Cowell H R
Harvard Medical School, Boston MA, USA.
Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2000 Sep(378):83-9. doi: 10.1097/00003086-200009000-00014.
Scientific misconduct, which is neither new nor unique, is prevalent in the medical literature. Although fabrication of data obviously is unethical, and although ethical rules of conduct for certain aspects of medical studies, such as informed consent, are theoretically accepted worldwide, numerous authors do not adhere to ethical rules of conduct. Ethically, the editor is responsible, as a gatekeeper, for ensuring that material to be published is accurate and valid. Thus, the editor's main responsibility is to the reader. Nonetheless, the editor also must serve the author by selecting unbiased reviewers and by providing the assurance that material will be selected for publication based solely on the scientific quality of the material. Peer reviewers are obligated to maintain a posture of confidentiality throughout the review process. Authors are responsible for adequate planning before undertaking a study, and for safeguarding patients' rights during the study. The author must read all cited references completely, strive for accuracy, and be certain that the material reported is valid, because it will be used in the treatment of patients. Hopefully, awareness of the ethical problems related to medical writing will provide a clearer understanding of the ethical aspects of medical writing.
科学不端行为既不新鲜也非个别现象，在医学文献中普遍存在。尽管伪造数据显然不道德，而且尽管医学研究某些方面的道德行为规则，如知情同意，在理论上已被全世界所接受，但许多作者并不遵守道德行为规则。从道德上讲，编辑作为把关人，有责任确保待发表的材料准确有效。因此，编辑的主要责任是对读者负责。尽管如此，编辑还必须通过挑选公正的审稿人，并保证材料将仅根据其科学质量被选作发表，来为作者服务。同行审稿人有义务在整个审稿过程中保持保密姿态。作者在开展研究前有责任进行充分规划，并在研究过程中保护患者权利。作者必须完整阅读所有引用的参考文献，力求准确，并确保所报告的材料有效，因为它将用于患者的治疗。希望对医学写作相关伦理问题的认识能让人们更清楚地理解医学写作的伦理层面。
