The BMJ

The BMJ
Title	The BMJ
Discipline	Medicine
Abbreviation	BMJ
Editor	Fiona Godlee
Publisher	BMJ Publishing Group
Country	United Kingdom
Frequency	Weekly
History	1840–present
Impact	39.891
Impact-year	2023

The BMJ is a weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal published by the BMJ Publishing Group in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1840 as a forum for clinical practice, public health, and medical research, it has evolved into an influential platform for biomedical scholarship, health policy, and clinical guidance. The journal has shaped debates involving figures and institutions across medicine and public life, engaging with scientific societies, regulatory bodies, and global health organizations.

History

The journal originated as the Provincial Medical and Surgical Journal and was renamed in the 19th century during the era of figures such as Florence Nightingale, John Snow, and Louis Pasteur, intersecting with developments in Public Health (UK) and the professionalization of medicine. During the Victorian period it engaged with debates involving the Royal College of Physicians, the British Medical Association, and the rise of laboratory medicine associated with laboratories like those of Robert Koch and Joseph Lister. In the 20th century the title operated amid upheavals such as World War I, the establishment of the National Health Service, and the influence of scientists including Alexander Fleming; editorial content responded to policy shifts enacted by administrations like those led by Clement Attlee and Winston Churchill. Postwar modernization involved interactions with regulatory and research funders including the Medical Research Council and the Wellcome Trust. The late 20th and early 21st centuries saw transitions tied to digital publishing initiatives similar to those of Nature (journal), The Lancet, and Science (journal), and editorial strategies responding to controversies involving investigatory reporting on issues associated with institutions such as the World Health Organization and multinational pharmaceutical companies like GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer.

Editorial policy and peer review

Editorial stewardship has reflected standards promoted by organizations including the Committee on Publication Ethics, the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, and the World Association of Medical Editors. Editors have engaged with legal frameworks such as those administered by the Courts of England and Wales when addressing libel and confidentiality, and editorial governance has interfaced with professional bodies including the General Medical Council. Peer review processes have been compared and contrasted with models used by journals such as JAMA and The New England Journal of Medicine, incorporating external expert reviewers drawn from institutions like the Johns Hopkins University, Harvard Medical School, and Imperial College London. The journal has adopted policies on conflicts of interest, data sharing, and trial registration aligned with standards endorsed by the National Institutes of Health, the European Medicines Agency, and the Food and Drug Administration (United States).

Content and sections

Regular content types reflect formats seen across academic publishing ecosystems including original research, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, clinical practice articles, and commentary. Sections often mirror thematic domains represented by bodies such as the Royal Society of Medicine, the Royal College of General Practitioners, and specialty societies like the Royal College of Physicians. Features include investigative journalism comparable to work published by outlets such as the Guardian and the New York Times, educational material reminiscent of resources from the Cochrane Collaboration and guidelines linked to authorities like the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Clinical tools, statistical analyses, and editorial perspectives engage with academic centers including University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Yale University, and Stanford University.

Open access and publishing model

The journal has transitioned through subscription and open-access paradigms, interacting with funding policies set by funders such as the Wellcome Trust, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and the European Research Council. Open access policies have been influenced by mandates from agencies including the National Institutes of Health and initiatives similar to Plan S. The publisher operates alongside commercial and learned society publishers exemplified by Elsevier, Springer Nature, and Wiley-Blackwell while navigating licensing frameworks such as Creative Commons licenses used by many scholarly outlets. Article processing charges, hybrid models, and waivers reflect financial arrangements that parallel those at journals like PLOS Medicine and BMJ Open.

Impact, reach, and controversies

The journal’s impact factor and citation metrics place it among major medical journals alongside The Lancet, JAMA, and The New England Journal of Medicine. Its reporting and editorials have prompted responses from governments and organizations such as the UK Parliament, the European Commission, and the World Health Organization. Controversies have arisen over conflicts involving pharmaceutical regulation, as seen in disputes with companies such as AstraZeneca and Roche, and investigative pieces have led to inquiries involving bodies like the General Medical Council and the Care Quality Commission. High-profile retractions and corrections have paralleled events at other outlets, leading to debates with advocacy groups including Transparency International and patient organizations such as Macmillan Cancer Support.

Notable publications and campaigns

The journal has published influential randomized trials, systematic reviews, and policy analyses that echoed across institutions including the Cochrane Collaboration, NHS England, and international consortia like the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Campaigns have addressed issues championed by organizations such as Doctors Without Borders (MSF), Save the Children, and Amnesty International, and reporting has contributed to regulatory action involving agencies like the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Landmark articles have informed clinical guidelines from entities such as the American College of Physicians and the World Medical Association.

Category:Medical journals