J. Kelly Byram, MS, MBA, ELS

The Chronic Problem of Predatory Journals

Predatory publishing is a threat to researchers publishing the results of their work and to the peer-reviewed medical literature itself.

I’ve blogged about the topic of predatory journals before, and not much has changed. But as a grant writer/editor/applicant, the more you know the better you can navigate the issue when presenting your biosketch and selecting appropriate citations. At the end of July, AMWA-EMWA-ISMPP* released a joint position statement on predatory publishing and its “threat both to researchers publishing the results of their work and to the peer-reviewed medical literature itself.” You can read the full statement in Current Medical Research and Opinion here.
*AMWA – American Medical Writers Association
EMWA – European Medical Writers Association
ISMPP – International Society for Medical Publication Professionals

Demand Secure Data Handling for Your Research Projects

Using a spreadsheet application you would use for tracking your institution’s office supplies to collect and store human subjects research data is just not competitive (or ethical).

Using a spreadsheet application you would use for tracking your institution’s office supplies is just not competitive (or ethical).

As admitted technophiles, we really enjoy working at the data-driven intersection of health and technology, and we are happy to see the new and continued opportunities in that area coming out of NIH, PCORI, and other funders. But we also remain dismayed by proposals from institutions with access to RedCAP that propose storing sensitive patient data in a spreadsheet program on a server (no indication of the security level of the server). I would encourage all research faculty and staff to enquire about the details of data collection, management, security, and storage when signing on to be part of a research project involving any research data, but especially patient data, and to work with research partners to develop a plan for the data that leverages the secure resources at hand.

Freelancer’s Guide to Cybersecurity

Learn best practices for securing your freelance business’s data without breaking the bank.

Concerned about the cybersecurity of your freelance business? Join me in San Diego at AMWA2019 to learn about best practices to protect your (and your clients’) data. But hurry–this session requires registration, and it sold out quickly last year. (For details about this session and to register, visit the conference web site.)

AMWA Conference 2019
Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina
November 8, 2019, 7:15 – 8:45 am
San Diego, CA

For freelancers and small business owners, data protection can be something they don’t think about until tragedy strikes: a new hard drive fails, viruses and malware attack, or data is taken for ransom. This can be heartbreaking when personal data is lost or destroyed—e.g., emails and photos—but the loss, destruction, or theft of data can be devastating for a business managing ongoing projects and clients’ confidential data. In this roundtable session, we will cover the basics of data protection by defining the universe of potential problems, then discuss best practices for securing data without breaking the bank.

Presented by Kelly Byram, MS, MBA, ELS of Duke City Consulting.