Three Medical Writing Associations Issue Joint Statement on State of Peer Review Process, Highlight Rushed COVID-19 Publications

April 7, 2021

In a joint statement by the AMWA (American Medical Writers Association), the EMWA (European Medical Writers Association), and the ISMPP (International Society for Medical Publication Professionals), the organizations discuss widespread problems associated with the peer review process. Often, this process is rushed, which can lead to serious problems. Recently, two articles by COVID-19 researchers were later retracted. The organizations emphasize the duty of medical writers to uphold the integrity and quality of data presented in their work. They call for new standards to improve the quality of medical publications.

“As professional medical writers and communicators, we have identified areas that could benefit from increased quality assurance. We have suggested some processes that we believe would better ensure effective oversight of scientific and medical publications, whether in the context of a health emergency or not. To maintain confidence in published science, each involved party (including the reader) must take responsibility for exercising their best judgment and selecting information from sources with good publishing practices that are rigorous and transparent.” Read more here.