Gramsci and the Ghost-Management of Medical Research: Revisiting Medical Journal Conflict of Interest Policies in an Age of Neoliberal Science

Medical research, particularly with respect to pharmaceuticals, has become intertwined with marketing techniques (such as ghostwriting and the use of publication planning strategies) that systematically leverage conflicts of interest in an effort to exert greater control over the creation and dissemination of medical knowledge to support the commercial interests of industry. Drawing on a theoretical framework informed by the works of Robert Merton and Antonio Gramsci, this thesis seeks to explore how the current organizational form of medical research reflects a neoliberal conception of science characterized by its distinct normative structure. Examining these issues in the form of medical journal conflict of interest policies, this thesis seeks to evaluate the impact and efficacy of such policies in addressing the problem posed by a neoliberal conception of science.