The BCMJ is committed to maintaining the accuracy and integrity of the scholarly record and follows guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics. If an error or concern is identified after publication, the journal will act proportionate to its significance. A correction may be issued when an error affects part of an article, but the article's overall findings remain reliable. An expression of concern may be issued when serious and credible questions about an article remain unresolved or are under investigation. An article may be retracted when its findings or conclusions can no longer be relied upon, whether because of an honest error, research or publication misconduct, or another serious problem. Corrections, expressions of concern, and retraction notices clearly identify the affected article and are linked to it and are noted in the next available print issue. The BCMJ encourages constructive post-publication discussion through its Letters to the Editor and online Comments sections.
Letters to the Editor
Letters to the editor may question, clarify, or challenge published work, and authors may be given an opportunity to respond. When a letter identifies a possible error or raises concerns about the reliability or integrity of an article, the journal will consider separately whether to publish the letter and whether the article requires investigation or formal editorial action. Publishing a letter or author response does not replace the need for a correction, expression of concern, or retraction when one is warranted.
Letters must be received within 6 months of publication of a related article. Letters are edited for brevity, grammar, and BCMJ house style. Authors of letters are asked to declare any competing interests. Letters should be evidence-based, relevant to the published work, and expressed in professional language. The BCMJ will decline correspondence that is defamatory, personal, repetitive, unsupported, outside the journal's scope, or otherwise unsuitable for scholarly discussion. Publication of a letter does not necessarily indicate that the journal agrees with the letter's conclusions.
If you identify an error in any published content, email the details to journal@doctorsofbc.ca. More information on the Letters to the Editor department can be found at Submit a Letter.