The Ingelfinger Rule.

The Journal and its editor have lately come under considerable fire from some representatives of the media1 2 3 and from a few medical editors as well.4 5 6 7 8 9 These critics object to our "Ingelfinger Rule," a policy intended to discourage dissemination of research reports in the medical newspapers and popular media before they are published in the Journal. Some of these criticisms stem from a misunderstanding of our policy and how we implement it. Others reflect disagreement on matters of principle that may not have been adequately explored. Further explanation seems to be needed to set the record straight, even at the . . .