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Abstract

bench to the bedside. The logical next step is understandability in its broadest sense -ensuring that research findings are published in a way that can be understood as widely as possible.In our second article, Shalini Dwivedi and Vidhi Vashisht describe open access initiatives from a range of stakeholders and review the growing importance of plain language summaries (PLSs) in improving the transparency of medical research.The growing importance of com muni cating research in widely understandable language is reflected in the development of different document types for different purposes. Sarah Griffiths and colleagues review the varied terminology used to describe the three main types of document communicating in accessible language and chnage to make a case for harmonisation.Even with immediate open access to research results in understandable language, people with disabilities face unique barriers to information access. The author Jeffry Ricker, who is completely blind, explains how he faces obstacles every day owing, in part, to electronic documents designed primarily for those with vision. He also provides practical tips and resources for medical writers on writing for people with disabilities.Data sharing is an important principle of open science that has powerful potential to increase trust in published research. For medical research, ethical considerations place important constraints on the sharing of patient data, and Eniola Awodiya and Joana Osório evaluate how pharma ceutical companies are seeking to strike the right balance between patient privacy and transparency.Being free to access is of no value if content is not discoverable. The term grey literature is used to describe a wide range of different information that is produced outside traditional publishing and distribution channels. Typically, a lack of indexing or tagging with uniform metadata means that the grey literature is not easily discoverable. In our fifth article, Toby Green delivers a call to action to medical writers and communicators to engage with these rich and diverse sources of information.