Diane Kelsall

Core Competencies for Scientific Editors of Biomedical Journals: Consensus Statement

BackgroundScientific editors are responsible for deciding which articles to publish in their journals. However, we have not found documentation of their required knowledge, skills, and characteristics, or the existence of any formal core competencies for this role.MethodsWe describe the development of a minimum set of core competencies for scientific editors of biomedical journals.ResultsThe 14 key core competencies are divided into three major areas, and each competency has a list of associated elements or descriptions of more specific knowledge, skills, and characteristics that contribute to its fulfillment.ConclusionsWe believe that these core competencies are a baseline of the knowledge, skills, and characteristics needed to perform competently the duties of a scientific editor at a biomedical journal.

Upholding the integrity of your CMAJ

On Feb. 29, 2016, the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) disbanded the CMAJ ’s Journal Oversight Committee (JOC), dismissed Editor-in-Chief Dr. John Fletcher and set up a task force to consult on the future vision and governance of the journal.[1][1] It is not up to us to explain the CMA’s

Physicians are not solely responsible for ensuring access to medical assistance in dying

Patients’ rights to access to medical assistance in dying (MAiD) trumps the religious rights of physicians under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms — or so says the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. But ensuring equitable access to health care is a societal responsibility and does not

Cannabis legislation fails to protect Canada’s youth

With tabling of Bill C-45, the federal government has moved one step closer to fulfilling its election promise to legalize the use of cannabis in Canada, despite concerns over the many health risks associated with its use. The purported purpose of the act is to protect public health and safety,[1][1

With a disease for every day, who will care for the orphans?

November is a busy month, and not just because of the lead-up to Christmas and other winter holidays, Remembrance Day or midterm examinations for many students. November has been transformed into an excuse for men to grow facial hair in support of men’s health programs, as well as a time to pay

Laser hair removal: No training required?

See related news story, page [755][1] Imagine licensing a car but not the driver or, in medical terms, licensing an endoscope but not the physician who uses it. That, in effect, is what Canada’s governments are doing with laser machines used for hair removal. And, like most machines and

Cruel and usual punishment: solitary confinement in Canadian prisons

On any given day, there are 850 offenders (about 5.6% of the prison population) in solitary confinement in Canadian federal prisons.1 Some of these inmates have been isolated for more than four months. Many are young. Many have serious mental health problems. Is this acceptable practice or is this

Celebrating top achievements in health research 2011

See related articles by Drucker at [www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.112127][1] and by Koren and colleagues at [www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.112128][2] The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the CMAJ host an annual competition to celebrate top achievements in health

Must we keep depriving residents of sleep

Would you like an alcohol-impaired resident involved in hospital care? Of course not. Why, then, is it acceptable for exhausted residents to examine patients, assist in operations or write prescriptions when they may be functionally impaired at a level comparable to alcohol intoxication? [1][1]

No standards: medicolegal investigation of deaths

Each year, about 230 000 residents of Canada die.[1][1] In unexplained, unexpected or violent deaths, coroners or medical examiners are charged with determining why and how the person died.[2][2] However, concerns have been raised about the quality of medicolegal investigation of deaths and the