Journal of Clinical Monitoring and Computing (2005) 19: 179–181 DOI: 10.1007/s10877-005-2667-5 C Springer 2005 SOME NOTES ON MEDICAL ENGLISH Vincenzo Lanza Lanza V. Some notes on medical English J Clin Monit Comput 2005; 19: 179–181 ABSTRACT. Writing medical papers is a challenge in any language, but writing in a foreign language such as English can be especially difficult. This paper provides some suggestions on how to overcome common problems in preparing medical papers and presentations, for writers whose native language isn’t English. Stylistic and grammatical peculiarities of the English language are considered, as well as Americanizations of Latin terminology, scientific (“international”) notation, variations in usage between Britain and the U.S.A., scientific and ethical standards of medical publications in English, and some resources for foreign-language researchers who want to compose papers or presentations in English. KEY WORDS. English language, medical papers, abstracts, posters, presentations. Department, Ospedale Buccheri la Ferla Fatebenefratelli, Via M. Marine, 197, 90123-Palermo, Italy. Received and accepted for publication 6 February, 2005. Address correspondence to V. Lanza, Chief of Anesthesia Department, Ospedale Buccheri la Ferla Fatebenefratelli, Via M. Marine, 197, 90123-Palermo, Italy. E-mail:
[email protected] Ideally, authors should immediately identify the category of their paper: editorial, clinical trial, original research, literature review, conference report, book/web site review, brief comment, etc., although some works may be difficult to categorize in simple terms. Researchers should establish and declare their professional standards by mentioning that they obtained independent ethical review of the study design and protocols, as well as “reproductive, representative, effective, respectively,” and some specialized grammatical terms (such as “infinitive”). The words “derivative” and “derivation” are both correct, but have different meanings (only the former means “by-product”) [2]. Some Latin words and expressions are not written differently in English: e.g. (“for example”), i.e. (“that is”), etc. (“and so on”), per (as in “40 ml per hour”), et al. (“and others”), and many anatomical and physiological names: cranium, vertebra, humerus, endocardium, uterus, and so on. Unlike some languages such as German, exclamation points (!) are rarely used in English and almost never in medical writing as they are interpreted as expressing strong emotion. In general, linguistic usage, spelling and punctuation differences between the U.S., Britain and other English-speaking countries are minor in the context of medical writing: center vs. centre, grey vs. gray. Most minor variations are acceptable. When submitting work to a British journal the single quotation mark ‘. . . ’ is used for indirect speech, rather than the American double quotes “. . . ” The punctuation mark at the end of a sentence is called a “full stop” by the British but a “period” by Americans. We say “dot” in web domains: “World Teach dot com.” Standard guidelines for manuscript preparation are described in the Helsinki Declaration and the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals [3]. Communication problems are sometimes the fault of the native speaker who isn’t experienced in communicating with foreign speakers. . English-speaking countries use a comma “. ). “preoperative. Research protocols should be carefully prepared. . “demonstrate” (not demonstrative).000 not 10. data collection. never between the subject and verb. following recognized international guidelines concerning scientific integrity. Any financial support and possible conflicts of interest should also be disclosed. In the case of papers previously published in other languages. In a spoken presentation the speaker’s tone and style should obviously be much more informal than a written paper. the previous publication details should be disclosed even if the paper has been modified.” not one miliard. English was originally a Germanic language. and be organized into three or four sections just as the paper itself: Introduction. It is quite acceptable to ask a questioner to repeat his question or comment more slowly. direct object.” a separate acknowledgements section should list the contributors and describe their contributions. although native speakers may bend the rules occasionally. . we do say “connective” (e. Each section of the abstract should consist of one paragraph made up of several sentences. . The “abstract” is merely a brief summary of your paper or presentation. Reviewers who find evidence of serious scientific misconduct may ask an editor to notify the author’s employers or the local medical authority. Fractions such as 2/3 and 4/5 are written “two-thirds” and “four-fifths” respectively. perioperative and postoperative. the preferred length specified by the journal or congress to which it is submitted. For example.180 Journal of Clinical Monitoring and Computing Vol 19 No 3 2005 Although international or scientific notation is fairly universal. However. general overview of your work and avoid too many details. and may even include a brief joke to entertain the audience. For example: “Recent studies have found no significant difference in the various approaches. addressed to the potential readers. where some other languages use a decimal “. Aims (or Patients) and Methods. If a paper concerns a highly specialized informed consent from all human subjects. The abstract should be a concise. Conclusion. indirect object. Appropriate credit should be given to anyone who contributed to the paper [4].000. The infinitive in English is often used to express purpose: “The study attempted to discover any significant side effects. connective tissue). Expressions of humility are a mark of scientific professionalism. In quantities the decimal is read “point. as these tenses are seldom used by native speakers in an informal conversation.” The number 1. some common errors continue to appear in manuscripts submitted by speakers of other languages. but it was heavily influenced by Latin. it is not inappropriate for the authors to recommend reviewers to the journal editor upon submission.” Although the passive voice is common in scientific writing (“Nitrates are known to have such effects . Although there is a strong temptation for authors in some academic fields to write and publish papers primarily to advance their own careers.” For example. writing. and “infectious” is preferred to infective.” as well as topic. or for a foreign speaker to admit that he doesn’t understand a particular question and can’t answer it. “substantial” (not substantive).000 is called “one billion. and your paper should describe how you avoided that risk. First: subject. ten thousand is written 10. usually 100 to 500 words.05: “zero point zero five. It’s a good idea to anticipate any suspicion of bias in your research. . Results. It should consist of short sentences in the impersonal voice. we write “significant” (not significative). then: verb. If contributions to the conception. are substantial but do not qualify the individual contributors as “authors. ”). strictly followed and permanently recorded for future investigators. In the English-speaking world short.” to express place in whole-number quantities. they are usually spelled differently. though a bold title and the addition of colorful graphics (table. A common problem is that while some languages use the infinitive of a verb as a subject. word order in English is not very flexible.g.000. and after the presentation may even request that questioners speak slowly and clearly.” (not To understand is facilitated .” Time terms such as “the previous year” are placed at the beginning or end of the sentence or clause. While words of Latin origin are extremely common in English. design. chart or photographic image) are essential. One way to achieve clarity is to respect standard English word order.000.” as in 0. in English the gerund is preferred: “Understanding is facilitated by practice. while the body of the paper should consist of several paragraphs or pages for each Section [1]. submitting uneeded or frivolous papers in medicine may be considered a form of scientific misconduct. as is fabrication or falsification of data. Unlike many other languages. and has now taken on some unique characteristics. etc. make sure that the subject can be identified and all claims verified if requested. Foreign speakers shouldn’t worry that their pronunciation isn’t perfect. A poster for a medical congress also follows the form of an abstract. clear sentences are preferred to long-winded eloquence (long sentences with several clauses). Authors should not hesitate to submit papers that challenge or criticize advertising or previous papers in a journal. It isn’t necessary to use complex grammer such as the present perfect or subjunctive. 1993).” Marina DeLuca & John Irving.englishmed. Guidelines for Good Publications Practice. translators and proofreaders can be found is: www.uk. Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals. 5. 2003). J Med Educ 1981.org. “English for Medical Congresses I & II. The World Association of Medical Editors asserts that editors should have the freedom to choose the content of their journals based solely on the validity of the material and it’s importance to readers. www. 4. it’s always wise to have a manuscript checked for linguistic errors by a native speaker before submission to a journal. International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (Nov. Archimedica (Torin.icmje.com Thanks to Frank Adamo for assistance in the composition and final corrections of the English text.publicationethics. 1997).org. A web site where English teachers. 56(2):128–32. Regardless of how fluent in English a foreign author may be. Committee on Publications Ethics (Revised 2001). Learning to write: can books help? Cummins RO. Lidia Di Maggio & Sheila McIntyre. 3. www. A poorly written paper is not enjoyable to read. English4Doctors@Yahoo. “Focus on Medical English.” Enrico Cillari. rather than commercial considerations. RESOURCES 1. McGraw-Hill (Milan. . and may reflect on the author’s diligence.com. 2.Lanza: Some Notes on Medical English 181 since flaws in research are sometimes inevitable and editors have the responsibilty to recognize and correct errors when discovered and to publish constructive criticism [5]. Busy editorial offices cannot be expected to proofread and correct linguistic imperfections.