BioMed Central Blog

Meeting the challenges of supplement publishing

Publishing supplements in journals is a practice that frequently comes under scrutiny due to the external sources of funding involved.  Some journals choose to avoid publishing supplements altogether to protect against any potential perception that industry involvement might lead to lost objectivity.  In an editorial in the latest issue of Arthritis Research & Therapy however, the Editors set out how supplements can be published without risking scientific integrity.

Editorial    
Challenges and opportunities of publishing supplements at Arthritis Research & Therapy
Frances Mulvany, Jo Baker, Peter E Lipsky, Ravinder N Maini
Arthritis Research & Therapy 2010, 12:113 (28 April 2010)

They outline the rigorous peer-review process that supplement articles undergo before publication, and the full and transparent disclosures that are made by all parties throughout the supplement process – from the initial consideration of an idea through to publication.

Supplements can be a valuable educational resource and, provided relevant guidelines and procedures are followed, editorial independence can be maintained when publishing these articles, which are described by the ICMJE as serving useful purposes.

Posted by Iain Hrynaszkiewicz at 11:46    Comments (0)