A leading medical journal has retracted an editorial written by an Australian neurologist after an investigation revealed significant overlap with another article.

The BMJ group says it has retracted an article published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in 2005 by its former editor Dr Paul McCrory.

Dr McCrory is a neurologist and sports physician with an interest in conditions such as concussion and is currently at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne.

The retraction follows concerns raised by Professor Steve Haake, of the Sports Engineering Research Group, Sheffield Hallam University, that the article shared similarities with one he had written for Physics World in 2000.

The article “The time lords – measurement and performance in sprinting” appeared in the October 2005 print edition of the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Dr McCrory was editor of the journal between 2001 and 2008.

“This article has been retracted due to unlawful and indefensible breach of copyright. There was significant overlap with a previous publication, Physics, technology and the Olympics by Dr Steve Haake,” a retraction notice in the journal stated.

Dr Kamran Abbasi, editorial director of BMJ Group, said: “Copyright infringement is a serious issue and we apply the same high standards to editors as we do to authors. We’re grateful to Professor Haake for alerting us to this breach of publication ethics, and are glad to be able to put the record straight.”

“We now use software to help us to identify copyright infringement and plagiarism, but like most technologies it isn’t failsafe and the vigilance of readers continues to be appreciated.”

The BMJ Group said the manuscript handling system for its portfolio of more than 65 medical and allied science titles now includes formal appraisal for copyright infringement and plagiarism, using the iThenticate system.

Dr McCrory has been contacted for comment by the limbic.