Maintaining the Public Trust in Journals with Ethical Publishing

Imperfect but important: a fellow’s perspective on journal peer review

“…Specifically, reviewers may comment if a manuscript message seems biased by undisclosed conflicts, manipulates data in unfair ways, or plagiarizes the work of others. Although JMT's editors use tools such as iThenticate to examine the originality of submitted manuscripts, reviewers share the responsibility for identifying problems [8]. The discovery of an ethical concern during review is not necessarily the kiss of death for a manuscript.…”

Honest Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest Advances Emergency Medicine Scholarship

“…Disclosure of COI therefore aims to provide readers and other consumers complete context to make an informed judgment of the work . In published science, journal editors and peer reviewers serve as the first set of gatekeepers, but the onus is also on readers of journals to question findings and put a voice to those questions if something seems off …”

Responsible Attention to Conflicts of Interest Enhances the Credibility of Published Scholarship

“…As Journal of Medical Toxicology (JMT) launches its 15th year of publishing, the fresh start of the new year allows us to remind readers of our commitment to transparency and fairness in all forms of scholarly dissemination. We have previously written about the importance of ethical conduct in publishing to maintain public trust in journals [1]. Recent high-profile news about inappropriate financial ties between prominent researchers and drug industry prompt us to dedicate some space here to conflicts of interest (COI) [2].…”

“…However, anytime an experienced and renowned researcher is discovered to neglect proper disclosure, it is not surprising when everyone takes notice and trust in the whole scientific process is eroded [2]. The public relies on journals to be a source of unbiased and ethically done scholarship [1,5]. Many assume journals should monitor or enforce COI policies better, but journals are not equipped to police their authors or COI forms.…”