Editing RELX (section)

===Defence exhibitions===
Between 2005 and 2007, members of the medical and scientific communities, which purchase and use many journals published by Reed Elsevier, agitated for the company to cut its links to the arms trade. Two UK academics, Tom Stafford of [[Sheffield University]] and Nick Gill, launched petitions calling for it to stop organising arms fairs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.idiolect.org.uk/elsevier/petition.php |title=Elsevier petition|work=idiolect.org.uk|access-date=21 March 2015}}</ref> A subsidiary, Spearhead, organised defence shows, including an event where it was reported that [[cluster bombs]] and extremely powerful [[riot control]] equipment were offered for sale.<ref>{{Cite news |first=Saeed |last=Shah |title=Cluster bombs on offer at arms fair despite sales ban |url=http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article312473.ece |work=The Independent |location=UK |date=14 September 2005 |access-date=21 February 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Richard |last=Norton-Taylor |author-link=Richard Norton-Taylor|title=Banned stun guns and leg irons advertised at arms fair |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk_news/story/0,,1571378,00.html |work=The Guardian |location=UK |date=16 September 2005 |access-date=21 February 2007}}</ref> <!-- not at all complete or fair or NPOV, but worth a mention. sources for above: http://www.idiolect.org.uk/notes/archives/cat_elsevier.html http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article312473.ece http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1571378,00.html -thedeadlyshoe --> In February 2007 [[Richard Smith (editor)|Richard Smith]], former editor of the ''[[British Medical Journal]]'', published an editorial in the ''[[Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine]]'' arguing that Reed Elsevier's involvement in both the arms trade and medical publishing constituted a conflict of interest.<ref>{{Cite news |first=Richard |last=Smith |title=Lancet publishers condemned over promotion of arms |url= http://www.rsm.ac.uk/media/pr234.htm |work=Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine |date=20 February 2007 |access-date=18 March 2007 }}</ref> Subsequently, in June the company announced that they would be exiting the defence exhibition business during the second half of the year.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Reed Elsevier says to exit defence industry shows |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-reedelsevier-defence-idUKL0135316020070601|publisher=Reuters|date=1 June 2007|access-date=18 September 2015}}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>