You can publish an article in www.medicopress.media as long as it meets the organization’s editorial principles and best practices of independent Medical Journalism (MJ).
MedicoPRESS, which is owned by ResearchCOM, a research communication company based in Dar es Salaam, works with journalists and medical researchers to promote high quality and independent MJ. The overall aim is to raise the profile of medical research in Tanzania, East Africa and beyond.
In doing so, MedicoPRESS seeks to empower medical experts/health researchers to communicate complex issues of public health importance in plain English but; with a journalistic flair.
News stories on medical research and topics are written by journalists who are accredited as per standards of journalism practice in Tanzania. At MedicoPRESS, the journalists can write as staff or freelancers. Medical experts publish commentaries as independent voices in the section: Medico Voices.
You want to publish a commentary in MedicoPRESS?
As part of its Editorial Policy, MedicoPRESS, recognizes the analysis of medical information by medical professionals and researchers as an important part of Medical Journalism.
To be able to publish a commentary, analysis or opinion piece, the author must be a researcher or academician working at a university or research institution or a specialist doctor/clinician (with at least a Master’s Degree in his/her field) at a medical facility in Tanzania.
MedicoPRESS can also publish commentaries from PhD candidates who are under the supervision of an academician. No commentaries from students pursuing an Undergraduate or Master’s Degree will be published.
All commentaries or opinions will be published in a special category, Medico Voices, to distinguish them from news and to show that the opinions expressed in them are those of the author, not MedicoPRESS. What MedicoPRESS stands for, will be expressed in EDITORIALS.
What MedicoPRESS publishes
We strongly encourage you to scan through www.medicopress.media and see how commentaries are approached as well as journalistic stories on medical issues and content preferences for medical news in general.
Word Count for Commentaries
The word count for commentaries must be between 650 to 700 words. It’s usually important for the author to stick to the main point of what he/she wants to write about to fit into the word count. The count could go higher, but that has to be determined by the editor.
The commentary must be conversational
Write the way you talk. Assume you are writing to people who don’t understand medical jargon. For instance, instead of writing “hypertension,” write: “high blood pressure” or instead of “the etiology of hepatocellular carcinoma, write the “the cause of liver cancer.” Your article must be readable because the expertise in it will be shared to everyone, including policymakers who may be non-scientists.
Referencing
Statements made or figures cited, should be backed with research and evidence. If you make contentious statements, please back them with research. Endeavor to place web links of your references in brackets for each of the statement made. A link to a PDF document can also be hyperlinked for further reference.
Write an interesting conclusion
It is normal journalism or writing practice that you produce a piece in which the final sentence stresses on the point made in your opening paragraph. In other words, open it with a Loud Bang and Close it with a Loud Bang.
Headline writing
Always suggest a headline, however, the editor may always re-shape it to ensure it is simple and direct. A headline must, at least be 7 words or at most 10. It must be accurate and must aim to summarize the content of the commentary.
Conflict of interest-Commentary writers
State your conflict of interest in the article; if any. If you are writing about research findings for instance, you must state the source of funding—whether it is self-funded (private), government or donor-funded. This applies to all opinion writers.
If you have any questions about this, please communicate with your Editor.
Your author profile
State your detailed profile which will appear at the end of the article you publish. Possibly, you can also share your mug shot (photograph or passport size) which will be published alongside the commentary in Medico Voices.
Respect for embargoes
MedicoPRESS respects embargoes. Ask your Editor when you would like the article to come out. If your article is published, please share it with your contacts for prompt communication.
How we edit commentary articles.
Editing at MedicoPRESS is a collaborative process between the author and the Editors. There are times when you will be requested to read, edit or improve the article and make a final approval. So, please make sure you read through. The commentary cannot be published unless it’s approved by you.
How many people read your article?
On www.medicopress.media, you can track your readership. MedicoPRESS can also help you (in case you need) get details of the characteristics of your readership, in terms of their demographics, through the web administrator’s dashboard. Readership on MedicoPRESS website is independently tracked via Google Analytics. You are also urged to read comments below you article, as there are questions raised by readers, which you may have to reply to. The comments will be handled in accordance with MedicoPRESS’s Privacy Policy which is also published on www.medicopress.media.
Respect and constructive dialogue
At MedicoPRESS, we aim to bring up debates or dialogues that can support the development of medical science in Tanzania, East Africa and beyond. In that regard, we believe that good quality comments written by readers below a published article could improve what the author may have published. But, the comments must be constructive and above all, must meet the following criteria:
- Stick to issues at hand
- Bring up something new
- Must not be an inappropriate link
- Not hate speech
- Must not be an advertisement or promotion for sales.
- Always cite sources when arguing an issue but don’t post an essay or technical reports
Who may use your article? Will it have any impact?
Since it came into being, MedicoPRESS has attracted the attention of policy makers, local journalists and academics as a source of credible health/medical information on health research. Writers who published articles in our commentary section: Medico Voices, have reported being contacted by other media outlets for further interviews, high profile medical journals, academics, the government and others in the healthcare industry.
Health researchers and academics in Tanzania have written powerful opinion articles on the health sector for the websites’ Medico Voices section.
If you have an article to publish, Contact us at contact@researchcom.africa and copy to buguzi@researchcom.africa