Connect
MJA
MJA

An end to suppressing public health information

C D’Arcy J Holman
Med J Aust 2008; 188 (8): . || doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2008.tb01709.x
Published online: 21 April 2008

How to safeguard academic integrity when working with Australian governments

A recent study revealed that Australian governments regularly suppress embarrassing information by hindering public health research or publication of its findings (Box 1).1 The results resonate with concerns raised in the Report of the independent audit into the state of free speech in Australia.2 Two issues of immediate relevance to Journal readers are the protection of academic independence, and the crucial role of objective evidence in improving outcomes of the Australian health system.


  • School of Population Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA.


Correspondence: dholman@meddent.uwa.edu.au

  • 1. Yazahmeidi B, Holman CDJ. A survey of suppression of public health information by Australian governments. Aust N Z J Public Health 2007; 31: 551-557.
  • 2. Moss I, Chair. Report of the independent audit into the state of free speech in Australia. 31 October 2007. Sydney: Australia’s Right to Know Coalition, 2007. http://www.abc.net.au/news/opinion/documents/files/20071105_righttoknow.pdf (accessed Feb 2008).
  • 3. International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Sponsorship, authorship and accountability [editorial]. Med J Aust 2001; 175: 294-296. <MJA full text>
  • 4. Blumenthal D, Campbell EG, Anderson MS, et al. Withholding research results in academic life science: evidence from a national survey of faculty. JAMA 1997; 277: 1224-1228.
  • 5. National Health and Medical Research Council. Revision of the Joint NHMRC/AVCC Statement and Guidelines on Research Practice. Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research. Canberra: NHMRC, 2007.
  • 6. Smith-Merry J, Gillespie J, Leeder SR. A pathway to a stronger research culture in health policy. Aust New Zealand Health Policy [Internet] 2007; 4: 19. http://www.anzhealthpolicy.com/content/4/1/19 (accessed Jan 2008).
  • 7. National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy. Strategic roadmap. February 2006. Canberra: Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, 2006. http://www.ncris.dest.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/91C5DFB3-10E5-4A09-A861-6973B2912417/9519/NCRISStrategicRoadmap.pdf (accessed Oct 2007).
  • 8. Runciman WB, Merry AF, Tito F. Error, blame, and the law in health care — an antipodean perspective. Ann Intern Med 2003; 138: 974-979.
  • 9. Waring JJ. Beyond blame: cultural barriers to medical incident reporting. Soc Sci Med 2004; 60: 1927-1935.
  • 10. Peatling S. FoI revamp under Rudd’s wing. Sydney Morning Herald 2008; 9 Jan. http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/foi-revamp-under-rudds-wing/2008/01/08/1199554655571.html (accessed Feb 2008).
  • 11. Carr K. Independent ARC Advisory Council appointed [media release]. 7 Jan 2008. Canberra: Australian Research Council, 2008. http://www.arc.gov.au/media/releases/media_07Jan08.htm (accessed Feb 2008).

Author

remove_circle_outline Delete Author
add_circle_outline Add Author

Comment
Do you have any competing interests to declare? *

I/we agree to assign copyright to the Medical Journal of Australia and agree to the Conditions of publication *
I/we agree to the Terms of use of the Medical Journal of Australia *
Email me when people comment on this article

Online responses are no longer available. Please refer to our instructions for authors page for more information.