Ghost-authors, improvement article communication, and medical publications

Area of Science:

• Medical writing and scientific communication

Background:

• The role of ghost-authors in medical publications is debated, with accusations of introducing market messages into scientific journals.
• The relationship between ghost-authors, medical writers, and the pharmaceutical industry requires clarification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the role of ghost-authors in relation to medical writers.
• To discuss intellectual authorship in scientific articles.
• To examine the influence of research groups and the pharmaceutical industry on scientific publications.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of ghost-authorship and its application to medical writers.
• Discussion of intellectual authorship criteria for scientific articles.
• Examination of the relationship between authors, research groups, pharmaceutical industry, and journal editors.

Main Results:

• Medical writers improve article communication and do not meet the criteria for ghost-authorship.
• Authors are responsible for the conclusions drawn from research data.
• Editors hold responsibility for published papers.

Conclusions:

• The role of medical writers is valuable for enhancing scientific communication.
• Medical writers, when following authorship guidelines, are distinct from ghost-authors.
• Accountability for scientific misconduct must include authors, editors, and research groups.