Fw: Scientists to reveal financial ties

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----- Original Message ----- From: Myrl Jeffcoat

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Sent: Friday, August 24, 2001 7:41 AM

Subject: Scientists to reveal financial ties

Scientists to reveal financial tiesNature asks research authors to disclose patents, other datahttp://www.msnbc.com/news/618080.asp?0si=-ASSOCIATED PRESSAug. 22 - The prestigious journal Nature announced Wednesday it will beginasking scientists who submit research papers to disclose any financialinterests they have in their work. It will publish that information with thestudies, and if scientists refuse to provide it, Nature will publish a noteabout the refusal. Many other journals already require such disclosures,because of concern about hidden researcher bias.IN FACT, "Nature is the last of the top dozen science journals, inparticular the journals that receive the most media attention, to require adeclaration of financial interest," said Sheldon Krimsky, who studiesscience policy at Tufts University.In Thursday's issue of the London-based journal, Nature editor Philip said the policy is meant to maintain public trust in the publishedresearch. Readers can decide how important potential financial conflicts arein assessing published papers, he wrote.The policy takes effect for research papers received on or after Oct. 1. Itapplies not only to the weekly journal, but also to Nature's seven monthlyresearch journals specializing in such areas as genetics, neuroscience,immunology, biotechnology and cell biology.Researchers will be asked to disclose "competing financial interests,"defined as "those of a financial nature that, through their potentialinfluence on behavior or content or from perception of such potentialinfluences, could undermine the objectivity, integrity or perceived value ofa publication."WHAT KINDS OF INTERESTS?The journal gave such examples as patents, research support or consultingfees from organizations with a stake in publication, and stock in companiesthat stand to gain or lose from publication. Nature set no minimum dollaramount but suggested the guidelines cover any undeclared interests "thatcould embarrass you were they to become publicly known after your work waspublished."Nature currently lets authors disclose the sources of funding for theirresearch if they choose. Jennings, executive editor of the Nature monthlies, said editors donot plan to use the new information in deciding whether to publish a paper."We as editors are not in a position to determine whether a particular pieceof research has been distorted by financial interests," Jennings said. Butby publishing the information, the journals will give their scientificreaders a way to judge which papers to pay attention to and follow up intheir own labs, he said."You might want to know what the author's financial stake in it was beforedeciding how much weight to put on that paper," he said.At the journal Science, deputy managing editor R. Hanson noted thathis publication requires authors to submit information about "professionaland financial affiliations that may be perceived to have biased thepresentation." The journal routinely discloses whom scientists were workingfor when the work was done and the sources of the study's funding, he said.Hanson said Science's editors would consider a further statement aboutauthor financial interests if they felt it was needed in particular cases.But he said he could not remember whether such a statement has ever beenpublished.