Honorary president: Judith Butcher Honorary vice-president: David Crystal OBE

SfEP AGM and 20th annual conference
Editing in the 21st century

Vanbrugh College, University of York
Sunday 13 to Tuesday 15 September 2009

This year’s Whitcombe lecturer is Dr Richard Smith, speaking on: ‘Who needs medical journals in the age of Facebook?’ Now director of the Ovations Chronic Disease Initiative (which creates centres in the developing world to counter chronic disease) and editor-in-chief of Cases Journal, Dr Smith was previously editor of the British Medical Journal and chief executive of the BMJ Publishing Group, as well as a TV doctor for the BBC and TV-am.

Professor David Crystal will also be joining us once again to muse on the conference theme.

Workshops

The rest of the conference programme will cover a wide range of topical editorial issues in workshops, seminars, lectures and Q&A sessions. The interactive workshops – which will last longer than in previous years – will offer you a chance to enhance old skills, learn new ones and take home practical information to make your business work more efficiently for you:

• Editing tables onscreen^* – it isn't that dreadful!
• Introducing project management – add another string to your bow
• Moving to Word 2007^* – make a smooth switch
• Wordsmithing for business – quick hit or slow burn?
• Using and contributing to the SfEPWiki^* – a step-by-step guide
• Adding value: editing and sizing artwork and illustrations
• Grammar grumbles – some things never change, or do they?
• Editing manuscripts for scientific journals
• Maximizing use of Word’s search & replace facility^*
• Effective copywriting – getting your message across in print and online media
• Passing it on – thinking about training, mentoring or tutoring?
• Tired of stressful deadlines? Learn to relax with Tai Chi

^*Laptop-based workshops: Owing to the high cost of arranging computers at the venue and to allow more delegates to attend these ever-popular sessions, we'll be asking you to bring your own laptop for these workshops.

Seminars

These will include discussions on the creation, management and effectiveness of ‘virtual teams’ in publishing – a topic that is particularly relevant in the ‘information age’ – and on what you need to know about Adobe InDesign. At the Q&A sessions, you'll be able to find out about marketing yourself online, blogging, using the PreEdit macro and becoming up to date on such medical editing bugbears as gene names and statistics.

We’ve allowed plenty of time for coffee and lunch breaks so that you can recharge your batteries, visit the marketplace and, of course, network – more on that below.