Evidence map›Paper›PMID 24627711›Full record

ArticleBiochemia medica2014

Hiring a professional medical writer: is it equivalent to ghostwriting?

Natasha Das, Saurendra Das

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Biochemia medica, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
11citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

11 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Ghostwriters in the scientific world.The Pan African medical journal · 2018
    Article
  4. How do I write a scientific article?-A personal perspective.Annals of translational medicine · 2017
    Article
  5. Statement on Publication Ethics for Editors and Publishers.Journal of Korean medical science · 2016
    Review
  6. Review
  7. Review
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Preparing and Publishing a Scientific Manuscript.Journal of human reproductive sciences
    Review
  11. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Natasha DasFreelance Medical Writer, Delhi, India.
Saurendra DasExcel Life Sciences, NOIDA, India.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Authors of articles published in medical journals are often busy researchers who cannot afford time devoted to writing. Though they are experts in their own therapeutic area, more often than not, researchers find it difficult to actually write and publish their research. Professional medical writers with their expertise in writing clear, concise, comprehensible, and coherent content are often a great support to researchers. Their contribution to the manuscript is usually focused on getting a manuscript ready for publication. They are not authors unless they make substantial contribution to the study according to the guidelines of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). However, medical writing is not the same as ghostwriting. Ghostwriting is unethical. Medical writers can be legitimate contributors to the medical manuscript. Several international guidelines including the ICMJE guidelines require authors to acknowledge the contribution of medical writers in the published article. Medical writers whose name is publicly associated with the article in turn make an extra effort to ensure that all applicable publication ethics and style guidelines are adhered to. This article discusses the current international guidelines about the acknowledgement of writing assistance. It also emphasizes on how acknowledging medical writing support can go a long way in curbing the menace of scientific misconduct including ghostwriting.

Indexed as

DisclosureEditorial PoliciesHumansJournalism, MedicalProfessional CompetencePublishingScientific MisconductWritingacknowledgementauthorshipethics in publishingghostwritermedical writer

Identifiers

PMID24627711
PMCPMC3936972

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.