WAME and Editorial Independence

The World Association of Medical Editors (WAME) expresses serious concern related to the Canadian Medical Association's (CMA) recent dismissal of the Canadian Medical Association Journal's (CMAJ) editor, John Fletcher. Particularly concerning is that CMA appears to have chosen to disband rather than to engage the organization’s Journal Oversight Committee coincident with this action. Of note, the CMA dismissed a previous CMAJ editor in 2006. Removing editors for unclear reasons raises concerns about publisher interference that violates the principles of editorial independence advocated by WAME,1 the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors,2 the Council of Science Editors,3 and the Council on Publication Ethics4.

WAME Executive Committee

 

References

  1. http://www.wame.org/about/policy-statements#Relationship%20between%20Editors%20and%20Owners (accessed March 2, 2016)
  2. http://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/roles-and-responsibilities/journal-owners-and-editorial-freedom.html (accessed March 2, 2016)
  3. http://www.councilscienceeditors.org/resource-library/editorial-policies/white-paper-on-publication-ethics/ (accessed March 2, 2016)
  4. http://publicationethics.org/files/Code%20of%20conduct%20for%20publishers%20FINAL_1_0_0.pdf (accessed March 2, 2016)

 

WAME March 2016