There's no way you can expect a journal's editorial team to investigate the
financial affairs of every author of every paper.  They have the right to
expect full, informed openness on the part of medical authors - which is
why the apparent lack of candidness in this case is being taken seriously
enough to refer to the GMC.  In regard to the MMR story, there seems to me
to be three crucial components.  Firstly the selection of the group of
children at the heart of the research may have been slewed by
non-scientific factors, with a result that the findings may not reflect
incidences in the population at large.  Secondly, although the link between
autism and bowel disease seems to have some evidential basis (given the
reservations about the experimental group) the link with MMR was cited only
as an impression or association that existed in the minds of the parents.
Thirdly, several of the co-authors now say they would not have put their
names to the paper had they known about the legal aid study and this may
have reduced the chances of the Lancet's accepting the paper.

Of these, the Lancet and its reviewers could only possibly have done
anything about (2).  In retrospect I bet they wish they had spotted it as
the juicy tabloid bait it has proved to be, but no-one can say they are
"guilty" of anything more than a minor oversight.  What Dr Horton did do
was to go very public immediately and to highlight the problem in the
strongest, plainest terms and in such a way as to do everything in his
power to undo the public health damage caused by the original paper.
Obviously and understandably the Sunday Times was furious about the broken
embargo, but in a public health issue of this magnitude I feel that time is
of the essence and Horton had no choice.

Cilip put out the press release (at my suggestion) because this story has
the legs to run for a few days yet.  By now the press, especially the
rolling news stations, are getting desperate to find new angles to fill
their schedules/pages.  The story undoubetdly has a quality of information
aspect and Cilip thought it was worth trying to get some positive publicity
out of it.  One of the commonest complaints from Cilip members is that the
Inst doesn't do enough to publicise the good work we do.  This is the sort
of thing you have to do to achieve that.

Tony McSean






                      JACKIE FISHLEIGH
                      <jfishleigh@PAYNEHICKSB        To:       [log in to unmask]
                      EACH.CO.UK>                    cc:
                      Sent by: Chartered             bcc:
                      Library and Information        Subject:  Re: MRR ROW HIGHLIGHTS IMPORTANCE OF HIGH QUALITY INFORMATION
                      Professionals
                      <[log in to unmask]
                      UK>


                      25/02/04 10:27
                      Please respond to
                      Chartered Library and
                      Information
                      Professionals






Well spotted. Also I think the latest controversy revolves around the fact
that the editor of the Lancet was not aware as perhaps he should have been
that the author of the research had an undisclosed vested interest.
Unfortunately I think this overshadows the quality information point being
made.

High quality information is always vital to all areas of health
information.
I think it is better to highlight this general point rather than the MMR
hot
potato.

Jackie Fishleigh
Librarian
Payne Hicks Beach
10 New Square
Lincoln's Inn
London
WC2A 3QG

-----Original Message-----
From: Denise Sparrowhawk [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 25 February 2004 10:07
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: MRR ROW HIGHLIGHTS IMPORTANCE OF HIGH QUALITY INFORMATION


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Were CILIP trying to be Ironic?   I believe it is MMR  (stands for Measles
Mumps And Rubella).  high quality info!

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