BMJ  2004;329:351 (7 August), doi:10.1136/bmj.329.7461.351

Letter

Editorial independence at the BMJ

... and could ensure three pronged terms of reference for editor

The first 100% of the full text of this article appears below.

EDITOR—Sackett, in his response to Smith's Editor's choice on editorial independence at the BMJ, has argued cogently and clearly the case for an oversight committee to serve as defence, advocate, and guarantor of fidelity of future BMJ editors (preceding letter).¹

Stanley Fish, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago, in a recent New York Times article, offered a piece of wisdom for academics, presumably including professors who are also journal editors.

He wrote: "Do your job; don't try to do someone else's job as you are unlikely to be qualified; and don't let anyone else do your job."²

These may be suitable terms of reference for the incoming editor, which the committee of oversight might ensure for him or her.

Australian Health Policy Institute, College of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia Sl2249@columbia.edu

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Competing interests: None declared.

1. Smith R. Editor's choice. Editorial independence at the BMJ. BMJ 2004;329: 0-g. (10 July.)
2. Fish S. Why we built the ivory tower. New York Times 2004 May 12;section A: 23.

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