It was with great sadness that we at The Publication Plan heard of the recent passing of Professor Doug Altman.

As one of the founders of the EQUATOR network, and a key proponent of the CONSORT guidelines, Professor Altman’s contribution to driving improvements in the standards and quality of medical publishing can’t be overstated. Along with the rest of the medical publishing community, we offer our condolences to his family, friends and colleagues, and our thanks for his vital work.