Conflict of interest disclosure and the polarisation of scientific communities.

In this article, we introduce and define the notion of polarised scientific communities. We show how polarisation may generate genuine conflicts of interest that require specific efforts to be identified and reported, and suggest a simple heuristic for the identification and reporting of the polarisation of research. We use examples from the debates about breast cancer screening and the prescription of statins to people at low risk of heart disease. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.