Best practices of medical journalism: Role of editors, peer reviewers, and authors

Medical writing is an art which requires a fine blend of new scientific information and rhetorical skills. An article in a reputed journal ensures recognition and career advancement, and there has been a rush among doctors to publish their research work. Several indexed “predatory” journals have mushroomed and are accepting articles without a blinded peer review. The standard impact factor (IF) scoring for a journal has been debatable and so has been the authenticity of indexing. Awareness regarding standard guidelines is required for reliable and valid research. Evidence from a scientific research is the need of the day for an emerging economy like India to help build universal health coverage and meet sustainable developmental goals. This article analyses the concepts of IF and indexing and discusses the best practices for the editors, peer reviewers, and authors.