The ''Canadian Medical Association Journal'' (French ''Journal de l'Association Médicale Canadienne'') is a
peer-reviewed
Peer review is the evaluation of work by one or more people with similar competencies as the producers of the work (peers). It functions as a form of self-regulation by qualified members of a profession within the relevant field. Peer review ...
general
medical journal
A medical journal is a peer-reviewed scientific journal that communicates medical information to physicians, other health professionals. Journals that cover many medical specialties are sometimes called general medical journals.
History
The first ...
published by the
Canadian Medical Association
The Canadian Medical Association (CMA; french: Association médicale canadienne, AMC) is a national, voluntary association of physicians and medical learners that advocates on national health matters. Its primary mandate is to drive positive ch ...
(CMA). It publishes original clinical research, analyses and reviews, news, practice updates, and
editorial
An editorial, or leading article (UK) or leader (UK) is an article written by the senior editorial people or publisher of a newspaper, magazine, or any other written document, often unsigned. Australian and major United States newspapers, suc ...
s.
Notable articles
The journal has published the following notable articles:
# Banting and Best's 1922 report, "Pancreatic extracts in the treatment of diabetes mellitus". Banting and Macleod were awarded a
Nobel Prize for the discovery of
insulin
Insulin (, from Latin ''insula'', 'island') is a peptide hormone produced by beta cells of the pancreatic islets encoded in humans by the ''INS'' gene. It is considered to be the main anabolic hormone of the body. It regulates the metabolism o ...
in 1923.
[; Reprinted as ]
# 1926 – the first use of liver as a treatment for
anemia, which led to the isolation of
vitamin B12.
# 1938 – CMAJ warns about the relationship between
sun exposure
The ultraviolet radiation in sunlight has both positive and negative health effects, as it is required for the synthesis of vitamin D3 and is a mutagen. A dietary supplement can supply vitamin D without this mutagenic effect, but supplementati ...
and
skin cancer.
# 2003 – CMAJ responds rapidly to SARS (
severe acute respiratory syndrome), publishing timely information during the outbreak.
# 2009 – CMAJ publishes a research paper on the increased risk of reinfarction associated with
proton pump inhibitors and
clopidogrel
Clopidogrel — sold under the brand name Plavix, among others — is an antiplatelet medication used to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke in those at high risk. It is also used together with aspirin in heart attacks and following t ...
, which has been widely cited and generated related research studies on the topic.
CMAJ Open
''CMAJ Open'', an online
open-access offshoot established in January 2013 with Diane Kelsall as its
editor-in-chief, has an
open peer-review system which makes reviewer comments, author responses, and previous versions available online along with the final versions of contributions.
History
A prime mover behind establishment of the ''Canadian Medical Association Journal'' was
Andrew Macphail
Sir John Andrew Macphail, (November 24, 1864 – September 23, 1938) was a Canadian physician, author, professor of medicine, and soldier. Macphail was a prolific writer, and an influential intellectual during the early twentieth century.Damie ...
, chair of the history of medicine at
McGill University and editor of the ''Montreal Medical Journal''. At the Canadian Medical Association's 1907 annual meeting held in Montreal, "Macphail argued that without a journal to express its views and record its proceedings the association would have little impact", and was successful in getting a clause urging the founding of a journal put into the CMA constitution. At the 1910 meeting an executive report was adopted urging immediate steps to found a journal. Macphail was appointed the first editor.
[S. E. D. Shortt,]
Sir Andrew Macphail: physician, philosopher, founding editor of CMAJ
, ''CMAJ'', Vol. 118 (February 4, 1978), 326, Web, Apr. 5, 2011.
The ''Montreal Medical Journal'' was acquired, and the ''Maritime Medical News'' agreed to suspend publication. The first issue of the new ''Canadian Medical Association Journal'' was published in January 1911. In 1913, for the first time, the journal showed a profit, which was sufficient to liquidate the previous deficit. Subscriptions had increased 60% over the 1911 level and were being purchased by 20% of Canadian doctors.
[
Image:Canadian Medical Association Journal first issue.jpg, First issue of ''Canadian Medical Association Journal'', January 1911
File:Montreal medical journal Jan 1906.jpg, ''Montreal Medical Journal'', January 1906.
On February 20, 2006, the editor-in-chief, ]John Hoey
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Second E ...
, was fired over an editorial independence
Editorial independence is the freedom of editors to make decisions without interference from the owners of a publication. Editorial independence is tested, for instance, if a newspaper runs articles that may be unpopular with its advertising clien ...
dispute with the then owners of the journal, CMA Media. The journal sent 13 women to buy the emergency contraceptive levonorgestrel
Levonorgestrel is a hormonal medication which is used in a number of birth control methods. It is combined with an estrogen to make combination birth control pills. As an emergency birth control, sold under the brand name Plan B One-Step among ...
(Plan B) over-the-counter in pharmacies across Canada and reported their experiences. The pharmacists asked them for personal data, including the women's names, addresses, dates of last menstrual period, when they had unprotected sex, customary method of birth control, and reason for dispensing the medication. This was at the recommendation of the Canadian Pharmacists Association, which also advised members to store the information permanently in their computers. The Canadian Women's Health Network
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
said that collecting this information was unnecessary and a violation of privacy. The Canadian Pharmacists Association complained to the Canadian Medical Association, demanding that the names of the pharmacists be removed from the article. The Canadian Medical Association ordered the journal to comply. The Canadian Medical Association then fired Hoey, without giving a reason.
On February 28, 2006, the acting-editor, Stephen Choi
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and editorial fellow Sally Murray, resigned from the journal over the same reason, leaving it without any full-time editorial staff, which raised questions about the future of the publication. In January 2007, Paul Hebert became editor-in-chief. After completion of Hebert's term, John Fletcher became editor-in-chief in January 2012.
In April 2007, the former staff launched a new open-access journal, '' Open Medicine''.
On February 29, 2016, a similar controversy re-surfaced as the Canadian Medical Association disbanded the CMAJ's Journal Oversight Committee and dismissed Editor-in-Chief Dr. John Fletcher. The CMA cited a falling impact factor and a decline in research submissions as reasons for the change, but these claims are disputed. Dr. Diane Kelsall, a long-time CMAJ deputy editor, became interim Editor-in-Chief while the organization searches for a permanent replacement.
In December 2021, CMAJ published a letter that said the hijab
In modern usage, hijab ( ar, حجاب, translit=ḥijāb, ) generally refers to headcoverings worn by Muslim women. Many Muslims believe it is obligatory for every female Muslim who has reached the age of puberty to wear a head covering. While ...
was "an instrument of oppression". After the letter was criticized as Islamophobic, CMAJ apologized and retracted the letter.
James Maskalyk became the executive editor-in-chief in 2022.
See also
*''Canadian Family Physician
''Canadian Family Physician'' (French: ''Le Médecin de famille canadien'') is a monthly peer-reviewed open-access medical journal published by the College of Family Physicians of Canada. It provides continuing medical education for family physi ...
''
*
*
References
External links
* {{Official website, http://www.cmaj.ca/
Open access journals
Publications established in 1911
General medical journals
Biweekly journals
Multilingual journals
Academic journals published by learned and professional societies of Canada