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I am pretty sure anyone can publish an article in a mathematics journal as long as the editors accept it.

In order to publish research or a study that is somehow related to medicine, what do the journal editors require of the persons submitting or credited as authors of the paper?

Or are the requirements more related to there having been regulatory oversight from some accredited body?

But does that mean there is a legal definition of what is and is not “medical research”? For example, if you study the effects of a drug, is it specifically illegal to give someone a substance and then have them fill out a questionnaire? Or is the legality of the study only dependent on the legality of the actions undertaken; for example, is it illegal to perform a surgery on somebody even if they give consent, but you can do research on a legal herbal supplement with no restrictions, for example?

Thanks very much

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    And the requirements of journals are more about ethics than laws. A very general rule as far as research ethics is that any study involving human or vertebrate animal subjects needs to be overseen by an IRB or similar body. That would include in particular any study in which any substance whatever is administered to humans.
    – Nate Eldredge
    Commented Mar 5, 2022 at 15:43
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    One of the things an IRB should evaluate in approving a study is whether the researcher designing and supervising the study is competent to do so. Their educational credentials could be part of that evaluation, but only a part.
    – Nate Eldredge
    Commented Mar 5, 2022 at 15:44
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    @NateEldredge that is an answer I think
    – Dawn
    Commented Mar 5, 2022 at 16:16
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    Please ask one question per post.
    – Anonymous Physicist
    Commented Mar 5, 2022 at 18:21
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    In the USA the regulations are at hhs.gov/ohrp/regulations-and-policy/regulations/45-cfr-46/…
    – Anonymous Physicist
    Commented Mar 5, 2022 at 18:33

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  1. You do not need a specific degree. However, you do need oversight by an IRB. As noted in the comments, the IRB might not approve the study if the only investigator lacks credentials. Some institutions may require a “medically accountable investigator.”

  2. Also, you cannot do anything you are not otherwise allowed to do just by calling it research. So you cannot perform surgery or give medication without a medical license. You might be able to ask people questions about things that are otherwise taking through an acceptable mechanism- for example an over the counter medication they were going to take anyway. If they already took it, you might get an exemption for market research. I.e “Take this and then answer my questions” is a no, “In the past 2 weeks did you take Tyleaspivil for a headache? yes? Would you answer some questions about your experience?” might get an exemption.

The guidelines for what will get published in a reputable biomedical journal are in part set by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. On human subject protections, it says in part

When reporting experiments on human subjects, authors should indicate whether the procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000

There will also be local and national laws in your jurisdiction. In the USA, human subjects research is governed by 45 CFR Subtitle A Subchapter A Part 46.

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  • Thanks. So is 45 CFR the law that specifically discusses how the legality of something changes when it is for “medical research” (like asking someone questions about consuming a drug) and defines what “medical research” is? Or could you link to the law specifying this? Thanks very much
    – Julius Hamilton
    Commented Mar 8, 2022 at 12:25
  • @PeterElbert it gives definitions but that probably will not be much help. It would come down to are you practicing medicine without a license. State laws.
    – Damila
    Commented Mar 8, 2022 at 20:27
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In order to publish research or a study that is somehow related to medicine, what do the journal editors require of the persons submitting or credited as authors of the paper?

No reputable journal will reject a manuscript because of the identity of the authors. In my opinion, that would be unethical discrimination. Editorial decisions are based on the content of the manuscript. The only exception might be if the author has a record of retraction for serious misconduct like fraud.

Or are the requirements more related to there having been regulatory oversight from some accredited body?

Regulatory oversight usually applies to institutions, not individuals. The only exception I have heard of is that individuals may be temporarily banned from getting government funding if they committed grant fraud in the past.

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  • I am not attempting to answer all the questions asked.
    – Anonymous Physicist
    Commented Mar 5, 2022 at 18:30
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You certainly don't need a PhD specifically; most medical researchers would be MDs rather than PhDs. As to the more general question, academic journals do not impose degree requirements or other accreditation requirements on authors, but depending on what you have in mind as "medical study" you might need some kind of accreditation or position to actually perform the substance of the research.

Institutions that have access to medical data and patients (e.g., hospitals, govt health departments, etc.) usually only give access to these things if they are satisfied that a researcher is appropriately qualified to use them. Similarly, most legal jurisdictions have laws against "practicing medicine" without a license, and this could potentially impact on giving someone drugs or performing surgery on them. Again, most of the people who are allowed to do these things are MDs, not PhDs.

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