Blog
Insights, thoughts, events and interesting publications about plain language summaries and communicating research to patients and non-specialist audiences
Plain language summaries at ISMPP EU 2023: Out of sight, out of mind?
In this blog post, Jacqui Oliver (Envision Pharma Group) and Adeline Rosenberg (Oxford Pharma Genesis) talk about two of their posters that were presented at the 2023 European Meeting of the International Society of Medical Publication Professionals (ISMPP): Plain language summaries: journal intent is just the first step… Social media metrics of plain language summaries on Figshare Why was the research needed? Plain language summaries (PLS) are valuable to a broad range of readers, including patients and healthcare professionals, seeking understandable and accessible information [1–5]. The value of PLS is…
Opinion: Why plain language summaries should be the norm rather than a novelty
Read why Alpharmaxim are advocating for plain language summaries.
Plain language summaries of publications in Future Oncology to mark Cancer Immunotherapy Month
Details of the plain language summaries of publications from studies in immunotherapy published Future Oncology.
Peek Behind the Research: Do healthcare professionals really value plain language summaries?
In this ‘Peek Behind the Research’ interview from the 2022 European Meeting of ISMPP, Dawn Lobban and Jacqui Oliver from Envision Pharma Group talk about their work looking what healthcare professionals think about plain language summaries.
Peek Behind the Research: Seek and you will [potentially] find: the impact of plain language summary accessibility on engagement and wider dissemination
Our latest ‘Peek Behind the Research’ interview from the 2022 European Meeting of the ISMPP sees insights from Simon Foulcer, David Sheppard and Nichola Gokool of Parexel International.
Peek Behind the Research: Prevalence and characteristics of plain language summaries indexed in PubMed
In our third ‘Peek Behind the Research’ interview, we speak with Will Gatrell about his poster presented at the 2022 European Meeting of ISMPP.
Peek Behind the Research: Analysis of reach for different formats of plain language summaries
Our next ‘Peek Behind the Research’ interview from the 2022 European Meeting of ISMPP takes a look at the research into the impact and reach of different formats of plain language summaries.
Peek Behind the Research: Do plain language summaries encourage readers to access your publication? A pilot study
In our first ‘Peek Behind the Research’ interview, learn more from Caroline Halford and Steve Winter about their poster from the 2022 European Meeting of the International Society for Medical Publication Professionals (ISMPP).
Harnessing the power of plain language summaries in cell and gene therapy research
A new article published on RegMedNet has outlined importance of plain language summaries to improve the trust and understanding in communicating cell and gene therapy research.
Could plain language summaries of publications be the much needed tool to help the public understand scientific data?
In their latest article, Lisa Chamberlain James and Rachel Beeby of Trilogy Writing and Consulting explain how the need for plain communication of COVID-19 information should be applied across the whole spectrum of science and could be achieved through plain language summaries of publications.
Do plain language summaries have a place alongside health technology assessments?
A new article published on The Evidence Base asks why regulatory and other agencies need to use plain language summaries alongside health technology assessments.
Peek Behind the Guidelines: Why the Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy is now requiring authors to add plain language summaries
Learn why the Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy (JMCP) is now requiring authors to publish plain language summaries.
Promoting the use of patient-sensitive language when talking about lung cancer
How using patient-sensitive language when discussing lung cancer can improve patient-physician relationships.
Why early-career researchers should explain their work using plain language summaries
A new article featured on Bioanalysis Zone outlines why researchers, especially those in the early stages of their career, should consider using plain language summaries to explain their work.
Ipsen pledge to publish plain language summaries for all their journal publications
Ipsen have pledged to publish plain language summaries alongside all journal publications they support.
Could plain language summaries increase the public’s trust and understanding of vaccine research?
New research suggests plain language summaries could increase health literacy and build trust, knowledge and confidence in vaccine research.
Plain language summaries in psychology: Project PLan Psy by the Leibniz Institute for Psychology
Learn more about the project PLan Psy being carried out by the Leibniz Institute for Psychology to understand and develop evidence-based guidelines for writing plain language summaries of meta-analyses in psychology.
Do patients have a preference for formats of plain language summaries?
What format of plain language summaries do patient want to read? This new research article published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research investigates this issue.
12 design principles to ensure patient information is easy to use and understand
Article by patient engagement consultant Marie Ennis O’Connor providing a handy checklist for the design of patient information materials.
Understanding research literature: a plain language guide to reading a scientific paper
Plain language summaries provide an overview of a scientific article written in non-technical plain language. But how do you read and understand the original article on which the summary is based?
ISMPP-sponsored article on plain language summaries now published
Read more about the ISMPP-sponsored study on plain language summaries.
Future Science Group’s plain language summaries in lung cancer
Details of the plain language summaries in lung cancer published in the Future Science Group journals.
Oncology Central features top 5 plain language summaries published in Future Oncology
Discover the top 5 plain language summaries published in Future Oncology.
Open Access Week 2021: Webinar on the Open Pharma recommendations for plain language summaries
Hosted by the MedComms Networking, this webinar explains the Open Pharma recommendations for plain language summaries of peer-reviewed medical journal publications.
October is Health Literacy Month
Learn how the Future Science Group are supporting Health Literacy Month.
Increasing accessibilty of plain language summaries through translations
Publishing translations of plain language summaries helps all readers access and understand the content.
Open Pharma recommendations for plain language summaries of peer-reviewed medical journal publications
Open Pharma have announced their recommendations for plain language summaries of peer-reviewed medical journal publications have been published in the peer-reviewed journal Current Medical Research and Opinion.
Why researchers and scientists must use plain language when discussing their work
Article from Scientific American calling for scientists to use simple, jargon free terms when discussing their work.
Understanding the different types of plain language summary
Discover Open Pharma’s new crib sheet explaining the different types of plain language documents.
Developing publication plain language summaries: Insights from Pfizer
Learn how Pfizer implemented a company-wide program for developing plain language summaries to support their publications.
Developing plain language summaries of research studies: Lessons from PCORI
A new article discusses the lessons from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute’s (PCORI) programme developing plain language summaries of the research they have funded.
PREPRINT: Open Pharma recommendations for plain language summaries of peer-reviewed medical journal publications
Open Pharma have announced their recommendations for plain language summaries of peer-reviewed medical journal publications is now available as a preprint.
Future Science Group shortlisted for ALPSP Awards for Innovation in Publishing 2021
We are pleased to announce that our initiative for publishing standalone Plain Language Summary of Publication (PLSP) articles has been shortlisted for the ALPSP Awards for Innovation in Publishing 2021.
Should plain language summaries be a requirement for all journal submissions? The Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth thinks so.
The editors of Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth announce that plain language summaries will be required for all manuscripts.
‘How-To’ Guide for the development and dissemination of plain language summaries of peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations
Much awaited ‘How-To’ Guide for the development and dissemination of plain language summaries of peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.
Tips to ensure plain language summaries are discovered and read
In their latest post “Don’t Just Produce Plain Language Summaries: Seven Tips to Get Them Read”, Deborah Wyatt and Marisha Fonseca of Impact Science at Cactus Communications share their thoughts on how to make PLS discoverable and drive readership.
17th Annual Meeting of ISMPP Highlights: Current state and challenges for plain-language summary development in Japan
Overview of the poster ‘Current state and challenges for plain-language summary development in Japan’ presented at the 17th Annual Meeting of ISMPP.
17th Annual Meeting of ISMPP Highlights: Are plain language summaries of health economic publications needed for patients and non-expert audiences?
Summary of the poster ‘Are plain language summaries of health economic publications needed for patients and non-expert audiences?’ presented at the 17th Annual Meeting of ISMPP.
CISCRP Webinar: Plain Language Summaries of Publications (PLSP)
Hosted by the CISCRP, this webinar provides a greater understanding on how Plain Language Summaries of Publication (PLSP) can help meet the demand and expectations for the disclosure of clinical trial results.
Five tips to optimize plain language summaries for a global audience
In this post, Deborah Wyatt and co-author Marisha Fonseca from Impact Science at Cactus Communications, share five simple ‘hacks’ to make plain language summaries (PLS) of research papers easier to translate.
European Medicines Agency’s Medical Terms Simplifier
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recently published a new resource providing descriptions of medical terms commonly used in information about medicines written in plain language.
Open Pharma and PFMD public consultations on plain language summaries of publications
Two new initiatives on plain language summaries of publications are now inviting public consultation.
2021 ISMPP European Meeting Highlights: How readable are plain language summaries?
Summary of the poster ‘How readable are plain language summaries?’ presented at the 2021 ISMPP European Meeting.
The key to a good plain language summary: write it before you even start to develop the research project
Start as you mean to go on: why Roger Wilson advocates that all research projects should start with writing a plain language summary.
Why the Future Science Group publishes Plain Language Summary of Publication articles
Keen to recognize and promote the vital role of patients in medical and scientific research, the Future Science Group is publishing Plain Language Summary of Publication articles. Find out more about this new initiative.
Register now! February 3, 2021: ISMPP U Webinar on plain language summaries
Learn about plain language summaries in the upcoming ISMPP U webinar taking place on February 3rd 2021.
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: The role of plain language summaries
The recent call to action in the MAP newsletter from the International Society for Medical Publication Professionals (ISMPP) has set out a roadmap for how medical publication and communication professionals can ensure equity, diversity, and inclusion in communicating scientific research.
Hear from us at the 2021 European Meeting of ISMPP
Our very own Laura Dormer will be speaking at the 2021 European Meeting of ISMPP parallel session on ‘Patient Engagement in Publications: The ‘What’, ‘Who’, ‘Why’, ‘When’ and ‘How’. Taking place on Tuesday 26th January 2021, the session will look at key areas of the publication ecosystem where patients can and should be involved.