The newest revision of the Good Publication Practice” (GPP) guidelines is now freely available (free account registration may be required). The revised guidelines, called GPP 2022, were published on 30 August 2022 in the Annals of Internal Medicine and are the fourth version of GPP, first published in 2003.
The GPP 2022 guidelines provide international ethical and practical recommendations for key stakeholders involved in publishing or presenting company-sponsored biomedical research. Updates reflect developments in the areas of scholarly publishing, biomedical publishing, human trial registration, and roles of publication professionals that have occurred since the publication of GPP3 in 2015. The main guideline article includes a list of content changes since GPP3.
“Notably, GPP 2022 aligns with current international publication guidelines, including the latest recommendations of the ICMJE or International Committee of Medical Journal Editors,” says Dr Trevor Lane, COPE Council member, who was on the steering committee and one of the co-authors of GPP 2022, in an individual capacity. “Despite the focus of some sections on human and medical studies, many of the principles could be adopted or adapted for other disciplines that may involve collaborations, sponsors, or funders, commercial or otherwise.”
The main article outlines how GPP 2022 came about and the main ethical principles involved in biomedical publishing (eg, protecting research and data integrity, transparency, inclusivity, and authorship and contributorship). In addition, practical planning principles are outlined, including the importance of steering committees, publication working groups, policies and processes, publication plans, and data sharing. The detailed Supplement expands on all the principles mentioned in the main article, including sections on patient involvement, enhanced content such as plain-language summaries, preprinting, and use of social media.
GPP 2022 was supported administratively by the International Society for Medical Publication Professionals (ISMPP). Questions about GPP 2022 for the steering committee or ISMPP can be directed to: [email protected]. Information about GPP 2022 is also available on the ISMPP website.
Trevor Lane, COPE Council