Guidelines for Writing

Medical book reviews play an important role in the flow of information in the medical community. Thousands of medical books are released every year and the shear number can be quite overwhelming for medical researchers and librarians. Many medical books contain similar titles but the quality of the information is quite different from each other. Medical book reviews ensure that the best information is contained within medical libraries and used by professionals.

The Medical Library Association (MLA)
The MLA was founded to serve society by improving health through the provision of information. Members provide a vital role in the flow of information and the purpose is to provide education and proper conduct while performing medical research. It was also created so that members can give high-quality information pertaining to health to the general public. They firmly believe that better health information leads to better health decisions. The organizations also support medical research, information research done by librarians on a variety of topics, and the way information is put into the hands of medical practitioners.

Medical Book Reviews Conducted by MLA:
One important way that MLA provides a service to medical professionals and librarians is by offering book reviews conducted by members of the MLA and medical professionals. The purpose of medical book reviews is to ensure that quality information is contained within medical libraries and read by medical students, professionals, and the general public. Over the past forty years, the number of medical books has been doubling each decade. To avoid all the clutter and confusion, the book reviews determine if a medical book will provide useful and relevant information depending on the subject it is based on. The MLA publishes its reviews in its journal, Medical Library Association Journal (MLAJ).

Guidelines for Medical Book Reviews:
In order for medical book reviews to provide useful critical appraisals and serials, the MLAJ has set forth guidelines for reviewers to be approved and write the review properly. Reviewers are choose to write reviews based on their expertise in areas relevant to the subject of medicine.

The reviews for medical books are required to contain a brief summary of the book and what kind of information it provides for its readers. This will help the readers determine if the book is of interest to them. Also, the significance of the information provided in medical books should also be put into perspective for historical research, in addition to the usefulness of the medical book for descriptive work. The books should also be compared to works of similar subjects and information and what type of person would find the medical book useful.

Any information cited within the review should be presented in MLA format as well. Reviews should not exceed four pages and should be double spaced. If the review is too long, it may be edited for length. The reviews are accepted electronically via email through an attached file commonly used, such as Microsoft word format. For further information, go to www.mlanet.org.