.
Considering a career as a scientific / medical science writer, click HERE to learn more. Below you will find a list universities & institutes that offer study courses for scientific / medical science writing & communication.
John Hopkins University - United States
University of the West of England - United Kingdom
University of Western Australia - Australia
Click HERE to suggest additional scientific / medical science writing course providers to add to the list above.
Already happy with your content. Just need a little help. Draft editing and proofreading services usually include corrections for type errors, spelling, punctuation, grammar, and language / word choice, as well as suggestions for improvements to sentence and paragraph structure if required. Click HERE for a list of draft editing / proofreading services.
