Key Takeaways:
- Peer-Reviewed Research Builds Scientific Credibility and Trust
- Grey Literature Provides Early Insights and Competitive Awareness
- AI Is Accelerating the Literature Review Process
Medical Affairs is experiencing a transformation. Once seen as a support function, it is now recognized as a strategic pillar within life sciences and MedTech organizations. Today’s Medical Affairs leaders are expected to guide scientific exchange, shape regulatory readiness, and provide evidence-driven insights that influence both internal strategy and external credibility.
At the center of this evolution lies evidence presented and found in literature reviews. To succeed, Medical Affairs must harness the combined strength of peer-reviewed research and grey literature to anticipate questions, strengthen stakeholder engagement, and lead access to this kind of evidence across global and local contexts.
As outlined in the white paper “The Strategic Role of Peer-Reviewed Research and Grey Literature in Medical Affairs,” these evidence types form a comprehensive framework for strategic insight, stakeholder trust, and cross-functional alignment. When supported by AI-powered search tools, they enable medical affairs teams to lead with both agility and authority across the global scientific ecosystem.
Peer-Reviewed Research: The Foundation of Scientific Trust
Peer-reviewed research remains the cornerstone of credibility in medicine. Every study undergoes rigorous expert evaluation to ensure accuracy, reproducibility, and ethical standards. Peer-reviewed academic journals remain a foundational, yet often underleveraged, resource. When presenting data to regulatory agencies, KOLs, or healthcare providers, providing supportive data through peer-reviewed findings communicates authority and readiness. It ensures that every claim, insight, or recommendation created by the company’s proprietary research is backed by verifiable science.
Specifically, for Medical Science Liaisons (MSLs) and field teams, grounding conversations in peer-reviewed literature:
• Build trust and engagement with Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) and Healthcare Professionals (HCPs)
• Demonstrates scientific rigor and preparedness
• Provides an unbiased, objective foundation for clinical and regulatory discussions
To succeed, Medical Affairs must harness the combined strength of peer-reviewed research and grey literature to anticipate questions, strengthen stakeholder engagement, and lead access to this kind of evidence across global and local contexts.
To succeed, Medical Affairs must harness the combined strength of peer-reviewed research and grey literature to anticipate questions, strengthen stakeholder engagement, and lead access to this kind of evidence across global and local contexts.
Grey Literature: The Early Lens on Emerging Science
While peer-reviewed research validates established findings, grey literature captures emerging evidence before it reaches publication. This includes conference abstracts, market reports, regulatory reports, and company information (such as press releases).
For medical affairs, this content provides early visibility into new hypotheses, therapeutic approaches, and competitive signals—shaping proactive strategy. For example, a congress abstract might reveal early oncology trial results months before the journal article is published. By scanning grey literature sources, Medical Affairs can:
• Anticipate emerging questions from KOLs and regulators.
• Detect early scientific signals in fast-moving therapeutic areas.
• Strengthen competitive intelligence by monitoring conference proceedings, case studies, and press releases.
• Equip internal teams with forward-looking insights that guide R&D and publication planning.
AI and the Evolution of Evidence Discovery
Medical Affairs operates at the critical intersection of R&D, Regulatory, and Commercial functions, where the ability to deliver evidence that is both clear and credible defines its strategic value. Yet the foundation of that evidence often remains fragmented across disparate systems and repositories. As noted in a Medical Affairs Professional Society (MAPS) article:
“Effective scientific knowledge management is not merely an operational necessity; it forms the bedrock upon which life sciences organizations operate. It is critical for Medical Affairs to facilitate the discovery, application, and timely knowledge transfer within the organization. Collected data is currently fragmented, trapped, and scattered in different files, formats, and behind access walls within an organization. Knowledge management is a time-intensive and manual process, becoming increasingly difficult due to the ubiquity of information and exponential growth in scientific data.”
The challenge is twofold: both the volume of scientific data and the lack of structure and accessibility. Information silos prevent teams from working from the same evidence base. By creating an environment where internal repositories and external peer-reviewed literature can be searched, curated, and shared, Medical Affairs can ensure every stakeholder is aligned on the same foundation of credible evidence. Such a unified environment not only enhances collaboration but also accelerates the literature review process, enabling faster, compliant, and more consistent insights across global teams.
Artificial intelligence is also transforming how medical teams access and enhance their literature reviews. Platforms like EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS) integrate peer-reviewed journals, grey literature, and clinical databases within a single discovery interface. They are also enhanced with AI features like AI Insights, which can help speed literature reviews by helping users assess the usefulness of the full-text article by highlighting 2-5 key points per document. This helps the Medical Affairs team:
• Detect trends across disciplines
• Quickly understand complex peer-reviewed studies
This evolution in evidence discovery empowers teams to deliver insights that are both scientifically rigorous and operationally efficient.
Conclusion: Evidence Is the Engine of Modern Medical Affairs
By uniting peer-reviewed research, grey literature, and structured literature reviews, Medical Affairs teams can deliver faster, evidence-based insights that inspire confidence and elevate scientific strategy. Supported by AI-powered discovery tools, this integrated approach turns information into impact—driving credibility, innovation, and leadership across the organization.
