How Should Journals Handle the Conflict of Interest of Their Editors?: Who Watches the “Watchers”?

Conflict of interest (COI) policies at most academic medical centers require that investigators disclose research-related financial interests to their institutions so the institution can review the potential risks of the COI. To manage COI, academic medical centers typically direct investigators to disclose their financial interests to research participants and to journal editors. If an institution follows the guidelines of the Association of American Medical Colleges, except for situations in which a researcher has a significant financial interest in research involving humans, investigators generally are permitted to retain their financial interests while performing related research as long as there is transparency about their financial interests via disclosure to the consumers. Here, Gottlien and Bresslet talk about disclosureof a COI in a publication.