Extract
Traditionally, scientific information has been transmitted in a broad array
of formats that range across a spectrum of scientific rigor including informal
conferences, departmental grand rounds, industry-sponsored meetings that might
or might not be approved for continuing medical education credit, scientific
meetings, non-peer-reviewed literature, and peer-reviewed journals. Now, the
electronic media and the Internet are being used increasingly to convey this
information. While the judicious presentation of new data at scientific and
educational meetings is both desirable and necessary, the potential of instant
worldwide dissemination of new, possibly unvetted data should remind authors
and speakers to be cognizant of their responsibilities in fairly attesting to
the maturity of their data.