BOOK REVIEWS
The Complete Guide to Medical
Writing. Edited by Mark C. Stuart.
London, UK: Pharmaceutical Press,
2007. 491 p. $39.95. ISBN: 978-0-
85369-667-4.
This multiauthored work is from
the Pharmaceutical Press (PhP), the
publishing arm of the ‘‘Royal Phar-
maceutical Society of Great Britain
founded in 1841. The Society is the
regulatory and professional body
for pharmacists in England, Scot-
land and Wales. Its primary objec-
tive is to lead, regulate and develop
the pharmacy profession’’ [1]. The
book is indeed complete and
speaks to novice writers or stu-
dents who may be new to the
health professions, as well as
knowledgeable clinicians and re-
searchers who need help compiling
examination questions, writing
press releases, or adding publica-
tions to their resumes.
The editor is clinical editor for
BMJ Clinical Evidence, and the fore-
word is written by Julia Forjanic
Klapproth, vice president of the Eu-
ropean Medical Writers Association.
Most of the more than twenty au-
thors work in Britain, three are from
Malta, one is Australian, and, finally,
there is the Plain English Campaign.
Nearly all are trained in some aspect
of pharmaceutics, though they cover
a wide range of topics. One is a qual-
ified librarian. The authority of the
PhP and the wide range of expertise
and experience among the authors
give the reader confidence.
The Complete Guide does not just
discuss how to write. It describes
every aspect of the medical litera-
ture and publishing world. The
chapters are collected into six sec-
tions that discuss medical writing
essentials, reviews and reports,
medical journalism and mass me-
dia, medical writing in education,
medical writing for medical profes-
sionals, and medical publishing. It
appeals to medical novices who are
called on to write but need a better
understanding of medicine itself, as
well as seasoned clinicians, aca-
demics, and researchers who need
a better, deeper understanding of
the types of writing.
The book is designed to be used
as a textbook. Chapters provide
70
many summaries, bulleted lists of
major points, questions and answers,
and other material such as ‘‘Further
Reading,’’ ‘‘Useful Resources,’’
‘‘Glossary,’’ and ‘‘Useful Websites.’’
‘‘Writing’’ is used loosely to include
live presentations, radio programs,
slide shows, advertising and posters,
and online research.
Much of the advice is very prac-
tical (how to print and bind a the-
sis), and some is amusing (asking
grandma to write down her choc-
olate cake recipe), but the book is
packed with facts and examples.
Some of the ‘‘typical’’ document
examples are British, but this does
not detract from its usefulness.
Besides a thorough back-of-the-
book index, the book has useful ap-
pendixes of ‘‘Common Medical Ab-
breviations,’’ ‘‘Measurements,’’
‘‘Normal Values for Common Lab-
oratory Tests,’’ ‘‘Proof Correctional
Marks,’’ and ‘‘A to Z of Medical
Terms in Plain English.’’ This last
contains many British spellings,
but most readers should not find
this a problem, especially because
British journals and websites are
widely read and used, and the few
Greek diphthongs (oedema, gynae-
cology) are easily grasped.
The British origin of the publica-
tion, however, may be its only draw-
back. This will depend on how much
the reader needs certain parts of the
book. Discussion of ethics, copy-
right, style, appropriateness of audi-
ence, organization of content, various
forums for one’s efforts—all of these
are universal and provide much in-
teresting and useful background.
However, if one is preparing a news
item for release to the press, the
sources on page 423 are of little use
outside the United Kingdom. This
may be minor compared to the oth-
erwise excellent ‘‘Checklist for Writ-
ing Press Releases’’ (p. 186) and the
thorough discussion of ‘‘Principles of
Good Advertising’’ that begin chap-
ter 12 (pp. 176–).
This reviewer expected consider-
able discussion of the professional
literature, writing of theses, academ-
ic material, and similar and indeed
was not disappointed. Highlights
from the book, which rather sur-
prised this reviewer in their novelty,
included ‘‘Differences in Writing for
Magazines and Newspapers’’ and
‘‘Important Points to Consider when
Writing for the Lay Press’’ (pp. 156–)
and ‘‘The Top 10 Web Design Mis-
takes of 2005’’ and ‘‘Writing Style
for Websites’’ (pp. 416–).
Anyone involved in the health
professions, whether readers or writ-
ers, will appreciate and enjoy this
book. While not as much fun as Eats,
Shoots and Leaves [2], it is easier to
navigate than the excellent reference,
The Chicago Manual of Style [3], and
is a joy to read by any lover of lan-
guage and its many applications.
Elizabeth H. Wood, MA, MSLS,
AHIP, woode@easystreet.com,
Portland, OR
References
1. Pharmaceutical Press [web docu-
ment]. The Press. [3 Jul 2007].
⬍http://www.pharmpress.com⬎.
2. Truss L. Eats, shoots and leaves.
Penguin Group, 2006.
3. University of Chicago Press Staff, ed.
The Chicago manual of style. 15th ed.
Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago
Press, 2003.
DOI: 10.3163/1536-5050.96.1.70a
Pickard, Alison Jane. Research
Methods in Information. London,
UK: Facet Publishing, 2007. 336 p.
$99.95. ISBN: 978-1-85604-545-2.
Distributed in the United States by
Neal-Schuman Publishers, New
York ⬍www.neal-schuman.com⬎.
The instant contribution of this intro-
ductory handbook about informa-
tion and communication sciences re-
search is its ecumenical attitude
about qualitative and quantitative
methods. Some descriptions of quan-
titative methods that suggest non-
empirical approaches are ascientific.
Alternatively, Pickard, University of
Northumbria (UK), discusses re-
search from both qualitative and
quantitative angles and attempts to
foster diverse approaches.
Considering introductory gradu-
ate (or honors undergraduate) texts
often are a student’s first exposure to
research, Pickard’s even-handed ap-
proach provides a safe haven for ex-
ploration and thinking. Regardless
J Med Libr Assoc 96(1) January 2008

of a student’s orientation, the text
tours diverse approaches and pro-
motes thinking about research. The
handbook also emboldens faculty
who wish to provide creative op-
tions for students, in lieu of steering
them toward a predetermined path.
The text is organized into four ar-
eas: ways to organize research, an in-
troduction to research methods, data
collection techniques, and data anal-
ysis and research presentation. The
chapter topics in each range from
ways to conduct a literature review
and write research proposals in the
first area to an introduction to ex-
perimental research and to ground-
ed theory in the second. The third
area, data collection techniques, ad-
dresses interviews and question-
naires, while the fourth area, data
analysis and research presentation,
discusses qualitative analysis and
quantitative methods.
This topic variety is at least as ex-
pansive as most similar research
methods texts. Hence, the book’s
range meets expectations for an in-
troductory research class for stu-
dents in the information-commu-
nication disciplines. Pickard’s ini-
tial description of both quantitative
and qualitative paradigms (and
their juxtaposition) borrows heavi-
ly from Lincoln and Guba’s fre-
quently cited book that was aimed
at students in the communication
sciences [1].
Further regarding the provision
of context, it is easier to inspire stu-
dents about research if they have an
interest in a field’s past, present,
and future. In many graduate pro-
grams, this introduction often is
provided in a separate course that
uses a different text. Nevertheless,
it helps anchor the relevance of a
research methods text by starting
with a short review of a field’s un-
answered questions, opportunities,
methodological diversity, and re-
search traditions as well as an ex-
planation of how research methods
are integral to a field’s evolution.
Similarly, all the book’s research
methods chapters feature exam-
ples, such as scales or research ab-
stracts that illustrate the type of ap-
proach under discussion. But the
book’s research methods chapters
focus on a broad introduction rath-
J Med Libr Assoc 96(1) January 2008
er than applied uses of the method
in question. The applications of re-
search methods and tools are pro-
vided in chapter inserts or sidebars.
Overall, Pickard’s commendably
equitable approach is one of the
book’s major strengths. Other assets
include a good variety of topics,
careful annotation, clear questions
for readers to consider at each chap-
ter’s end, a glossary, and consistently
crisp writing. However, even a hand-
book with a reserve of commendable
elements has blemishes, and a few
areas of this text could use some fur-
ther polishing. While a few additions
are suggested, they are not intended
to detract from the book’s funda-
mental fairness and the author’s gen-
uine attempt to provide diverse re-
search options.
It might help students distinguish
among research approaches if survey
and experimental research were clus-
tered as normative examples of
quantitative methods, while case
studies, ethnography, delphi studies,
action research, history, and ground-
ed theory were more clearly identi-
fied as normative (and in some cases,
iconic) examples of qualitative meth-
ods. Along the same lines, the book
could use more discussion and ex-
amples of research with mixed
methods. For example, it would be
instructive to introduce research
where investigators combine quanti-
tative and qualitative methods in the
same study. Finally, in providing ex-
amples of quantitative software,
Pickard only mentions SPSS and
MINITAB. This is a short list, which
seems ripe for rebuttal by the pub-
lishers of SAS and other comprehen-
sive statistical programs. Similarly,
the only qualitative software men-
tioned is NUD.IST. Although a chap-
ter devoted to research software is
valuable, why not provide a more
comprehensive list and briefly ex-
plain in what research areas they are
frequently used?
These quibbles aside, Pickard pro-
vides a diverse and methodological-
ly balanced entry point for students.
This is a laudable asset—especially
for research novices and their men-
tors. The text is recommended for
use in introductory research meth-
ods classes in the information and
communication sciences.
Book reviews
Robert A. Logan, PhD,
loganr@missouri.edu, Professor
Emeritus, School of Journalism,
University of Missouri–Columbia
Reference
1. Lincoln YS, Guba EG. Naturalistic
inquiry. London, UK: Sage, 1985.
DOI: 10.3163/1536-5050.96.1.70b
Kovacs, Diane K. The Virtual Ref-
erence Handbook: Interview and
Information Delivery Techniques
for the Chat and E-mail Environ-
ments. New York, NY: Neal-Schu-
man Publishers, 2007. 132 p. $65.00.
ISBN: 978-1-55570-598-5.
Virtual reference is hardly a new
topic. Well over two dozen current
handbooks, readers, and manuals
concerning it are currently on the
market. They range from starting a
virtual reference service [1], through
updating skills and reviewing case
histories [2], to expanding and en-
hancing the service [3].
Kovacs’s The Virtual Reference
Handbook may be unique among
them. Its aim is to answer the
pointed question of what it takes to
become a competent virtual refer-
ence librarian. To accomplish this,
the author identifies and discusses
forty-two specific competencies
that should be mastered to reach
that state and provides practical
learning activities to assist.
The author is a specialist in In-
ternet and web-based training for
librarians, has taught related con-
tinuing education courses for the
Medical Library Association and
other professional organizations,
and has published numerous books
and articles on Internet resources
and staff training. She structured
this book for use by either individ-
uals or groups.
The Handbook’s first chapter ex-
plores the technical, communica-
tions, reference skills, and knowl-
edge needed by virtual reference li-
brarians. It reviews reference inter-
viewing and search strategy
development and provides a num-
ber of learning questions for each.
The remaining chapters present
71
Book reviews
competencies, which include com-
petencies for acquiring and im-
proving technical skills and knowl-
edge for virtual reference, practic-
ing and expanding communication
skills and knowledge for the vir-
tual reference interview, and main-
taining and building reference re-
source skills and knowledge.
The competencies are phrased as
educational objectives and are dis-
cussed in depth. A typical example
is ‘‘CI.9. Demonstrate awareness of
when and how to teach or instruct
during a virtual reference transac-
tion’’ (p. 88). The book discusses dis-
covering whether a user just wants
an answer or wants help finding it.
For the latter situation, helpful strat-
egies are suggested, such as typing
dialogue as if speaking directly to
the person, performing separate but
simultaneous searches while remain-
ing connected, and employing co-
browsing technology.
Learning activities are also pro-
vided for select competencies, for
example, ‘‘Learning Activities 2–3:
Minimal Multitasking Practice’’
provides online practice activities
appropriate for either Windows XP
or Mac OSX machines (p. 42). Ad-
ditionally, a list of common email
abbreviations, emoticons, and
emoting (body language indica-
tors) is included in the book. Ref-
erences and recommended read-
ings are provided at the end of each
chapter.
A special feature of the handbook
is the transcript of email interviews
with eight experienced librarians.
The author builds scenarios, such as
what to do when encountering a
‘‘bad’’ chat reference customer or
how to decide whether a librarian is
going to be good at chat. She then
asks the librarians to comment on
their own experiences and solutions.
Being in a live conversation, the li-
brarians are able to build on each
other’s comments. This results in
deepened insight and valuable ad-
vice on those topics.
The book’s format is a little
‘‘choppy.’’ Some competencies are
followed by ‘‘Learning Activities,’’
some by ‘‘Interviews,’’ some nei-
ther. A number of font types and
sizes are used, sometimes in the
same section. Quotes from other
72
authors are interspersed at differ-
ent spots throughout chapters to
enrich the content. These variations
may detract from browsing ease
but do not affect the book’s integ-
rity of focus.
The index is effective for identi-
fying numerous acronyms and
product names and has several un-
usual entries that strengthen it,
such as ‘‘Ways to Make Virtual Ref-
erence Users Disconnect and Never
Visit Your Virtual Reference Service
Again’’ and ‘‘Empathy in the Vir-
tual Reference Interview.’’
The Virtual Reference Handbook is
a practical manual for identifying
and learning the skills and knowl-
edge sets key to building librarian
competence in providing virtual
reference. It should prove a con-
structive tool for librarians and
paraprofessionals in health sciences
and other types of libraries and for
faculty who teach library science
reference courses.
David W. Boilard, AMLS, MPH,
AHIP, dboilard@earthlink.net,
Raymon H. Mulford Library,
University of Toledo–Health Science
Campus, Toledo, OH
References
1. Coffman S. Going live: starting and
running a virtual reference service.
Chicago, IL: American Library Associ-
ation, 2003.
2. Lankes RD, White, Domas M, Ables
EG, Haque SN. The virtual reference
desk: creating a reference future. (The
Virtual Reference Desk Series.) New
York, NY: Neal-Schuman Publishers,
2006.
3. Katz B, ed. Digital reference servic-
es. Binghamton, NY: The Haworth
Press. 2002/2003. (Published simulta-
neously as The Reference Librarian,
nos. 79/80, 2002/2003.)
DOI: 10.3163/1536-5050.96.1.71
Schiavo, Renata. Health Commu-
nication: from Theory to Practice.
New York, NY: Jossey-Bass, 2007.
464 p. Paperback ed. $60.00. ISBN:
978-0-7879-8205-8.
With a myriad of relatively recent
books on health communication
and related topics available, there
would need to be a pressing need
to publish yet another one. In her
introduction, Schiavo states that
such a need became evident during
her search for a textbook to use in
the course that she was teaching. In
short, she wanted a book that
‘‘combined a theoretical and prac-
tice-based overview of current is-
sues and topics . . . with a step-by-
step practical section that would
help readers acquire technical
skills.’’ At well over 400 pages, in-
cluding a glossary, a lengthy list of
references, subject and name index-
es, abundant tables and figures,
and two appendixes, this book
seems a likely candidate to fill any
void in previous offerings. Al-
though this book appears to be the
author’s first major foray into print
publishing, she has written several
unpublished reports and has been
an active contributor to The Health
Communications Initiative [1],
where she first presented some of
the concepts later included in the
book. She continues to teach nu-
merous workshops in the field and
is actively involved in the Ameri-
can College of Public Health.
The book itself is divided into
three parts. Part one, ‘‘Introduction
to Health Communication,’’ defines
the concepts and clearly establishes
the importance of various sociocul-
tural/socioeconomic influences on
health beliefs and models. A major
strength of the book is the liberal
use of practical examples to illus-
trate and reinforce the theoretical
issues being presented, as these
may be minimal in less exhaustive
texts, such as Berry’s Health Com-
munication: Theory and Practice [2].
Health sciences librarians involved
in outreach activities or those who
work with patients or the public
will find chapter 3, ‘‘Cultural, Gen-
der, Ethnic, Religious, and Geo-
graphical Influences on Concep-
tions of Health and Illness,’’ of par-
ticular interest.
Part two, ‘‘Health Communica-
tion Approaches and Action Are-
as,’’ provides a more in-depth look
at the various types of communi-
cation presented in part one, in-
cluding interpersonal communica-
tion, public relations/public advo-
cacy, community mobilization, pro-
J Med Libr Assoc 96(1) January 2008

fessional medical communications,
and constituency relations, where
the constituents range from pa-
tients to health care providers,
drug companies, policymakers,
and other key stakeholders. Again,
the numerous case studies, lists (do
versus don’t, definitions of com-
munication formats, etc.), and even
testimonials from other experts are
particularly helpful in the selection
and integration of the most appro-
priate tools for engaging constitu-
ents and for implementing action
programs.
Part three, ‘‘Planning, Imple-
menting, and Evaluating a Health
Communication Program,’’ out-
lines practical methods for convert-
ing communication initiatives into
actions. While most readers would
not need a rationale for the need to
plan, the differentiation between
traditional (vertical or centralized)
and participatory (horizontal or de-
centralized) planning may be of in-
terest because of the cultural impli-
cations. As in the previous two
parts, this section of the book offers
practical examples and applica-
tions, complete with a review of
preferred channels and barriers
and strengths and weaknesses of
actual projects. A review of quali-
tative versus quantitative research
methods is somewhat cursory but
may be helpful to those not famil-
iar with the concepts. Unfortunate-
ly, libraries are mentioned only in
passing as ‘‘good places to start a
search’’ as they ‘‘provide access to
databases and online journals’’ (p.
269). The author then advises, how-
ever, that ‘‘most health organiza-
tions now have the internal capa-
bility to conduct these searches
from their offices.’’ MEDLINE re-
ceives but a token nod here, along
with Lexis-Nexis and ‘‘several com-
mercial databases to which users
can subscribe or access using a
public library system’’ in an equal-
ly abbreviated section on database
and Internet searching. The author
instead focuses on the Internet and
the evaluation of websites, includ-
ing Table 10.2, reprinted from a
1999 BMJ article (p. 271). Literature
reviews of peer-reviewed and trade
publications, newsletters, and so on
J Med Libr Assoc 96(1) January 2008
are once again suggested as a
means of monitoring results in Ta-
ble 13.1, along with ‘‘internet
searches’’ (p. 344), but there is nei-
ther any mention of electronic alert-
ing services by journal or topic nor
any direction given in the text on
how or in what resources such
searches should be performed.
The book is clearly designed to
be a used as a teaching tool, and,
in this regard, it is successful. Each
chapter ends with a ‘‘Key Con-
cepts’’ review that reiterates the
main points. Suggested activities in
the ‘‘For Discussion and Practice’’
sections could be used in a class-
room or workshop setting to help
learners apply the principles to
real-life situations.
Most disappointing, but proba-
bly not surprising to most health
sciences librarians, is the conspic-
uous absence of the roles that they
or libraries, including the National
Library of Medicine (NLM), play in
any of the types of presented com-
munication; the planning, design,
and implementation of action
plans; or the subsequent evaluation
process. In chapter 7, ‘‘Professional
Medical Communications,’’ for ex-
ample, neither librarians nor infor-
mationists appear in the pathways
described, although the author em-
phasizes that professional commu-
nication is an important component
of health communications pro-
grams and that it requires special-
ized skills and tools that may not
always be used with other audienc-
es (p. 178). Moreover, clinical li-
brarian and reference services are
not mentioned in the discussion of
effective ways through which
health care provider behavior can
be influenced, particularly in en-
couraging evidence-based practice
(pp. 182–5). This oversight may
touch a nerve with librarians who
routinely teach, use, and promote
evidence-based health care.
Academic health sciences librari-
ans may find this book quite use-
ful, as the author has provided a
thorough overview of factors that
must be considered to achieve suc-
cess in implementing instructional,
patient/consumer health, or out-
reach programs. A sampling of
Book reviews
similar current texts reveals a sim-
ilar disregard for the profession, so
librarians clearly need to apply the
principles outlined here in market-
ing themselves and their abilities.
Readers seeking more in-depth
coverage of professional and pa-
tient or consumer communication
or health literacy may want to con-
sider Consumer Health Informatics:
Informing Consumers and Improving
Health Care [3]—which includes
chapters on NLM outreach efforts,
patient-to-patient or patient-to-
computer communication, and de-
sign of consumer health websites—
or the American Medical Associa-
tion’s Understanding Health Literacy:
Implications for Medicine and Public
Health [4]. Health Communication in
the 21st Century [5] explores the im-
pact that new technologies have
had on health communication.
Chapters on interdisciplinary and
synergistic health care teams and
on interpersonal communication is-
sues related to hospice or palliative
care, caregivers, and support pro-
viders may make it of more prac-
tical value in these settings.
Stephanie Nicely Aken, AHIP,
saken@email.uky.edu, University of
Kentucky Libraries, Lexington, KY
References
1. Health communication vs. related dis-
ciplines. The Drum Beat [serial online].
324. The Communication Initiative, 2005.
[7 Nov 2005; cited 30 Jul 2007]. ⬍http://
www.comminit.com/drum㛮beat㛮324
.html⬎. (Discussion at ⬍http://forums
.comminit.com/viewtopic.php?p⫽
152769⬎.)
2. Berry D. Health communication: the-
ory and practice. New York, NY: Open
University Press, 2007.
3. Lewis D, Eysenbach G, Kukafka R,
Stavri PZ, Jimison H, eds. Consumer
health informatics: informing consum-
ers and improving health care. New
York, NY: Springer, 2005.
4. Schwartzberg JG, VanGeest JB,
Wang CC. Understanding health liter-
acy: implications for medicine and pub-
lic health. Chicago, IL: American Med-
ical Association, 2005.
5. Wright K, Sparks L, O’Hair D.
Health communication in the 21st cen-
tury. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2007.
DOI: 10.3163/1536-5050.96.1.72
73