Exorcising Ghosts and Unwelcome Guests

Editorials18 October 2005Exorcising Ghosts and Unwelcome GuestsChristine Laine, MD, MPH, Senior Deputy Editor and Cynthia D. Mulrow, MD, MSc, Deputy EditorChristine Laine, MD, MPH, Senior Deputy Editor and Cynthia D. Mulrow, MD, MSc, Deputy EditorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-143-8-200510180-00013 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Ghosts and guests haunt medical journals. We don't usually notice them, but they occasionally rattle their chains, making us acutely aware of their presence. The author of an article we published in 2003 (1) sent more than a few shivers up the spines of the editors when he admitted to a New York Times reporter in 2005, "Merck designed the trial, paid for the trial, ran the trial…Merck came to me after the study was completed and said, 'We want your help to work on the paper.' The initial paper was written at Merck, and then was sent to me ...References1. Lisse JR, Perlman M, Johansson G, Shoemaker JR, Schechtman J, Skalky CS, et al. Gastrointestinal tolerability and effectiveness of rofecoxib versus naproxen in the treatment of osteoarthritis: a randomized, controlled trial. Ann Intern Med. 2003;139:539-46. [PMID: 14530224] LinkGoogle Scholar2. Berenson A. Evidence in Vioxx suits shows intervention by Merck officials. New York Times. 2005;24 April. Google Scholar3. International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals: Writing and Editing for Biomedical Publication. Accessed at www.ICMJE.org. Google Scholar4. Wager E, Field EA, Grossman L. Good publication practice for pharmaceutical companies. Curr Med Res Opin. 2003;19:149-54. [PMID: 12814125] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Mello MM, Clarridge BR, Studdert DM. Academic medical centers' standards for clinical-trial agreements with industry. N Engl J Med. 2005;352:2202-10. [PMID: 15917385] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar6. Martinson BC, Anderson MS, de Vries R. Scientists behaving badly. Nature. 2005;435:737-8. [PMID: 15944677] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar7. Flanagin A, Carey LA, Fontanarosa PB, Phillips SG, Pace BP, Lundberg GD, et al. Prevalence of articles with honorary authors and ghost authors in peer-reviewed medical journals. JAMA. 1998;280:222-4. [PMID: 9676661] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar8. Fugh-Berman A. The corporate coauthor. J Gen Intern Med. 2005;20:546-8. [PMID: 15987332] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar9. Food and Drug Administration. Final guidance on industry-supported scientific and educational activities. Notice. Accessed at www.fda.gov/cber/gdlns/sciedu.pdf. Google Scholar10. Daskalopoulou SS, Mikhailidis DP. The involvement of professional medical writers in medical publications [Editorial]. Curr Med Res Opin. 2005;21:307-10. [PMID: 15802002] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar11. Jacobs A, Carpenter J, Donnelly J, Klapproth JF, Gertel A, Hall G, et al. The involvement of professional medical writers in medical publications: results of a Delphi study. Curr Med Res Opin. 2005;21:311-6. [PMID: 15818870] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar12. World Association of Medical Editors. Ghost Writing Initiated by Commercial Companies. Posted 19 April 2005; revised 20 June 2005. Accessed at www.wame.org/wamestmt.htm#ghost on 13 July 2005. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Christine Laine, MD, MPH, Senior Deputy Editor; Cynthia D. Mulrow, MD, MSc, Deputy EditorAcknowledgment: The authors thank Harold C. Sox, MD, for critical review of the manuscript and for his helpful suggestions.Disclosures: None disclosed.Corresponding Author: Customer Service, American College of Physicians, 190 N. Independence Mall West, Philadelphia, PA 19106-1572. 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Daskalopoulou, MD, MSc, DIC, PhD and Dimitri P. Mikhailidis, MD, MScExorcising Ghosts and Unwelcome GuestsAdam Jacobs, PhD, MSc 18 October 2005Volume 143, Issue 8Page: 611-612KeywordsConflicts of interestDisclosureHealth surveysMotivationResearch reporting guidelinesSpine ePublished: 18 October 2005 Issue Published: 18 October 2005 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2005 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...