Publication & Corrections Policy
How FMRI labels research, credits the people who did it, and fixes what it gets wrong.
What FMRI publishes here
This website carries three kinds of content:
- Research records. Each record describes one piece of research, says who wrote it and where it was published, and links to the source. Every record in the library today describes work done outside FMRI.
- Research priorities. These describe questions FMRI proposes to study. A priority is not a study. FMRI labels unstarted work as proposed.
- Policies. These are FMRI’s proposed operating rules.
FMRI has not published original research of its own. When it does, that work will be labeled as FMRI research and linked to its journal or repository.
Labels
Every research record states:
- the study type, such as systematic review, cohort analysis, cross-sectional study or commentary;
- the population studied, where there is one;
- the publication status, including whether the work is a preprint;
- the peer-review status, and where that status comes from.
A preprint is a manuscript made public before peer review. FMRI labels preprints as not peer reviewed on every page where they appear.
Where a peer-review designation comes from the publisher and FMRI has not examined the review process, the record says so.
Attribution and rights
Research belongs to its authors and publishers. Each record names the authors, the publication and the publisher, and states the rights or licence that apply to the work.
FMRI writes its own summaries. It does not reproduce the text, abstracts, tables or figures of a work unless the licence permits it and the licence terms, including attribution, are met on the page. Works marked all rights reserved are linked and described only.
The rights in a listed work are separate from the rights in FMRI’s own website copy.
FMRI’s contribution
Each record states FMRI’s actual role in the work. For external research that role is none: FMRI lists the work and describes it. FMRI does not present outside research as its own.
Where a person connected to FMRI wrote or published a listed work, the record must disclose that relationship.
Corrections
Anyone may ask FMRI to correct an error on this website. A request should identify the page, the statement and the source that shows the error.
When FMRI confirms an error it will:
- correct the page;
- add a correction notice to the page that says what changed and the date;
- keep the notice in place.
Changes that do not alter meaning, such as fixing a typing error or a broken link, are made without a notice.
Corrections and retractions at the source
FMRI checks each listed work against its publisher or repository record for correction and retraction notices. The date of the last check is shown on the record.
If a publisher corrects a listed work, FMRI updates the record and notes the correction. If a publisher retracts a listed work, FMRI marks the record as retracted, links to the retraction notice, and removes the work from any featured position. The record stays in place so that the retraction is visible.
FMRI’s own research
When FMRI publishes its own research, it will:
- follow ICMJE standards for authorship and disclosure;
- report using the guideline that fits the design, as set out in the research standards;
- keep a version history;
- correct errors with a dated notice linked to the original;
- retract work that is unreliable, following a written procedure, with a notice that states the reason.
Editorial independence
Decisions about which research is listed, how it is described and where it appears are made independently of advertising and sponsorship. This website carries no advertising. Any sponsorship of FMRI research will be disclosed beside that research.