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Council of Science Editors Calls on the
Croatian Ministry of Science, Education, and Sports to
Treat Croatian Medical Journal Editors Fairly

Reston, VA - April 23, 2008 — The Council of Science Editors (CSE) expresses its deep concern over the treatment of the editors-in-chief of the Croatian Medical Journal (CMJ), Matko Marusic and Ana Marusic. Both are professors at the University of Zagreb Medical School, and Ana Marusic is CSE’s elected president. These two editors of the most prestigious peer-reviewed medical journal in Croatia appear to have been subjected to unusual and unfair treatment from one of its university owners.

Four Croatian medical schools, including that at the University of Zagreb, own CMJ. However, the ultimate owner is the public, because it is through public funds that the Croatian Ministry of Science, Education, and Sports supports those public universities. It is the Ministry that is responsible for the budget and legality of the higher education system. The journal’s oversight body is a Joint Management Board with representatives from each of the four universities. The representatives are appointed by the universities' councils at the suggestion of the universities' deans. With pressure on the Croatian medical community to publish in indexed journals, stakes are high and professional agendas may vary. What the journal owners may not realize, says CSE, is that tampering with the peer-review process and other quality measures may jeopardize the journal’s acceptance for indexing, and thus reduce opportunities for Croatian authors to publish in an indexed journal.

University of Zagreb Medical School faculty and staff have reportedly submitted manuscripts to CMJ but after peer review the manuscripts were rejected, and some authors from the University of Zagreb have come under scrutiny for duplicate submissions—a practice that violates journal policies and is considered unethical in the medical journal community. The editors of the journal, when confronting editorial decisions like these regarding acceptable content or allegations of impropriety, have not shrunk from their responsibility or hidden the journal’s activities from the scientific community or the public. Nonetheless, the dean of the University of Zagreb Medical School has proposed that oversight of CMJ be brought under the school’s control and that the editors be rehired subject to review of their professional activities. These actions appear to be an attempt to erode CMJ’s long-standing editorial independence from external influences—whether political, financial, or personal—that has served to promote the journal’s integrity.

CSE calls for the Croatian Ministry, and through universities receiving its support, to take responsibility as an owner of a peer-reviewed medical journal. CSE urges the Ministry and editors to follow and fine-tune the journal’s established, agreed-upon governance oversight arrangement; the roles and responsibilities of all involved in the editorial and publication process; and the feedback to the current editors so that it is in accordance with the best available industry practices. While owners, management and oversight bodies, and editors must respect each other’s boundaries and obligations, the editors must be guaranteed their editorial freedom within the defined scope of the journal and be recognized for promoting the good publication practices of CMJ that have prevailed so far. CSE continues to stands behind its policy as summarized below (see www.councilscienceeditors.org/editorial_policies/ whitepaper/2-5_relations.cfm):

The Editor should have total responsibility, authority and accountability for editorial content of the journal. The Editor must be free to authorize publication of peer-reviewed and other appropriate research reports, as well as society news, appropriate advertising and other materials, and must be free from unilateral, politically biased or otherwise arbitrary interference that may detract from the long-standing tradition of a free scientific press. While the publisher, sponsoring society, or journal owner is usually responsible for financial and other management issues and business policies, they should always recognize and accept the journal's scientific integrity and the editorial independence of the Editor.

On behalf of the CSE Board,

Diane Scott-Lichter, President-Elect

Diane Lang, Vice President

Frank Stumpf, Treasurer

About CSE: CSE is a professional organization approximately 1,000 members dedicated to promoting excellence in the communication of scientific information. It was established in 1957 by joint action of the National Science Foundation and the American Institute of Biological Sciences. Today, it enjoys close relationships with a number of scientific publishing organizations, both national and international, but it functions autonomously, relying on the vigor of its more than members to attain the goals of the organization.