Guidance

From Hand-Written Bibliographies to AI-Hallucinated Citations

Fabricated citations have grown 12-fold since 2023. A look at the Lancet audit and what the AI hallucination crisis means for scientific...

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The Investigator's Brochure Has Become a Regulated Safety Instrument. Is Your Organisation Ready?

ICH E6 R3 has reset expectations for the Investigator's Brochure. What sponsors and medical writers need to know about safety reporting in...

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The Pen vs. The Prompt: You will be judged II

AI can make your writing perfect but at what cost? A look at cognitive debt, authenticity and why the human fingerprint still matters more...

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How is Innovation Shaping the Future of Health Communications?

Innovation in health communications is not about new tools. A look at AI risks, intent driven strategies and what meaningful progress...

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May the Fourth: Humour, Popular Culture, and Science Engagement

A pun that travels the galaxy. How Star Wars Day uses humour, awe and cultural storytelling to make science accessible and why that matters...

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The Production and Impact of Graphical Abstracts in Scientific Communication

Graphical abstracts boost engagement but do they improve scholarly impact? A critical look at how visual abstracts work and where they fall...

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A Shortening Shelf Life for Medical Guidance

Half of clinical guidelines are outdated within 6 years. How should medicine respond to the shrinking shelf life of medical knowledge in an...

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Twenty-Eight Years On: Sustaining Scientific Enterprise, Motivation, and Meaning in a Changing Workforce

What keeps a founder engaged after 28 years? Niche CEO Tim Hardman reflects on motivation, resilience and why long-term leadership can...

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The Perpetual Grind: Coffee, Science, and the Enduring Search for Health in a Bean

From 17th century coffee houses to modern genetic studies, discover what centuries of research really tell us about coffees health effects...

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The Rise of the Instant Expert in the Age of AI

Explore how AI is reshaping expertise, creating overconfidence, and eroding critical thinking, deep reading, and true understanding.

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Mentorship in the Age of AI, Remote Work and Gen Z

Explore how remote work and AI are reshaping mentorship and why human connection remains essential for growth and career development.

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The Growing Role of Patient-Reported Outcomes in Clinical Study Reports

The world's first human COVID challenge trial has been given the green light

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Increasing Complexity of Clinical Study Reports

The world's first human COVID challenge trial has been given the green light

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Paracelsus and the Origins of Modern Science

How Paracelsus helped shape modern scientific thinking through observation, toxicology, and early chemical medicine.

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Fright here, fright now

Chronic overwhelm is the real workplace horror. A look at the cognitive science of workplace fear, multitasking overload and why delegation...

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The AI Mirage: Pharma’s Costly Fascination

Over the last two years, few topics have captivated the pharmaceutical industry as completely as artificial intelligence (AI).

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Meaningful Conversations: How and Why They Matter

How meaningful conversations build trust, improve wellbeing, and why authenticity matters more than ever in a digital-first world.

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Content-Driven Irritation:AI Slop and Shallow LinkedIn Content

How the digital age has transformed the way we communicate, share information, and consume content.

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Is Disruptive Science in Decline?

Scientific output has never been higher, yet truly disruptive discoveries appear to be declining. A look at why breakthrough science is...

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Repurposing drugs for COVID-19 complications

A fascinating science news story hit the headlines in the last 24 hours, that a common over-the-counter ingredient in many cough syrups may...

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Clinical Trials Are Getting More Complex. That Is Why More of Them Are Failing.

Clinical trial complexity has risen over 10% in a decade, driving longer timelines and higher failure rates. A look at what sponsors can do...

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Pros and Cons of Preprints

Preprints offer speed and visibility but come without peer review. A clear guide to what preprint servers are, how journals view them and...

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Artificial intelligence: Pandora's box?

ChatGPT is reshaping medical writing and scientific communication. A critical look at the benefits, limitations and risks of AI in research...

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Text Recycling: Evolving Norms, Ethical Boundaries and Practical Guidance

Reusing your own text is not the same as plagiarism, but it is not unrestricted either. A practical guide to acceptable text recycling in...

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Love: an AI's inquiry into the essence of human connection

We recently encouraged writers (of all kinds) in our recent Insider’s Insight to experiment with large language artificial intelligence...

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The Evolution of Patient Voice

For much of the twentieth century, patients in clinical research were positioned primarily as subjects of experimentation rather than active...

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Phase 1’s future in the UK

Phase I is the lifeblood or new medicines. The UK’s Phase I representative body,

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Hiding not learning

I have never been great at conferences. People don’t believe me but I am painfully shy and far too worried about what people think of me.

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Clinical Trials Day 2023 – Relax!

Music has a remarkable ability to bring people together and permeate

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Data, data everywhere… far too much to think

Every year, a huge amount of scientific data is released. It's out there, but how do you find it?

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Good Laboratory Practices?

Do you know what Good Laboratory Practice stands for? In nonclinical animal studies

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Mandatory adoption of the European Clinical Trials System approaches

Concerns about readiness of the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) Clinical Trials Information System persist as the deadline for...

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Graduation Day

Son, I wanted to record this landmark day in your progress through life.

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Father's Day

I am continually reminded that I must work toward better relationships with my sons than the one I had with my dad.

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Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical trial conduct

Early in 2020, COVID-19 was spreading rapidly across the globe.

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What Prolonged Sitting Is Really Doing to Medical Writers Working from Home

Homeworking has made sedentary behaviour worse for medical writers. The health risks of prolonged sitting and what to do about it.

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Home working charter for medical communications

Work never stops and after the findings of our ground breaking survey in the EMWA

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Challenge trials: What you need to know

The world's first human COVID challenge trial has been given the green light

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Update on the Investigator's Brochure

There are many regulatory documents but perhaps none are more critical

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Understanding your fears

In the past, Halloween has meant the end of the crop and the start of the dark, cold winter.

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Mental health and remote working

At the start of the year many of us faced changes to the way we work as the COVID-19

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You will be judged

Most writers fear judgement of their work. Practical techniques for reviewing your own writing objectively and building confidence as a...

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Are We Living Through a Bad News Event Horizon?

When a country’s economy becomes so dominated by a single export industry

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5 tips for Star Wars Day

May 4 is often known as ‘Star Wars Day’. It is jokingly said

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The Seven Deadly Sins of Grant Writing

Grant writing is an art, but it is also a discipline. Treat it with the same care you apply to your experiments, and you may find yourself...

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Get Visible or Vanish: 10 Rules for Promoting Your Research

Publishing is just the first step. Ten practical activities to increase the discoverability and impact of your research in a crowded...

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Preparing for the Apocalypse: Why Humans Love Disaster Planning (and Why It Might Actually Help)

Discover ten evidence-based strategies to promote scientific research, improve dissemination, increase impact, and strengthen long-term...

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Ten tips for promoting your research

Discover ten evidence-based strategies to promote scientific research, improve dissemination, increase impact, and strengthen long-term...

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Looking out for a hero…

We all need heroes - people who can champion our cause - helping the world to understand our rationale

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The future for clinical studies

Attend any research meeting, conference or clinical congress

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Deep Breath: Issue #7

Welcome to the seventh issue of the Refractory Asthma Stratification Programme (RASP-UK) newsletter

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Initialisms, Acronyms, and Abbreviations: A Plea for Sanity (and Clarity)

60 abbreviations in one document is not writing, it is archaeology. A practical guide to using abbreviations correctly, safely and sparingly...

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Our infinite monkey cage

We all have a responsibility to encourage young people to study science

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Infinite Monkey Cage

We should all do what we can to get young people interested

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Which Conference Monster Are You and How Do You Escape It?

Are you a werewolf, ghost, vampire or zombie at conferences? Explore the psychology of conference behaviour — and how to avoid becoming a...

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Top 10 questions to find out if you are business ready

Most businesses fail within five years. Ten honest questions to ask yourself before starting your own, from someone who has run their own...

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Aiming at Supererogation

From Tuskegee to the Belmont Report, how did modern research ethics come to be? A reflection on 40 years of principles that still govern...

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A EUFEMED achievement

I'm sure that everyone works hard and tries to do their best.

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Coming of age

We use the term coming of age to describe the transition into adulthood

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Pulling the pin...

In the words of Clint Eastwood’s character, Harry Callahan, in the film Magnum Force “A man's got to know his limitations”....

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Website for the Clinical Trials Specialist Degree Apprenticeship goes live

Visit our brand-new website to learn more about our innovative training programme

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Revised FIH EMA Guideline: Opinion reported

The EUropean Federation for Exploratory MEdicines Development (EUFEMED

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UK – Doing OK

One notable characteristic of Brexit has been a race for the bottom by journalists

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Too Many Cooks

Metathesiophobia: from Preclinical to Clinical Development

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Regulating medical devices in the event of a no deal scenario

Metathesiophobia: from Preclinical to Clinical Development

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The Investigator’s Brochure: Multifaceted and Multidisciplinary

Metathesiophobia: from Preclinical to Clinical Development

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Be 30% more efficient

Metathesiophobia: from Preclinical to Clinical Development

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Mightier than the sword… and the laptop and the smartphone…

Research shows handwriting notes may improve focus and memory compared with typing. Discover why the pen may still outperform the laptop.

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Expanded ‘No-Deal’ Brexit preparations for pharmaceuticals and medical devices

However you may feel about the way political leaders have turned Brexit

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Is winning (that) important?

Metathesiophobia: from Preclinical to Clinical Development

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The undiscovered country

The scientific literature comprises scholarly publications that report original

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Severe Asthma, Smarter Decisions: Aligning Objective Assessment with Patient Voices

Biologic therapies for severe asthma, monoclonal antibodies targeting key type‑2 inflammatory pathways.

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Plagiarism in Scientific Writing: Lessons Learned

Learn how to avoid plagiarism in scientific writing with practical tips, common pitfalls and proven techniques to protect your work.

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Association for Human Pharmacology in the Pharmaceutical Industry

The proceedings of the Association for Human Pharmacology in the Pharmaceutical Industry (AHPPI)

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How to Respond to Scientific Manuscript Rejection

A practical guide to responding to manuscript rejection with three steps and key tips for revising, rebutting reviewers, and resubmitting...

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Three‑Step Hack to Becoming a Conference Superhero

Already surviving conferences as an introvert? Now it's time to thrive. Three advanced techniques to boost your presence, confidence and...

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Eight tips for writing a press release

At some point, you'll want to share your great projects with your friends

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Stay happy

Last week marked 12 months since I was involved in a life-changing accident.

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Six hard questions

In response to my post with tips for people who want to start their own business

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Coming to a consensus

Clinical consensus statements are agreed opinions formulated by a group of experts

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Top 6 tips when starting a company

Last week was the 20-year anniversary of my founding Niche Science & Technology Ltd.

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Top 5 reasons why bigger isn’t (always) better

The largest pharmaceutical companies not surprisingly rely on the largest contract research organizations

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Running a Business Without Burning Out

Running a business can be emotionally draining. Learn practical strategies to avoid burnout and protect your health as a leader.

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300 standards and counting…

The Institute for Apprenticeships (IFA) has approved its 300th

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Titanic clinical protocols

Experience at Niche has taught us that clinical study protocols are born in the white-hot fire

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Critically thinking

Today my son has taken his GCSE exam in Critical Thinking.

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Pharma – newbies trailblazing the future

Our team are exploring different and novel ways for young people to enter the pharmaceutical industry.

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Star Wars Day

On this day 2 years ago I had a pretty bad accident getting knocked off my motorbike

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An Introvert’s Guide to Conferencing for Nerds — Top 10 Tips

Shy, introverted, or just dreading the coffee queue? Practical strategies for scientists and clinicians to network confidently at...

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Business learnings: 20 years – 20 tips

The last 20 years at Niche have been amazingly exciting – offering

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Three business starter survival traits

Yesterday was 20 years since the Memorandum

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If, and Only If: When Does a Medical Writer Qualify for the Next Level Up?

Promotion in medical writing is rarely about time served. A candid look at what actually drives career progression and why growth matters...

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From Bench to Byline: What It Really Means to Become a Medical Writer

Many medical writers start as scientists. A candid look at what the transition from bench to medical writing really involves and what it...

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Walking Deadlines: An Undead Perspective on Managing Zombie Manuscripts

A zombie manuscript has all the vital signs but no soul. How disengaged teams kill scientific papers and what medical writers can do about...

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The question that never goes away: How Long Does Medical Writing Actually Take?

How long does medical writing actually take? An honest look at what drives timelines, where time is lost and why speed comes with...

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How Good a Writer Are You Really? 6 Techniques for Honest Self-Evaluation

Self-doubt is common among medical writers. Practical techniques for evaluating your own writing objectively and developing your craft with...

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Keep it brief…

Never judge a book by its cover –we know

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Conference organising 101

They say that as one door closes another one opens.

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Top 10 tips to writing up your PhD

Writing your PhD thesis can be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity

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Creating awesome titles

Creating an awesome title is like bending a straight line into a circle.

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