Frequently Asked Questions

Q.  What is copyright?

A.  Copyright law gives the owner of an original work - including literary, dramatic, musical and artistic pieces - the sole right to produce or reproduce the work in question, or to permit anyone else to do so. This includes the right to translate, to prepare derivative works based on the copyrighted work, to adapt the work, to distribute copies or to publish online. Individuals who wish to use copyrighted material, in whole or in part, may need to request permission from the copyright owner. Copyright for all material published by the Canadian Medical Association, in print and online, is held by the CMA or its licensors.

Q.  This Web site is open to the public. Is the content still covered by copyright law?

A.  Yes. Copyright for all material on this Web site is held by the CMA or its licensors. Individuals who wish to use copyrighted material, in whole or in part, may need to request permission from the Canadian Medical Association.

Q.  What is permission?

A.  Permission is authorization to reproduce (in paper and electronic formats) material protected by copyright. This includes republishing material in another work or making and distributing photocopies of such material. A fee may be charged for such permissions.

Q.  What can I do without requesting permission?

A.  There are a few situations in which you do not need permission to reproduce CMA copyrighted material. You may briefly quote from any CMA publication, provided that you credit the original source. You may download an article from this Web site for personal, non-commercial use; most journal articles published since July 1999 are available in a PDF format suitable for downloading. If you wish to make copies, contact CANCOPY at 1-800-893-5777.

Q.  When do I need to request permission?

A.  You need to request permission for any use of copyrighted material other than those outlined above. This includes reproduction of tables and figures. To request permission, please complete our online form. If your browser does not support forms, or if you're not sure whether you should request permission, please send an email message to the Permissions Coordinator.

Q.  Do I need permission to link to the CMA's online content?

A.  You may link to the main page or individual pages on this Web site, but we ask you to observe our linking policy. Please send an email to permissions@cma.ca and let us know if you are adding a link and to which pages. Knowing who is linking helps us evaluate the effectiveness of the site and to plan for the future.

Q.  How can I order reprints of articles?

A.  If you would like a single copy of an article from one of our publications, contact CISTI Document Delivery at cisti.info@nrc.ca. Bulk reprints in quantities of 50 or more are available from the CMA; contact murrej@cma.ca for details.

Q.  What peer-reviewed journals does the CMA publish?

A.   Our flagship publication is the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ), which is ranked among the leading general medical journals in the world by impact factor. The CMA also owns and publishes:
• Canadian Journal of Surgery (CJS), a journal for surgeons sponsored by the Canadian Association of General Surgeons, the Canadian Orthopaedic Association, the Canadian Society for Vascular Surgery, the Canadian Society of Surgical Oncology, the Canadian Society of Cardiac Surgeons, and the Canadian Association of Thoracic Surgeons •  Clinical and Investigative Medicine (CIM), the official journal of the Canadian Society for Clinical Investigation •  Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience (JPN), the official journal of the Canadian College of Neuropsychopharmacology

In addition, the CMA provides publishing services for:
• Canadian Association of Radiologists Journal (CARJ), owned by the Canadian Association of Radiologists • Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine (CJEM), owned by the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians • Canadian Journal of Rural Medicine (CJRM), owned by the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada

Q.  Are these journals available to the public?

A.  Although written and developed for physicians, these journals may be of interest to researchers, other health professionals, patients and the general public. At this time the journals published by the CMA are available to the public online at no charge.

Q.  What is a peer-reviewed journal?

A.  A peer-reviewed journal is one that submits most of its published articles for review by experts who are not part of the editorial staff. All journals published by the CMA have a peer review process, although the number and kind of manuscripts sent for review, the number of reviewers, the reviewing procedures, and the use made of the reviewers' opinions may vary. More information is available at the Medical Writing Centre.

Q.  Does the CMA publish periodicals other than peer-reviewed journals?

A.  Yes. The CMA produces a variety of newsletters and reports:
Canadian Bioethics Report (an online-only newsletter) • Health Canada's Canadian Adverse Drug Reaction Newsletter (printed in CMAJ and available online on the Health Canada Web site) • Canada Communicable Disease Report (CCDR, available online on the Health Canada Web site), and • Forum, the newsletter of the Canadian Association of Radiologists.

Publications for CMA members include the interactive newsletter CMA Interface, which is a good source of information on CMA policies and issues in organized medicine and clinical practice, and Strategy, the financial digest exclusive to MD Management clients.

Q.  Do articles in the Canadian Medical Association Journal express the views of the Canadian Medical Association?

A.  All editorial matter in CMAJ represents the opinions of the authors or editors, and not necessarily those of the Canadian Medical Association. To learn about the Canadian Medical Asssociation's positions and policies on issues in organized medicine and clinical practice, visit the online database of CMA policies.

Q.  What is MEDLINE?

A.  MEDLINE is the US National Library of Medicine's premier bibliographic database covering the fields of medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, the health care system, and the preclinical sciences. With citations from 4300 journals worldwide, MEDLINE contains over 11 million references to journal articles. CMA journals that are indexed in MEDLINE are Canadian Medical Association Journal, the Canadian Journal of Surgery, Clinical and Investigative Medicine, Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, and Canadian Association of Radiologists Journal.

Q.  How can I search MEDLINE?

A.  CMA members can search MEDLINE for free through our OSLER service, which is supported by a librarian.

PubMed is an electronic retrieval service developed by the US National Library of Medicine to provide Web access, free of charge, to MEDLINE. PubMed also contains links to the full-text versions of articles at participating publishers' Web sites.

Q.  What's the best way to search journals on this site?

A.  At this time the search engine on this site is not exclusive to journals, so your search may yield irrelevant results. For a more effective search, use PubMed and include the journal title as an element in your initial search. When you've found the article you want, make a note of the volume and issue number, return to the journal home page, and click on "back issues." Full text of all articles published before July 1999 may not be available online; to order single copies of articles from CMA publications, contact CISTI Document Delivery at cisti.info@nrc.ca

Q.  Do CMA publications accept advertising?

A.  CMA publications offer many venues for advertisers. CMA has the most comprehensive classified advertising (careers, practices for sale, locums, properties, CME) for the medical profession in Canada. We also manage MedConnexions.ca, an online matching service for health professionals. Our print journals accept display advertising from clients interested in reaching physicians with their messages. Online banner advertising is available on selected pages of the publications section of the Web site. Content sponsorship opportunities also exist.

Q.  How do I submit a paper to a CMA journal?

A.  Physicians and researchers are invited to submit manuscripts for consideration in any of our publications. However, each journal has its own instructions for authors, which should be followed closely to ensure that your manuscript is considered. Visit our Medical Writing Centre and choose the publication you are interested in.

Q.  Are there opportunities at CMA Publications for freelance writers and editors?

A.  Occasionally CMA Publications engages the services of freelance medical writers and editors. Preference is given to those with a degree in life sciences, certification from the Board of Editors in the Life Sciences or completion of the core curriculum of the American Medical Writers Association, and at least 5 years' medical writing/editing experience. A proficiency test is required. There are no vacancies at this time.

Q.  How can I learn more about medical writing and editing?

A.  We've identified some useful links for medical writers and editors in our Medical Writing Centre.

Q.  What books does the CMA offer physicians?

A.  We offer an exclusive selection of high-quality publications for professional learning, history of medicine and personal interest. In addition to acting as the distributor for medical publishers such as BMJ Publishing Group, the CMA has an expanding library of electronic resources such as The Cochrane Library. We also collaborate with other publishers to produce titles such as Herbs: Everyday Reference for Health Professionals and Drugs of Choice. CMA members are entitled to preferential rates. Visit our Prescribed Reading - CMA's Online Bookstore for a complete listing.

Q.  What books does the CMA develop for the public?

A.  CMA Publications collaborates with major publishers such as Key Porter Books, Reader's Digest and Dorling Kindersley to develop and produce medical resource books for the public. Titles are available from major booksellers across Canada. Visit the Patient Resources section of our Prescribed Reading - CMA's Online Bookstore for a complete listing.

Q.  How can I contact CMA Publications?

A.  Send an email to pubs@cma.ca and be sure to identify the publication about which you are inquiring. We'll make sure the email gets to the right person. And we welcome feedback on our Web site - let us know what we're doing right and what we could improve.