Researching the profession itself

This branch covers research about medical writing and editing, divided by the research question or method: professional evidence needs, productivity and value, regulatory stakeholders’ perceptions, editorial evidence, study design and surveys. It leaves professional identity and demographics, competency inventories, pay findings and evidence about writing support to their respective concerns.

• Why the profession has to research itself — research needs, evidence for practice, identity, credibility and incentives
• Measuring what a writer produces and what the work is worth — work volume, time, quality, costs, benefits, attribution and operational records
• What regulators and regulatory writers say the writing is worth — reviewer and writer surveys, document quality, contribution and awareness
• Putting editorial advice on an evidence base — connecting text and design recommendations with reader research
• Designing a study of the profession — questions, observations, measurement, sampling, designs and resources
• Running a survey of the profession — objectives, questionnaires, recruitment, confidentiality, analysis, limits and use of results