Media CenterFrequently Asked Questions
Whom should I contact to find out more about the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) if I have a question about articles published in NEJM or if I have a question about my subscription?
Contact our Media Relations department via e-mail or by telephone at 781-434-7847
(international media, please call 001+ 781-434-7847).
When can I access the new issue of NEJM?
NEJM is published weekly (52 times per year), with a Thursday publication date. Each week’s content is made available online at NEJM.org at 5 PM EST each Wednesday. Advance-access subscribers may access the next week’s issue under embargo on the NEJM Media Center on the Friday prior to publication.
How do I become a media subscriber? What are the benefits?
Members of the media may apply for complimentary access to NEJM’s content by referencing our subscription information. We offer two levels of access to journalists — advance or regular.
Advance Access: Journalists meeting daily or weekly deadlines who agree to abide by NEJM’s embargo policy have complimentary access to embargoed content via the NEJM Media Center and all content on NEJM.org, including the NEJM Archive. Print subscriptions are available by first-class mail prior to publication for a fee. The next week’s issue is available to advance access subscribers the Friday before the publication date. At this time, advance-access subscribers also receive contact information for the authors whose articles are published in that issue. The contact information helps journalists interview authors in advance of publication.
Regular Access: Journalists meeting less frequent deadlines may apply for regular access, which provides complimentary online access to the full text of published content on NEJM.org, archived on our website back to 1812. Members at this level do not have access to the embargoed content on the NEJM Media Center.
What kind of information can I get online?
NEJM.org includes the current issue, past issues dating back to 1812, and information on items such as reprints, medical meetings, and career opportunities, information for authors and reviewers, and information about NEJM. NEJM.org also offers users a deeper, broader, and more interactive experience through enhanced search and navigation, specialty pages, interactive elements, and a number of integrated multimedia features. Advance-access subscribers can use the NEJM Media Center site to access the upcoming issue of NEJM on the Friday prior to publication.
How can I speak with the authors of articles published in NEJM?
A list of authors and their contact information is available in the Points of Contact section on the Media Center site on the Friday before the publication date.
Where can I find background information about NEJM— the publication, its processes, etc.?
This information is available in NEJM's press kit. To request a hard-copy press kit, contact Media Relations.
What is the Ingelfinger Rule?
The New England Journal of Medicine expects that the articles it publishes will not have been published or released elsewhere before they are published in NEJM. Referred to by many as “The Ingelfinger Rule,” this policy exists for two reasons: to allow time for the independent peer review of scientific findings before public dissemination and to protect the originality of content. The rule also asks that author-researchers not release the details of their findings to the mass media before their work can undergo peer review and be published. Most medical journals have similar rules in place.
What is NEJM's embargo policy?
Like most medical journals, NEJM employs an embargo system. The content of the next week’s issue is made available on the Friday before publication to qualifying journalists who agree not to publish stories before Wednesday at 5 PM EST.
There are two fundamental reasons for the embargo. It allows the media time to report accurately on complex and important new research findings and it allows subscribers time to read and understand the full reports in NEJM before media reports on them appear, which often leads patients to ask their physicians for interpretation and guidance. NEJM may also post an article online in advance of the print publication date. Once an article is posted at NEJM.org, the embargo is lifted.
What is an “early release” or “Online First” article?
When the information concerns a matter of immediate interest to the public health, NEJM provides expedited peer review and expedited online publication. Articles may be published online in advance of print for reasons other than public health implications, including to coincide with a presentation at a medical meeting, or because the topic is timely. NEJM publishes an article “Online First” by posting it on NEJM.org prior to the scheduled hard copy publication date. Media subscribers are often notified about these articles a day or two before they are posted.
What happens if there is an embargo break?
The editor-in-chief or his designate decides whether the embargo should be lifted. If so, a notice is sent to all media subscribers. An embargo break by a media subscriber puts that individual’s subscription at risk and could threaten the subscriptions of other reporters at that media outlet.
What is the relationship between NEJM and the Massachusetts Medical Society?
NEJM is owned by the Massachusetts Medical Society, which is a not-for-profit membership association for physicians in Massachusetts. NEJM has complete editorial independence. Journal editors meet regularly with the medical society’s 14-member Committee on Publications to discuss fiscal, operational, and personnel issues.
