This refers to the New England Journal of Medicine submission policy outlined in 1969 by then-editor Franz J. Ingelfinger. He wrote an editorial clarifying NEJM’s policy that “articles are accepted for consideration with the understanding that they are contributed for publication solely in this journal.”
The idea behind the “rule” was a policy that the journal would only publish research that had not already been published elsewhere (generally a journal, though that has been the source of confusion over the years). The Ingelfinger rule is the reason some researchers may be hesitant to share too many details of a study’s findings before it has been published in a peer-reviewed journal, instead sharing only what is presented at a conference. That has been changing, however, with the increasing use of preprints.
Deeper dive
Ingelfinger wrote: “The understanding is that material submitted to the Journal has not been offered to any book, journal or newspaper. If an author willingly and actively has contributed the same material to any other publication — whether as text to a standard medical journal, or as a ‘letter to the editor,’ or as a feature in a lay magazine — that understanding has been disregarded.” At the end, he explicitly laid out the precise text come to be known as the Ingelfinger rule: “Papers are submitted to the Journal with the understanding that they, or their essential substance, have been neither published nor submitted elsewhere (including news media and controlled-circulation publications). This restriction does not apply to (a) abstracts published in connection with meetings, or (b) press reports resulting from formal and public oral presentation.”
It was later modified to be included in letters to submitting authors: “The Journal undertakes review with the understanding that neither the substance of the article nor any of its pictures or tables have been published or will be submitted for publication elsewhere… This restriction does not apply to abstracts published in connection with scientific meetings, or to news reports based solely on formal and public oral presentations at such meetings, but press conferences at these meetings are discouraged.”
Because NEJM is a top medical journal whose policies influence medical publishing in general, the policy became a generally accepted rule for all research submitted to all journals. Often criticized, the Ingelfinger rule has sometimes made coverage of medical research more challenging. For one thing, researchers presenting abstracts at meetings may not be willing to talk to journalists about a presentation that hasn’t been published in a journal. The rule makes an exception for abstracts printed in meeting programs, but Ingelfinger directly addressed the situation in which a journalist seeks an interview with the researcher after a publication: “Here a decision may be difficult, but in the Journal’s opinion the material has been contributed elsewhere if the speaker makes illustrations available to the interviewer, or if the published interview covers practically all the principal points contained in a subsequently submitted manuscript.” Being aware of this restriction can help journalists understand why they might be brushed off by a researcher who actually may want to talk about his research but fears jeopardizing its chance at publication. The NEJM’s later clarification muddied this further by suggesting researchers can talk with journalists to ensure information is accurately reported, as long as they don’t provide extra information not in the presentation (something many journalists might want).
The Ingelfinger rule contributed to expanding the practice of instituting media embargoes, but misunderstandings about what the Ingelfinger rule and embargoes actually limit can interfere with reporting. Because they often lack of media training, researchers may incorrectly believe they are not allowed to discuss an unpublished study that is under embargo lest they jeopardize its appearance in the journal or, worse, any future articles in that publication. Researchers may discuss their embargoed study with a journalist who has agreed to abide by the embargo, and journalists sometimes need to educate the researchers about this to get the interview they need. Other times, the researcher may just play it safe and not provide any interview until the study is published, even if that’s after most journalists’ deadlines. Consider turning to a public information officer, if available, to help sort things out.