Dear [Journal Editor]:
I understand that it is the policy of your journal to omit written acknowledgments of the
contribution of medical writers and editors to manuscript development. A position statement of
the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) takes issue with this policy on ethical
grounds (see enclosure). I hope that this letter will help you to understand the rationale behind
AMWA’s stance. The reasoning is as follows:
1. The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) Uniform Guidelines for
Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals specifically state that “all contributors who do
not meet the criteria for authorship, such as a person who . . . provided purely writing
assistance” be named in the acknowledgments.
2. Important contributions to an article should be recognized and appropriately attributed in that
article.
Good medical writers and editors can make valuable contributions to the publication process,
often improving the clarity of the communication, broadening the scope of literature review,
providing an extra level of data review, adding balance and objectivity, and shortening the
time needed for manuscript development. AMWA believes that these important
contributions deserve recognition.
3. Readers benefit from knowing about the involvement of professional writers and editors.
Disclosing the editorial contribution and the source of funding of the writer and editor allows
the reader to make informed judgments about the objectivity of the article.
Note that the AMWA position statement recommends acknowledgment of pertinent professional
or financial relationships as well as acknowledgment of the contributions of writers and editors.
It also recommends that the person being acknowledged be given the opportunity to grant or
refuse permission for the acknowledgment.
Implicit in the ethical position that AMWA is taking is the assumption that journal editors will
not penalize authors who disclose the contributions of writers and editors. Policies of rejecting
articles that make such disclosures tend to discourage professional medical writers from
contributing their editorial expertise and to deny readers the opportunity to know when such
contributions have been made. It is my hope that this article will be reviewed on its merits and
that disclosing my participation will not result in rejection of the article.
Thank you for reconsidering your policy in this matter. I invite you to respond to this letter and
allow me to circulate your response among AMWA members.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
Enc. (fact sheet)