Accessibility and transparency of editor conflicts of interest policy instruments in medical journals

Journal of Medical Ethics
Elise SmithBryn Williams-Jones

Abstract

There has been significant discussion about the need to manage conflict of interest (COI) in medical journals. This has lead many journals to implement policies to manage COI for authors and reviewers; however, surprisingly little attention has been focused on the COI of journal editors. The goal of this exploratory study was to determine whether the policies were accessible to the public and to researchers, and to discuss the potential impact on public transparency. The authors conducted an internet search of editor COI policy instruments that have been developed, implemented and communicated by the top 10 peer-reviewed medical journals (2010 ISI Web of Knowledge Impact Factor), and assessed their general accessibility by gauging the level of difficulty in navigating the journal's website (number of clicks to find the policy instruments). Only four of the 10 medical journals (40%) in this study have accessible COI policy directives that include editors (JIM, PLoS Medicine, AIM, CMAJ). One journal (NEJM) had an editorial on the subject, and another (The Lancet) mentioned editor COI in their general guidelines. These documents are not readily accessible; starting from the journal's main website at least four clicks are needed to...Continue Reading

Citations

Apr 5, 2013·European Journal of Clinical Investigation·Xavier BoschPamela Doti
Aug 2, 2016·Trends in Pharmacological Sciences·Rafael Dal-Ré
Mar 1, 2017·The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. American Volume·Charles T MehlmanMininder S Kocher
Sep 25, 2018·AJOB Empirical Bioethics·Zubin MasterBryn Williams-Jones
Jun 15, 2018·Journal of Global Health·Ana Marušić, Rafael Dal-Ré
Apr 25, 2019·Journal of Bioethical Inquiry·Jaime A Teixeira da SilvaCharles T Mehlman
Jan 26, 2021·Perspectives in Clinical Research·Debdipta BoseNithya J Gogtay

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