Challenges in publication ethics.

Challenges in publication ethics. Ann R Coll Surg Engl. 2016 Apr;98(4):241-243 Authors: Barbour V, Astaneh B, Irfan M Abstract 'Some editors are failed writers, but so are most writers.' TS Eliot (1888-1965) Have you ever wondered what medical journal editors do? Most editors in the medical field are unpaid and the work is part of the wider culture of service provided by so many in the medical profession. Together with the editorial board and the publisher, an editor will decide the direction of the journal. For instance, decisions are made about what sort of material should be published. One of the most common tasks, however, is the daily screening of manuscripts submitted for publication, many of which are rejected without peer review owing to poor quality, redundant material or the subject of the article being beyond the scope of the journal. After deciding which peer reviewers to send an article to, the editor must make a final decision on a manuscript, which may not necessarily concur with the advice given by the reviewers. With this comes a huge amount of personal responsibility and one to the organisation the editor represents. Take the example of George Lundberg, the editor of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, who was fired from his position after 17 years with the alleged faux pas of rushing to publish an article to coincide with the Clinton impeachment hearings 'to extract political leverage.' Lundberg ...
Source: Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England - Category: Surgery Authors: Tags: Ann R Coll Surg Engl Source Type: research