NEJM

NEJM
Title	New England Journal of Medicine
Discipline	Medicine
Publisher	Massachusetts Medical Society
Country	United States
Frequency	Weekly
Established	1812
Issn	0028-4793

NEJM

The New England Journal of Medicine is a peer-reviewed weekly medical journal published by the Massachusetts Medical Society. It is widely regarded as one of the most influential periodicals in clinical medicine and biomedical research, with long-standing interactions with institutions such as Harvard Medical School, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Mayo Clinic, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University School of Medicine. The journal's readership historically includes clinicians affiliated with Columbia University Irving Medical Center, researchers connected to National Institutes of Health, policy-makers associated with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and educators from Yale School of Medicine.

History

Founded in 1812, the journal emerged in a period of early American medical organization contemporaneous with entities like the American Medical Association and events such as the aftermath of the War of 1812. During the 19th century its pages paralleled developments at institutions including Massachusetts General Hospital and scientific advances linked to figures like Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. and William Osler. In the 20th century the journal chronicled landmark efforts from laboratories at Rockefeller University, wartime medicine connected to World War I and World War II, and the rise of clinical trials influenced by reforms at U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Throughout its history it has published work by investigators affiliated with Institute Pasteur, Karolinska Institute, Oxford University, Cambridge University, and multinational studies involving groups such as the World Health Organization.

Editorial and Publication Practices

The journal operates under editorial leadership drawn from academics at institutions like Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Duke University School of Medicine. Its peer review process typically engages reviewers from centers including Imperial College London, University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine, and University of California, San Francisco. Editorial policies address conflicts of interest with reference to standards promoted by International Committee of Medical Journal Editors and ethical frameworks echoing precedents from cases at Harvard School of Public Health. The journal enforces disclosure requirements similar to those developed after investigations related to Vioxx litigation and reporting norms refined in the wake of controversies involving companies such as GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer. It maintains archives overlapping with repositories at Library of Congress and digitization collaborations akin to projects at Wellcome Trust.

Content and Notable Articles

The journal's content spans randomized controlled trials, observational studies, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and editorial commentary, often originating from sites like NIH Clinical Center, Cleveland Clinic, and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Notable publications have included early randomized trials akin to those devised by researchers at RAND Corporation and high-impact reports comparable in influence to work from Bell Labs in other fields. Landmark clinical trials reported in its pages have influenced guidelines produced by organizations such as American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association, and World Health Organization. The journal has published seminal reports tied to discoveries related to agents developed at AbbVie, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Merck & Co., and vaccines developed in collaboration with teams at Karolinska Institute and University of Oxford. Review articles have synthesized work connected to investigators at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Salk Institute, and Broad Institute.

Impact and Reception

Its articles are frequently cited in policy documents from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and clinical guidelines by associations including American College of Physicians and European Society of Cardiology. The journal's influence extends to legal proceedings where expert testimony references studies appearing in its pages, much like landmark cases citing research from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. It is tracked in bibliometric indicators alongside journals such as The Lancet, JAMA, and BMJ, and regularly features in discussions at conferences hosted by American Association for the Advancement of Science and World Medical Association. Academic awards, including honors from institutions like Royal Society and prizes such as those conferred by Lasker Foundation, have been associated with contributors to the journal.

Access and Distribution

Published weekly by the Massachusetts Medical Society, the journal distributes print and electronic editions accessed by subscribers at hospitals such as St. Thomas' Hospital and clinics affiliated with Scripps Health. Institutional subscriptions extend to university libraries at Princeton University, University of Chicago, and University of Michigan Health System, while online content is integrated into platforms used by organizations like PubMed and university consortia modeled on services from JSTOR. The journal offers continuing medical education linked to accreditation bodies including American Medical Association and collaborates with indexing services analogous to those run by Clarivate Analytics.

Controversies and Criticism

Over its history the journal has faced scrutiny similar to episodes that affected other major publications like Science and Nature. Criticisms have included debates over conflicts of interest involving pharmaceutical firms such as Roche and AstraZeneca, disputes about retraction practices paralleling high-profile cases at Elsevier journals, and discussion about editorial independence during public health crises reminiscent of controversies at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Scholars from institutions including Columbia University and University of Oxford have published critiques concerning statistical reporting and transparency comparable to broader debates in reproducibility that have involved groups at Stanford University and Harvard University. The journal has revised policies in response to community pressure from professional societies such as American Public Health Association and advocacy by investigators associated with Transparency International-style initiatives.

Category:Medical journals