From Thomas Edward Groves
I think that Arnold Relman is wrong to call for editors to refuse papers from
scientists for whom there is a conflict of interest (22 September, p 46). If
there is a requirement that authors declare any commercial sponsorship, then
those authors will have an incentive to comply in order to avoid being
blacklisted in future. But if there is a total ban on the work of sponsored
scientists, then authors will simply conceal their sponsorships because they
will have nothing to lose—after all, they’ll get blacklisted anyway.
Better to know where the opinions are coming from, then the source can be
held responsible.
Ashford, Kent
