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Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) Volume 15. Number 2, June 2024 Pp.144-154
School of Language Studies and Linguistics
Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia
School of Language Studies and Linguistics
Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia
Effective communication in medical writing is essential for conveying accurate and understandable information to healthcare professionals and patients. English language errors in medical literature can lead to misunderstandings, misinterpretations, and potentially harmful consequences. This systematic literature review aims to identify, analyze, and categorize common English language errors encountered in medical writing. This study identifies gaps in existing literature on language errors in medical writing and reveals areas that need further investigation or where more comprehensive guidelines are required. This study addresses six questions: (1) What types of language errors are discussed in the current literature? (2) What types of medical writing are involved in the current literature? (3) Which countries or areas are involved in the current literature? (4) What are the research methods used in the studies? (5) What tools are used in the studies? (6) What are the limitations of these studies? To answer these questions, this review searched nine databases and one platform, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Fulltext, ProQuest Ebook Central (e-Books), Scopus, Web of Science, Wiley Online Library (e-Journals & e-Books) (PPV), Science Direct, Cambridge Core e-Books, Oxford Press Scholarship Online (e-Books), Google Scholar, and Carian Bestari@UKM / Discovery Service@UKM. Finally, ten studies were selected, including articles and books. The findings provide insights into types of language errors, types of medical writing, countries or areas of medical writing, research methods, tools, and limitations of these ten studies, highlighting the importance of linguistic accuracy and proficiency in medical writing.
Keywords: English language error, error analysis, healthcare, medicine, medical writing
Shen, W., Hamat, A., & Wang, J. (2024). Analysis of English Language Errors in Medical Writing: A Systematic Literature Review. Arab World English Journal, 15(2), 144-154.
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Wei Shen is a PhD student in the English Language Studies Program at the Centre for Research in Language and Linguistics, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia. Her research areas are corpus linguistics, second language acquisition, and translation. https://orcid.org/0009-0005-3791-5719
Dr. Afendi Hamat is an Associate Professor at the Centre for Research in Language and Linguistics, UKM, Malaysia. His research areas are e-learning and web-based CALL. He has developed various e-learning platforms such as the Second Language Instruction and Management System (SLIM) and the intelligent English Language Literacy System (iELLS). Email: fendi@ukm.edu.my ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2060-9203
Jun Wang is an Associate Professor in the School of Foreign Studies, at Yanshan University, China. Her research area is TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language). Email: wywy@ysu.edu.cn ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-6246-7030