Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals - Updated January 2026

Sep 20, 2026

These ICMJE recommendations set best-practice and ethical standards for the conduct and reporting of research published in medical journals. They guide authors, editors, reviewers, publishers, and other stakeholders in responsible peer review and biomedical publishing, aiming to produce articles that are accurate, clear, reproducible, and unbiased. The document outlines roles, conflict-of-interest disclosure, submission and review responsibilities, publication ethics, manuscript preparation, and the responsible use of artificial intelligence in publishing.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages21

Reading Time53 min

AccessFree to download

About the Recommendations

Purpose of the Recommendations

Who Should Use the Recommendations?

History of the Recommendations

Roles and Responsibilities of Authors, Contributors, Reviewers, Editors, Publishers, and Owners

Defining the Role of Authors and Contributors

Disclosure of Financial and Non-Financial Relationships and Activities, and Conflicts of Interest

Responsibilities in the Submission and Peer-Review Process

Publishing and Editorial Issues Related to Publication in Medical Journals

Corrections and Version Control

Scientific Misconduct

Overlapping Publications

Correspondence

Fees

Supplements, Theme Issues, and Special Series

Sponsorship and Partnerships

Manuscript Preparation and Submission

Preparing a Manuscript for Submission to a Medical Journal

Use of Artificial Intelligence in Publishing

Use of AI by Authors

Use of AI by Reviewers

Editors’ Role in Ensuring Responsible Use of AI

Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals Updated January 2026 I. About the Recommendations A. Purpose of the Recommendations B. Who Should Use the Recommendations? C. History of the Recommendations II. Roles and Responsibilities of Authors, Contributors, Reviewers, Editors, Publishers, and Owners A. Deﬁning the Role of Authors and Contributors 1. Why Authorship Matters 2. Who Is an Author? 3. Non-Author Contributors 4. Artiﬁcial Intelligence (AI)–Assisted Technology B. Disclosure of Financial and Non-Financial Relationships and Activities, and Conﬂicts of Interest 1. Participants a. Authors b. Peer Reviewers c. Editors and Journal Staff 2. Reporting Relationships and Activities C. Responsibilities in the Submission and Peer-Review Process 1. Authors a. Predatory or Pseudo-Journals 2. Journals a. Conﬁdentiality b. Timeliness and Responsiveness c. Peer Review d. Integrity e. Diversity and Inclusion f. Journal Metrics 3. Peer Reviewers D. Journal Owners and Editorial Freedom 1. Journal Owners 2. Editorial Freedom E. Protection of Research Participants III. Publishing and Editorial Issues Related to Publication in Medical Journals A. Corrections and Version Control B. Scientiﬁc Misconduct C. Copyright D. Overlapping Publications 1. Duplicate Submission 2. Duplicate and Prior Publication 3. Preprints a. Choosing a Preprint Archive b. Submitting Manuscripts That Are in Preprint Archives to a Peer-Reviewed Journal c. Referencing Preprints in Submitted Manuscripts 4. Acceptable Secondary Publication 5. Manuscripts Based on the Same Database E. Correspondence F. Fees G. Supplements, Theme Issues, and Special Series H. Sponsorship and Partnerships I. Electronic Publishing J. Advertising K. Journals and the Media L. Clinical Trials 1. Registration 2. Authors’ Access to Data 3. Data Sharing IV. Manuscript Preparation and Submission A. Preparing a Manuscript for Submission to a Medical Journal 1. General Principles 2. Reporting Guidelines 3. Manuscript Sections a. Title Page b. Abstract c. Introduction d. Methods i. Selection and Description of Participants ii. Data Collection and Measurements iii. Statistics e. Results f. Discussion g. References i. General Considerations ii. Style and Format h. Tables i. Illustrations (Figures) j. Units of Measurement k. Abbreviations and Symbols B. Sending the Manuscript to the Journal V. Use of Artiﬁcial Intelligence in Publishing A. Use of AI by Authors B. Use of AI by Reviewers C. Editors’ Role in Ensuring Responsible Use of AI I. ABOUT THE RECOMMENDATIONS A. Purpose of the Recommendations ICMJE developed these recommendations to review best practice and ethical standards in the conduct and reporting of research and other material published in medical journals, and to help authors, editors, and others involved in peer review and biomedical publishing create and distribute accurate, clear, reproducible, unbiased medical journal articles. The recommendations may also provide useful insights into the medical editing and publishing process for the media, patients and their families, and general readers. As some readers review only certain sections on an as-needed basis, some ICMJE guidance is reiterated in different sections so that each section is self-contained. Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals B. Who Should Use the Recommendations? These recommendations are intended primarily for use by authors who might submit their work for publication to ICMJE member journals. Many non-ICMJE journals voluntarily use these recommendations. The ICMJE encourages that use but has no authority to monitor or enforce it. In all cases, authors should use these recommendations along with individual journals’ instr

FAQs

Who are the intended users of these recommendations?

The recommendations are primarily intended for authors submitting to ICMJE member journals, and many non-ICMJE journals voluntarily use them. Authors are also expected to follow individual journals’ instructions to authors.

What are the key responsibilities related to authorship and accountability?

Authorship provides credit and carries academic, social, and financial implications, along with responsibility and accountability. The guidance aims to ensure substantive contributors are credited while authors understand their duties for what is published.

What does the document cover regarding publication ethics and manuscript handling?

It addresses corrections and version control, scientific misconduct, copyright, overlapping publications (including duplicate submissions and preprints), correspondence, fees, and editorial/special issue structures. It also covers manuscript preparation and submission elements and section-level expectations.

Sep 20, 2026

Uploaded by Lucas Martin