What we do
Biotext has produced numerous documents in the areas of health, agriculture and the environment. We can write for a range of audiences, including expert committees, government agencies, the scientific community and the general public.
Our consultants can research and write information independently, or work with individual scientists, expert committees or working groups to produce publications. Wherever possible, we prefer to be involved in a project from the early stages; for example, attending the first meeting of a working group. Being involved from conception of a project to the final printing stage means that Biotext can help develop a publication that achieves your aims (and sometimes more besides).
Biotext has worked closely with many expert committees and working parties to develop public discussion papers, reports, codes and evidence-based guidelines. We have managed the writing and production through public consultation and committee approval stages. Through this process, we have gained extensive experience in summarising and analysing public submissions, and in working with expert committees to revise documents in light of the information received.
Examples of work
Some highlights of our work are listed below, in the areas of health and agriculture and environmental sciences.
Health
Legislation Review of Australia’s Prohibition of Human Cloning Act 2002 and Research Involving Human Embryos Act 2002:
- Issues Paper, Outline of Existing Legislation and Issues for Public Consultation, Legislation Review Committee, August 2005.
- Legislation Review: Prohibition of Human Cloning Act 2002 and Research Involving Human Embryos Act 2002, Reports, Australian Government, December 2005.
Scope of work: Attending Legislation Review Committee meetings, advising on public consultation process, attending hearings and organising discussion forums. Research, close liaison with the committee to develop reports, writing, editing, formatting and production management (including page layout in FrameMaker).
Making Decisions about Tests and Treatments: Principles for Better Communication
between Healthcare Consumers and Healthcare Professionals, National Health
and Medical Research Council (in press, approved by NHMRC, December 2005).
Scope of work: Researching and writing a document to help consumers and
clinicians communicate more effectively about the risks, benefits and
outcomes of tests and treatment. For this project, we worked closely with
an expert committee, which included two representatives of patients’
organisations.
Water Made Clear: A Consumer’s Guide to the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (2004), National Health and Medical Research Council, 2004.
Scope of work: Researching and writing a booklet for the general public on drinking water in Australia (source, treatment, safety, supply, etc).
Work with the Xenotransplantation Working Party, Australian Health Ethics Committee, National Health and Medical Research Council, 2003:
- Guidelines for Clinical Animal-to-Human Transplantation (Xenotransplantation) Research
- Animal-to-Human Transplantation (Xenotransplantation): Final Report and Advice to the National Health and Medical Research Council
- Animal-to-Human Transplantation: A Community Guide to Xenotransplantation
Scope of work: Writing plain-English community guide based on the Discussion Paper and Response Papers issued by the NHMRC as part of a public consultation on xenotransplantation in 2002–03.
Evidence-Based Practice Workbook: Bridging the Gap between Health Care Research and Practice , Glasziou P, Del Mar C and Salisbury
J, Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, 2007.
Scope of work: Updating and expanding the first edition (published in 2003). Writing text based on workshop materials supplied by coauthors, and developing design concepts; production management; liaison with publisher.
Dental Amalgam — Filling You In, National Health and Medical Research Council, 2002.
Scope of work: Researching and writing a pamphlet for the general public on dental amalgam.
Agriculture and environmental sciences
Plant Pest Risk Analysis (resource manual, workbook and facilitators’ manual), Biosecurity Australia, 2004.
Scope of work: Technical writing, editing and provision of design concepts, mainly for the risk assessment and risk management sections of a workbook on plant pest risk analysis.
Invasive Species in Australia, series of fact sheets on invasive species in Australia, Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage, Canberra, 2004.
Threatened Species and Communities, series of fact sheets about threatened Australian plant and animal species and communities, Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage, Canberra, 2004.
Scope of work: Writing, editing and managing design and production of fact sheets on endangered species and invasive species.
Australian Canola Meal — A Valuable Component of Pig Feed, Australian Pork Limited, 2002.
Scope of work: Restructuring, rewriting and editing technical material to make it more suitable for pork producers.
Go Grains and Pulses, Grains Research and Development Corporation, 2000.
Scope of work: Writing and editing brochure on grains and pulses.
What the clients say
‘Biotext is a professional and expert group of scientific writers and editors and their contribution to this workshop material speaks for itself.’
[Cass Coleman, DAFF, talking about Plant Pest Risk Analysis (resource manual, workbook and facilitators’ manual)]
‘Congratulations on the Water Made Clear brochure. It is both informative and easy to read. I think you have pitched it at the right level. It's the sort of brochure I like to direct schools and the general public to — enough info to be worthwhile but without the really technical stuff.’
[Janice Dart, Barwon Region Water Authority, talking about Water Made Clear: A Consumer Guide to Accompany the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines ]
‘This is an excellent document ... written in a consistent and easily readable style ... This document sets standards for guidelines. It was a pleasure to read.’
[NSW Central West Division of General Practice, talking about the NHMRC publication
Clinical Guidelines on Care around Preterm Birth]
‘Hilary did an excellent job in managing to incorporate the technical writer's views as well as the Department's objectives into the final document.’
[Melissa Ford, Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, talking about a summary of the National Tobacco Strategy]