Challenges and opportunities of publishing supplements at Arthritis Research & Therapy

Abstract

Supplements are the cause of much debate in the world of journal publishing. Supplements are criticized for the fact that often they are funded by an external source, and journals have been known to shy away from their publication [1]. But is refusing to publish supplements the only answer? At Arthritis Research & Th erapy, we feel that – if subjected to the full rigors of peer review – supplements can provide invaluable educational resources, exploring themes in a detailed and focused way that might not always be possible in the main journal. At Arthritis Research & Th erapy, we have decided that the potential risk of a loss of objectivity in industrysponsored supplements can be managed by scrupulous attention to the peer-review process. Th erefore, in our experience, the benefi t of publishing supplements greatly outweighs any perception of loss of objectivity. We should note that our colleagues in the pharmaceutical industry have embraced our approach with no eff orts to circumvent our rules, as far as we know. We consider proceedings, review collections, and meeting abstracts for inclusion as supplements. Examples of recent supplements are easily accessed on the journal website. It will be apparent that the emphasis is on the molecular and cellular basis of immune and infl ammatory mechanisms of disease. Th e underwriting by the sponsor of the cost of peer review and production ensures that the high-quality publication is freely available. Outlined below is the procedure that we follow when considering any potential supplements for the journal. We recognize the potential for competing interests to infl uence the content of articles where there is industry involvement, but we believe that by adhering to a stringent publication process we negate this risk with our supplement content. So, what is the procedure? First, in a change from the approach taken by many journals, we appoint an ‘internal’ Supplement Editor (usually from the journal’s Editorial Board), whose role is to select peer reviewers and assess the suitability of the supplement articles for publication in the journal. Th is internal editor is selected by the Editors-in-Chief, and the sponsor’s approval is not sought in making this appointment. Before their appointment, internal editors are asked to declare any potential confl icts of interest, and full disclosures are included in both online and print versions of any supplements. In cases in which internal editors receive a stipend, this is paid for by the publisher – not the sponsor. All confl ict of interest disclosures associated with supplement publications follow the National Library of Medicine policy for indexing supplement articles in MEDLINE [2]. For some supplements, particularly where articles are commissioned externally, there may be an ‘external’ Supplement Editor as well as the internal editor. Before their appointment, external supplement editors must be approved by the Editors-in-Chief. Th eir role is to identify the subject matter and propose suitable authors for the individual supplement articles, with the proviso that all content must be approved by the Editors-in-Chief. Th e external editor is not involved in the peer review of any of the articles once submitted. Th ey are also asked for full confl ict of interest disclosures, which are included in the supplement publication alongside those of the internal editor.