BMJ  2007;334:45 (6 January), doi:10.1136/bmj.39072.461979.59

reViews

Medical journals: past their sell by date?

A former BMJ editor lets rip about medical journals, but is he right? asks Stuart Derbyshire

According to Richard Smith, former editor of the BMJ, there is much trouble with medical journals. Medical journals include studies that are often misleading through author negligence, a failure of peer review, a conflict of interest, or because of blatant fraud. Medical journals are insensitive to the needs of patients and too responsive to the needs of the big pharmaceutical companies. Medical journals employ poorly trained editors who are blind to the ethical abuses documented in submitted studies. Medical journals even look awful and there are too many of them.

To an extent, Smith is following in the footsteps of other "miserabilist" tracts regarding the state of the world in general and medical science in particular. But Smith does, at least, manage to do it with some humour. It is hard not to warm to an author who explains that publication does not equal editorial support with the following . . . [Full text of this article]

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Rapid Responses:

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Benificence vs self interest

Mark Worsley
bmj.com, 8 Jan 2007 [Full text]

What a Review!

Jay Ilangaratne
bmj.com, 10 Jan 2007 [Full text]

BMJ wastes opportunity to raise serious issues

Pritpal S Tamber
bmj.com, 10 Jan 2007 [Full text]

Patients and journals

Liz Wager
bmj.com, 11 Jan 2007 [Full text]

Complacency in the School of Psychology in Birmingham

Iain Chalmers
bmj.com, 12 Jan 2007 [Full text]

Knocking Clinical Science

Raymond Courteney Tallis
bmj.com, 12 Jan 2007 [Full text]

Using the public

David M Perks
bmj.com, 14 Jan 2007 [Full text]

Richard Smith's book

Alex Paton
bmj.com, 16 Jan 2007 [Full text]

The author responds

Stuart WG Derbyshire
bmj.com, 20 Jan 2007 [Full text]

Re: The author responds

Jay Ilangaratne
bmj.com, 27 Jan 2007 [Full text]

When "Peer Review" Means "Not Peer Reviewed"

Clifford G. Miller
bmj.com, 16 Feb 2007 [Full text]

Why did I write a book that was so critical of medical journals? A gallimaufry of theories

Richard Smith
bmj.com, 14 Mar 2007 [Full text]