Publication ethics– Manuscript Rewriting by Edanz
A well written manuscript that fulfills ethical considerations is more likely to be considered for publication and will be reviewed more favorably than one that ignores particular international recommendations; for example, in the health and medical sciences, the “Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals” are relevant.
Recent developments, especially in the medical/pharmaceutical field but applicable in principle to all academia, mean that an awareness of publication ethics is essential. This is not just for authors, but also study sponsors, study investigators, journal editors, and service providers such as Edanz Writing.
The following serves as a brief introduction to publication ethics. As well, we recommend reading the resources noted at the end of this short introduction to publication ethics. Essentially, all studies must comply with ethical guidelines.
Edanz supports transparent and ethical publication policies.
However, there are some exceptions to the rule:
We advocate that the Acknowledgments should list any individuals who have provided assistance (e.g., technical/experimental, statistical support and writing assistance).
http://www.icmje.org/urm_full.pdf
American Chemical Society, Publication ethics: rights and wrongs
http://pubs.acs.org/cen/topstory/7946/7946sci1.html
New England Journal of Medicine, Authors' home
https://cdf.nejm.org/misc/authors/
The Lancet
http://www.thelancet.com/authors/lancet/authorinfo
Recent developments, especially in the medical/pharmaceutical field but applicable in principle to all academia, mean that an awareness of publication ethics is essential. This is not just for authors, but also study sponsors, study investigators, journal editors, and service providers such as Edanz Writing.
The following serves as a brief introduction to publication ethics. As well, we recommend reading the resources noted at the end of this short introduction to publication ethics. Essentially, all studies must comply with ethical guidelines.
Edanz supports transparent and ethical publication policies.
What do publication ethics refer to?
- Publication planning–duplicate publication should be avoided
- Authorship–what is an author and who can qualify
- Sponsorship-declaration of funding and involvement of sponsors
- Role of editorial or writing assistance
Publication planning
What data can be published in journals? The Ingelfinger rule
The Ingelfinger rule was initially proposed in 1969 by Franz J. Ingelfinger (the then Editor of the New England Journal of Medicine) in an attempt to protect the journal from publishing material that had previously been published (thus preventing publication of unoriginal material or duplicate publications). Similar policies have been adopted by most international journals.However, there are some exceptions to the rule:
- Publication of results in abstract form (and posters/orals) at local, national or international congresses
- Posting of results in a clinical trial depository, as required by local/national/international laws
- Policies regarding translation and publication in alternative languages journals may differ and authors should check with the journal if in any doubt, particularly relating to Point 3.
Authorship
What is an author?
Traditionally, authorship has been granted to people involved in the research and had some role in developing the manuscript. ICMJE, for example, recommends that authorship is ‘awarded’ based on:- Substantial contributions to conception and design, or acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data
- Drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content, and
- Final approval of the version to be published
We advocate that the Acknowledgments should list any individuals who have provided assistance (e.g., technical/experimental, statistical support and writing assistance).
Study sponsorship
Increasingly, studies are funded externally, either by research grant support or by direct funding from a commercial organization. Accordingly, the source of financial support should be stated in the Acknowledgments.Role of Medical/Science Writers/Editors
Writers/editors are increasingly being given responsibility in terms of drafting, editing and incorporation of author comments. However, such writers/editors do not meet the guidelines to be listed as authors, as they do not provide any input into the design or running of a study. Nevertheless, we advocate acknowledgment of the writer/editor and the company involved in the rewriting of your manuscript. This can actually add to rather than detract from the merit and acceptance of the manuscript for publication, especially for non-native English language authors. Note that ackknowledgement does not apply to the Edanz editing services because the changes made by our editors do not come within ICMJE authorship guidelines.Our recommendations
- Ethical approval for the study is sought from the appropriate ethics committee/s where such approval is relevant
- Clinical studies are registered on a relevant database (e.g., www.clinicaltrials.gov), with results posted in accordance with local regulations
- Publication planning ensures no unwarranted duplicate publication
- Authors provide substantial input and meet the usual criteria for authorship
- Full conflict of interest statements are provided for all authors
- The role of the funding source is fully acknowledged
- Edanz (and the lead writer) are acknowledged as assisting in the writing or rewriting of the study.
Reading resources
International Committee of Medical Journal Editors Requirementshttp://www.icmje.org/urm_full.pdf
American Chemical Society, Publication ethics: rights and wrongs
http://pubs.acs.org/cen/topstory/7946/7946sci1.html
New England Journal of Medicine, Authors' home
https://cdf.nejm.org/misc/authors/
The Lancet
http://www.thelancet.com/authors/lancet/authorinfo
