Rapid responses are electronic comments to the editor. They enable our users
to debate issues raised in articles published on bmj.com. A rapid response
is first posted online. If you need the URL (web address) of an individual
response, simply click on the response headline and copy the URL from the
browser window. A proportion of responses will, after editing, be published
online and in the print journal as letters, which are indexed in PubMed.
Rapid responses are not indexed in PubMed and they are not journal articles.
The BMJ reserves the right to remove responses which are being
wilfully misrepresented as published articles or when it is brought to our
attention that a response spreads misinformation.
From March 2022, the word limit for rapid responses will be 600 words not
including references and author details. We will no longer post responses
that exceed this limit.
The word limit for letters selected from posted responses remains 300 words.
On January 3rd, Professor Drazen Vikic-Topic, state secretary to the
Minister of Science, Education and Sports of Croatia replied to COPE's
concerns about the investigation at Zagreb University into Prof. Kurjak.
The state secretary confirmed that the ministry had alerted the
Croatian government's ethics committee for science and higher education
long before receiving a copy of the Committee on Publication
Ethics'(COPE's)letter to the university authorities. That committee found
Prof Kurjak had been responsible for plagiarism. The ministry passed the
committee's report to the University of Zagreb in May 2007 requesting it
to act. Additionally the ministry cancelled its support for an ongoing
research project by Prof. Kurjak - the first time such action has been
taken in the Republic of Croatia.
Unfortunately this reponsible action by the Croatian authorities has
not been mirrored by the University. COPE's original letter had asked the
Dean of the School of Medicine, Prof. Nada Cikes and the Rector of the
University, Prof Aleksa Bjelis, why COPE's report on duplicate publication
by Kurjak had apparently been ignored. Neither has seen fit to reply.
Croatian Minister replies but medical school silent
On January 3rd, Professor Drazen Vikic-Topic, state secretary to the
Minister of Science, Education and Sports of Croatia replied to COPE's
concerns about the investigation at Zagreb University into Prof. Kurjak.
The state secretary confirmed that the ministry had alerted the
Croatian government's ethics committee for science and higher education
long before receiving a copy of the Committee on Publication
Ethics'(COPE's)letter to the university authorities. That committee found
Prof Kurjak had been responsible for plagiarism. The ministry passed the
committee's report to the University of Zagreb in May 2007 requesting it
to act. Additionally the ministry cancelled its support for an ongoing
research project by Prof. Kurjak - the first time such action has been
taken in the Republic of Croatia.
Unfortunately this reponsible action by the Croatian authorities has
not been mirrored by the University. COPE's original letter had asked the
Dean of the School of Medicine, Prof. Nada Cikes and the Rector of the
University, Prof Aleksa Bjelis, why COPE's report on duplicate publication
by Kurjak had apparently been ignored. Neither has seen fit to reply.
Harvey Marcovitch FRCP HonFRCPCH
Chairman, COPE
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests