2010 Competing Interests of the PLoS Medicine Editors

PLoS is a tax-exempt, 501(c)3, nonprofit corporation. PLoS' overall revenues and funding information for 2009, are listed in the 2009 Progress report http://www.plos.org/downloads/progress_update_lo.pdf. PLoS Medicine's direct revenue from 2009 is as follows: Total income US$187,640.59 comprised of US$ 179,220.00 in author fees, US$ 8339.81 of advertising and other revenue and US$ 80.78 in reprint revenues.

The PLoS Medicine editors are paid a fixed salary (in particular, their salary is not linked to the number of papers published in the journal). Editors are required to declare all relevant competing interests and do not participate in the review of any paper for which they have a competing interest. The statements below have been updated on Jan 2010, and relate to activities over the previous 12 months however relevant competing interests from previous years will also be taken into account when deciding whether it is appropriate for an editor to handle a paper.

Virginia Barbour

• Monetary or in kind compensation for self or household member from an organization that may in any way gain or lose financially or in any other way from the publication of papers in PLoS Medicine
• Reimbursement for attending a conference or symposium. No.
• Accommodation and travel.

I have advised MSF on several occasions. They have paid my train fare to London for this and provided lunch.

• Fees for speaking. No.
• Fees for organizing education. No.
• Funds for research or for a member of staff
  My husband's research is funded by the UK Medical Research Council and the Wellcome Trust
• Fees for consulting. No.
• Employment of self or household member by an organization that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of papers in PLoS Medicine
  My husband is a biomedical researcher at the University of Cambridge, UK he is funded by the UK Medical Research Council and the Wellcome Trust.
• Stocks or Shares
  Several hundred pounds in Halifax shares.
  Several pension schemes, including the UK NHS scheme, Reed Elsevier's scheme, and the UK Universities' Pension Scheme, and a share ISA. I have no idea what they specifically invest in.

• I financially support Amnesty International, Greenpeace, and various refugee charities in the UK.

Larry Peiperl

• Monetary or in kind compensation for self or household member from an organization that may in any way gain or lose financially or in any other way from the publication of papers in PLoS Medicine
• Reimbursement for attending a conference or symposium. No.
• Fees for speaking. No.
• Fees for organizing education. No.
• Funds for research or for a member of staff. No.
• Fees for consulting. No.
• Employment of self or household member by an organization that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of papers in PLoS Medicine
  I work as a physician at not-for-profit clinics in San Francisco and hold a faculty appointment at the University of California San Francisco.
• Stocks or Shares
  I have investments in several retirement plans from past and present employers including mutual funds; I do not determine nor am I aware of which individual companies are included.

• No.

Jocalyn Clark

• Monetary or in kind compensation for self or household member from an organization that may in any way gain or lose financially or in any other way from the publication of papers in PLoS Medicine
• Reimbursement for attending a conference or symposium. No.
• Fees for speaking. No.
• Fees for organizing education. No.
• Funds for research or for a member of staff. No.
• Fees for consulting.
  In the past 3 years I have consulted on a freelance basis for the Canadian Institute for Health Information and the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health.
• Employment of self or household member by an organization that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of papers in PLoS Medicine
  I currently hold an adjunct academic appointment in the department of medicine at the University of Toronto, but this is unpaid. I am currently employed part time by the McLaughlin-Rotman Centre for Global Health at the University Health Network, Toronto, and am not involved in the editorial or peer review processes of any manuscripts submitted to PLoS by colleagues from this Centre.
• Stocks or Shares
  I invest in global mutual funds (unit trusts) but have no specific information nor influence about which companies the fund invests its money.

• Through my editorial work at BMJ (2002-2007) and my academic positions, I know personally some of the authors who submit articles to PLoS. I support charities focused on social justice issues.

Susan Jones

• Monetary or in kind compensation for self or household member from an organization that may in any way gain or lose financially or in any other way from the publication of papers in PLoS Medicine
• Reimbursement for attending a conference or symposium.No.
• Fees for speaking. No.
• Fees for organizing education. No.
• Funds for research or for a member of staff. No
• Fees for consulting. No.
• Employment of self or household member by an organization that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of papers in PLoS Medicine
  No.
• Stocks or Shares
  I have contributed to the USS and Macmillan Publishers pension schemes. I have no specific information nor influence about which companies the funds invests money into. My mortgage and current account are with UK high street banks

• I have donated to Amnesty International, Shelter, Medical Foundation for the care of victims of torture, Crisis, Oxfam and Whizz-kidz. Through my research appointments and editorial work at NPG (2003-2009) I personally know authors who might submit articles to PLoS journals.

Emma Veitch

• Monetary or in kind compensation for self or household member from an organization that may in any way gain or lose financially or in any other way from the publication of papers in PLoS Medicine
• Reimbursement for attending a conference or symposium.
  I accepted reimbursement for travel expenses to contribute towards a Publication Workshop at the Vienna School of Clinical Research in 2008.
• Fees for speaking. No.
• Fees for organizing education. No.
• Funds for research or for a member of staff. No
• Fees for consulting. No. I have acted as a member of the advisory group of Global Trial Bank and have accepted a breakfast and several cups of coffee during meetings with other members of the group.
• Employment of self or household member by an organization that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of papers in PLoS Medicine
  My parents are employed by the UK National Health Service. They are very unlikely to benefit financially from publication of papers in PLoS Medicine, bbut I would recuse myself from involvement with any future papers submitted by them or their close colleagues.
• Stocks or Shares
  I have several pension schemes but have no idea what they invest in. I have a deposit account with Intelligent Finance and an Individual Savings Account with Northern Rock. I don't know what these companies invest in. My mortgage is with the Nationwide.

• I have contributed financially towards the following charities and organisations: Shelter, Trees for Cities, and the London Cycling Campaign. I have interests in publication ethics and publication bias (particularly with respect to clinical trials research), and these interests may affect my editorial views on submitted manuscripts.