Medical is a language that describes the human body, conditions that affect it, and procedures performed on it. It includes a wide range of terms from prefixes and suffixes to body parts, disorders, and symptoms. Many people would not be able to read and understand Medical without assistance from a dictionary or glossary.

Medical journals contain the results of original research that has been reviewed by experts in the field before being published. While not perfect, this system does provide the best opportunity to make sure that a new finding is well-supported by evidence before it is disseminated.

Unlike newspapers or books, most medical journal articles are written by doctors who are also involved in patient care. This creates a potential conflict of interest, which must be addressed by the journal editors. The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) publishes guidelines that many journal editors follow to address this conflict of interest, including requiring that contributions meet four basic criteria: