The famous Renaissance author, courtier, and father of deductive reasoning, Sir Francis Bacon, once said, "Reading maketh a full man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact man." Sir Bacon could not have been any more correct, especially when speaking of writing. Even in today's society filled with computers and a wide range of other technology, the written word is still held with great importance, primarily in the business world. Most careers require writing of one form or another for a variety of reasons. Clinical Research Management, my intended career, is not an exception. Clinical Research Managers (or CRMs) must have an in-depth knowledge and understanding of Federal and local regulations guiding research, the procedures involved in the development of new drugs and medical equipment, research protocol development, institutional review board requirements, and business and budgetary aspects of clinical research trials. CRMs are on the cutting edge of research designed to improve health and illness outcomes across the continuum of care. They also have the opportunity and the responsibility to educate colleagues and research participants on the multifaceted issues surrounding the conduct of clinical research and development projects. Many of these tasks involve writing through data processing and editing, creating and reviewing clinical documents and reports, and writing out instructions for patients. Therefore, it is important for anyone in this field to have a strong grasp on both the basic and more complex writing skills. .
Data processing and editing is one of the most pertinent tasks in Clinical Research Management. In CRM, information regarding the patient and their reaction to certain medications are written down in the form of data. Then, data editing and processing is performed to establish guidelines to reduce potential bias, ensure consistent estimates, and simplify analysis of the information gathered from the patients.