Best Practices in Scientific Publications Strategy: Managing Reputation, Clinical Trial Results and Commercial Relevance

Global scientific publication groups face increasing pressure for improved transparency and data disclosure. Consequently, global publications leaders find themselves in a balancing act—ensuring both scientific credibility and commercial viability. This study investigates the core aspects of the scientific publication function: structure, strategy, delivery, effectiveness, and resources.

This study provides benchmarks around the structure and leadership of publication groups; publication strategy creation and data delivery; publication channel utilization across product lifecycle; publication effectiveness and transparency; and publication staffing and budget.

Study Snapshot

This study updates a 2011 study on the same issue and provides best practices that publications groups use to successfully build scientific credibility and commercial success. For this study, Best Practices, LLC engaged 20 leaders from 19 biopharmaceutical companies through a benchmarking survey and executive interviews.

Key topics covered include:

• Optimal structure for the global publications function
• Transition of global publications from commercial to clinical
• Key internal stakeholders who contribute to publications strategy
• Tactics for handling publication of neutral or negative clinical trial results
• Impact of transparency guidelines on publications, planning and delivery
• Strategy changes for the new marketplace

• Outsourcing on the Rise for Publication Plan Delivery: Eighty percent of study participants outsource some portion of the delivery of their publication plan. Outsourcing has grown in the last five years as a core strategy of publication plan delivery. In our 2011 study, 47% of companies handled all delivery work in-house, whereas only 5% did so in 2016.
  
• Future Publishing Emphasis on Regional Peer-Reviewed Journals and e-journals: In the coming year, 53% of companies plan to increase their emphasis on regional peer-reviewed journals. The use of e-journals has increased during the past five years and companies now use the platform to publish results across all phases of product development.

• High-Level Recommendations
• Key Findings
• Global Publication Organization
• Aligning Publication Strategy Across Organization
• Publication SOP and Use of Open Source
• Publication Strategies by Product
• Measuring the Effectiveness of Publication Strategy Activities
• Managing Within a Changing Publication Environment
• Publication Staffing and Budget
• Publication Best Practices
• Study Participant Demographics
• Appendix

• Title that oversees publication function
• Functional areas with oversight of publication function
• Internal stakeholders that contribute to development of publication strategy
• Structure of publication strategy function
• Internal stakeholders with ultimate responsibility for publication strategy
• Structure of publication planning function
• Internal stakeholders with ultimate responsibility for publication planning
• Structure of publication planning delivery function
• Internal stakeholders with ultimate responsibility for publication plan delivery
• Most important tactics for communicating & implementing publication strategy with internal stakeholders
• Use of internal versus outsourcing for publishing plan delivery (writing, editing, placing)
• Local/regional affiliates ability to create their own publication plan to supplement global publication plan
• How publishing on open platform will affect publication strategy
• Do you have SOPs for scientific publishing
• How much staff training dedicated to SOP training
• Which publication vehicles are most effective for each of these three development phases
• Which publication content types are most effective for each of these three development phases
• Which audience types are most important for each of these three development phases
• Development stage when medical publication strategy is developed
• Development stage when first publish an abstract and manuscript
• Publishing metrics for past year: number of publications, number of abstracts, number of manuscripts
• Number of publications (by type) expect for Phase 3 to Launch to prepare the market
• Mix of papers that appear in three tiers of journals during Phase 3 to launch period
• Importance rating for publishing clinical results in these channels
• Measures that are effective for evaluating publication management program
• Does your publication strategy include scenario planning for neutral or negative trial results
• How will journal emphasis change in the coming year to provide greater transparency
• How will journal emphasis change in next 1-3 years to provide greater transparency
• Number of FTEs working in publication function
• Number of FTEs tasked to specific publication activities
• What is the budget for the scientific publication function
• How is the budget allocated
• Please describe best practices for maximizing the effectiveness of publication strategy planning
• Challenges the industry is facing in medical publishing in the next 1-3 years