Authors writing for most of the top medical journals are required to disclose relationships with industry or other organizations that could pose conflicts of interest, according to a JAMA study. But definitions of what constitutes a reportable conflict are not always specified, and disclosure policies seem to vary widely.
Of 256 “high-impact” journals, 89% reported policies on author conflicts of interest; only 54% required that all authors sign a disclosure statement. Nearly a quarter of the journals gave no definition of what constituted a relevant conflict. Among those that did, the specific requirements for what to disclose diverged greatly.
From the January 04, 2010 Issue of MM+M - Medical Marketing and Media
