Editorial Integrity and Industrial Support of Scientific Publications

A partnership of scientific community and industry in the publication of current clinical information is a recent phenomenon of medical literature. More and more frequently, the medical community has turned to industrial sources for support of educational projects and publication of scientific data. There are, of course, potential dangers in this intimate relationship between investigators and those whose chief functions are the manufacture and sale of pharmacologic agents and medical devices. Fortunately, however, there is a final product that is of mutual concern to both sponsors and faculty members; I refer to credibility of published reports. The integrity of medical journalism requires isolation of the evaluation and editing of manuscripts from commercial functions such as advertising and marketing promotion. Only complete separation of one process from the other can guarantee that degree of impartiality that ultimately best serves both communities.

Protecting the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts is a measure that