New investigation into allegations of plagiarism against concussion expert Paul McCrory

The British Journal of Sports Medicine says it is investigating a body of work published by its former editor-in-chief, neurologist Dr Paul McCrory, in light of “additional allegations of plagiarism” against the world-renowned concussion expert.

The peer-reviewed journal will also review the past four consensus statements published by the global Concussion in Sport Group (CISG), of which McCrory was the lead author, along with a sample of other papers on which he is the first or senior author.

McCrory resigned from his role as chair of the CISG in March after the British Journal of Sports Medicine retracted a 2005 editorial, published while he was editor-in-chief, citing an “unlawful and indefensible breach of copyright” of the work of Prof Steve Haake.

In the months since, he has been accused of copying material in other articles without attribution and reportedly apologised, telling website Retraction Watch that he had requested the papers in question be retracted and “the errors were not deliberate or intentional”.

He has also become the subject of investigations by the AFL, for whom he is a former longtime concussion adviser, and Australia’s medical regulator. McCrory has not responded to questions about the allegations from Guardian Australia.

In a statement on its website, the BJSM, which is published by the Britain-based BMJ Group, said it was prepared to take action should the additional allegations turn up further instances of plagiarism.

“BMJ recently retracted ‘The time lords – measurement and performance in sprinting’, authored by former BJSM editor-in-chief Dr Paul McCrory, due to what was established by BMJ’s Research Integrity team as unlawful and indefensible breach of copyright,” the statement read.

“We