Informing workforces about the results of research in which they have participated before publication in mass media

Research undertaken with workforces can take place only with their full cooperation. Understandably, they expect to hear from the researchers about the results of the research and its implications for them before publication in the mass media.

We have developed guidelines to advise researchers how to do this without allowing the results to leak into the mass media before the full peer reviewed research has been published.

Guidelines

Research undertaken with workforces can take place only with their full cooperation. Understandably, they expect to hear from the researchers about the results of the research and its implications for them before publication in the mass media.

These guidelines advise researchers how to do this without allowing the results to leak into the mass media before the full peer reviewed research has been published:

• the onus is on researchers to meet with the workforce
• they should make arrangements but keep journals aware of what is happening
• the researchers will meet with the workforce early in the week of publication. In the case of the LJPC and the Lancet, which are embargoed until 00.01am on Friday morning London time, this will usually be a Monday
• the journals will not put out press releases until after the meeting between researchers and workforces has taken place

The researchers and workforce managers and representatives will emphasise the importance of maintaining the embargo, but workforce managers and representatives will be able to speak to the media on the understanding that the embargo is respected.