Advertising and sponsorship

Advertising and sponsorship are important to BMJ in helping us to provide value for our users. These guidelines are to ensure we do business in keeping with BMJ values. Our users and customers expect BMJ to be trustworthy, independent and to have integrity. Our advertising and sponsorship should support that expectation.

• BMJ accepts advertising for products and services that are of interest to users in their personal and as well as professional lives. Advertisements and sponsorship must be legal, decent and truthful and comply with the relevant laws, regulations and industry codes for the geographic area in which they appear.
• Our users should immediately be able to distinguish between advertising and editorial content. Advertisement features need to conform to BMJ specifications.
• Advertisements for products making therapeutic claims but without marketing authorisation or CE marking (or local equivalent), should be submitted with all claims substantiated in full length research papers published in peer reviewed journals.
• Sponsored content should be clearly identifiable. The nature of any commercial relationship must be transparent to our users. Advertising and sponsorship should be delivered in context. Surreptitious or subliminal advertising is not allowed.
• BMJ does not allow advertising or sponsorship to influence editorial decisions.
• Online advertising or sponsorship should not impede users’ access to editorial content.
• We accept advertising and sponsorship from competitors.
• We do not accept advertising or sponsorship relating to tobacco products, or to products and services from tobacco companies, their foundations, or their wholly owned subsidiaries.
• Advertising and sponsorship are subject to editorial oversight.