Research Tips for Medical Writers: Finding, Referencing, and Presenting Info
In health and medical writing, thorough research is critical. It’s a massive part of what health writers do. In fact, I typically spend more time researching than I spend actually writing.
Whether you’re writing a patient education piece or a technical medical paper, high-quality research ensures that your writing is accurate, credible, and valuable to your audience. But how do you navigate the sea of information available and ensure that you're choosing the best sources?
Here are some essential research tips for medical writers to help you gather, reference, and present the most reliable and easy-to-understand information.
1. Start with Credible Sources
Knowing where to look for research is half the battle. Credibility is non-negotiable when it comes to health, so you’ll want to stick to trusted, peer-reviewed sources.
Below are some of the sources I turn to when researching medical topics:
PubMed: PubMed is one of many massive only databases of scientific papers and my firm favourite. It’s particularly useful for finding the latest biomedical research. You can search for topics, read abstracts, and click on third-party sites to read the whole piece.
National Health Organisations: Websites like the National Health Service (for UK projects) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (for US projects) are reliable sources of guidelines and public health information.
Statistic Websites: Several trusted sites offer health statistics, reports, and insights on various topics. The WHO is great for global figures, the Office for National Statistics has UK-specific data, and Eurostat provides statistics from across the US.
Using these sources ensures that you’re pulling from vetted research, giving your writing a solid foundation of trustworthiness.
2. Choose Up-to-Date Research
When using the sources above to hunt down information, always check the publication date.
The health and medical fields evolve quickly, so you must ensure your research is current. Outdated research can mislead your readers and weaken your piece.
As a general rule, I recommend using sources no older than five years. However, if writing about cutting-edge treatments or emerging diseases, look for sources published as recently as possible.
The exception is if you’re citing foundational studies, in which case publication dates don’t matter.
3. Find Country-Specific Data
As any successful health writer knows, you must tailor content to your audience.
This includes using writing in an appropriate readability level and avoiding jargon (unless writing for healthcare professionals), but it also extends to research. The statistics and facts you use must be relevant to that region.
For example, quoting statistics from the United States won't be as impactful if you're writing a blog about men's health in the UK. Instead, seek country-specific databases, like the Office for National Statistics (ONS) for UK data or the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) for US data.
This will help you keep your content focused and relevant to your audience.
4. Use Referencing Tools for Accuracy
Accurately citing your sources is just as important as finding good ones. And here’s a tip that can make this easier: use a referencing tool.
I like using this free citation generator as it’s super straightforward. Copy the URL of your source, paste it into the tool, and hit search. The generator instantly creates citations in the Vancouver citation style, which is broadly used in health and medicine.
The benefit? These tools not only help you manage your sources but also save you time, ensure accuracy, and make it easy to compile lists for future reference.
5. Keep a Research List
Whether it’s a spreadsheet, a digital tool, or old-fashioned pen and paper, keeping a categorised list of the research you’ve used in the past can be a lifesaver.
Over time, you’ll build a treasure trove of go-to sources and stats. It’s well worth categorising the sources, too. For example, you might create a specific folder for cardiovascular research, another for diabetes, and a third for men's health.
This easy organisational step can pay off massively, speeding up your research for future projects. If you charge per project, this also translates to more money per hour (you’re welcome).
6. Spend Time Wisely
Research is important, but it can also eat up a lot of time if you’re not careful. So, how long should you spend researching before writing?
Unfortunately, there is no straight answer. It depends on several factors: the depth of your project, the type of content, and your prior knowledge of the topic. As a rough baseline, I recommend:
1 to 2 hours of research for a blog or general article.
3 to 5 hours for more technical or heavily referenced pieces.
Chances are, you’ll know when it’s time to stop researching as you’ll feel confident putting pen to paper.
However, be mindful of spending too much time searching for the “perfect” source. Set a timer if needed to keep yourself on track and ensure you have enough time for writing and editing.
7. Present Research in Simple Terms
Great research is necessary for great health writing—but this is only part of the puzzle. You must also present your findings in a way that your readers understand.
This is more crucial than ever when writing for the general public. Did you know that 6 in 10 adults in the UK struggle to understand health content that includes numbers and statistics? However, a subtle shift in how we present figures can help with understanding:
Use “half” or “one-third” instead of 50% or 33%.
Use comparisons like “1 in 5” instead of 20%.
Avoid using numbers with many decimal points.
When explaining studies and information, you can also make content easier to follow. Use bullet points, infographics, simple comparisons, and storytelling—my favourite tool—to break down complex research into digestible pieces.
After all, the clearer health communications are, the more impactful and actionable they become.
8. Double-Check Your Sources
Before hitting publish, it’s always worth double-checking that your sources are legitimate and unbiased.
Ask yourself questions like:
Is this source peer-reviewed?
Does it come from a reputable organisation?
Does it align with the most up-to-date information available?
It’s also worth checking that the information you’ve referenced can actually be found in the source. This sounds obvious, but citations and footnotes can easily get muddled. You should also be cautious of quoting secondary sources—it’s always best to cite the original work if possible.
By confirming these, you’ll ensure your health writing is clear, accessible, and accurate.
Master Research, Master Your Writing
Research is the backbone of health and medical writing. The more thorough and organised you gather your information, the clearer and more effective your writing will be.
Need help turning jargon-heavy research into clear, actionable health content?
I specialise in crafting well-researched, engaging health and medical writing for the general public and patients—content that’s easy to understand and hard to forget.
Contact me today to learn more about my health and medical writing services, and let’s create something that makes an impact.
