Retracted: Composition of the editorial/advisory boards of major English-language anesthesia/critical care journals.

BACKGROUND

Publications represent a central part of the research process. An analysis of who is responsible for acceptance of publications in major English-language anesthesia/critical care medicine journals was carried out.

METHODS

All English-language journals listed in the SCI Journal Citation Reports 1997 under the subheadings Anesthesiology (n=18) and Emergency Medicine & Critical Care (n=16) were analysed with regard to the editorship and the membership of advisory boards listed in the 1998 issues of the journals. The two groups were analysed separately with regard to their country of origin.

RESULTS

In the Anesthesiology section, 140 persons were listed as editors and 423 persons were identified as members of the advisory boards. Editors came from 14 different countries, with editors from the USA representing the majority (n=83; 59% of all editors, followed by the UK: n=24; 15% of all editors). Editors from other countries represent only a minority (n=33; 24% of all editors). The advisory boards came from 30 countries and were also dominated by the USA (n=220; 52% of all persons from the advisory boards). In the Emergency Medicine & Critical Care section 159 persons were listed as editors, of whom 119 originated from the USA (75% of all editors). Of the 835 persons listed in the advisory boards, 72% came from the USA, with 37 other countries sharing the remainder (second, UK: 8%; third, Canada: 2.5%).

CONCLUSION

Most editors/editorial board members of important Anesthesiology, Emergency and Critical Care journals came from the USA. Other countries play a significantly less influential role even in journals which are characterised as 'International Journals'.