We report on the cases COPE Members brought to the June Forum and share new and updated template letters for editors.
View this email in your browser ([link removed])
COPE Digest
July 2024
New cases | Template letters for editors
Welcome to the July issue of COPE Digest.
June was a month of reflection both within COPE and beyond. Many of us in the publication and research integrity community had the chance to come together and think deeply about current challenges and developments at the 2024 World Congress of Research Integrity ([link removed]) , which took place in Athens. With a theme of ‘Promoting Transparency and Accountability’, many of the sessions tackled issues we have been thinking about at COPE, from transparency in using Artificial Intelligence, accountability in data sharing, and responsibility for promoting diversity. From COPE, Trustee Deborah Kahn gave a plenary session on United2Act’s action plan and release of draft resources ([link removed]) to help tackle paper mills. Council Member Mabel Chew delivered a plenary on ‘Tackling racial and ethnic bias when translating research into policy'; and COPE Chair Dan Kulp participated in a symposium panel on ‘Toward responsible clinical trial data sharing practices’.
We hope all of you who attended found the event stimulating and enjoyable.
The WCRI was followed immediately by the COPE retreat in Croatia for Trustees, Council Members, and team. The main business of the retreat was the creation of action points to support COPE’s new strategic plan. As we reported in April, this is focused on four key priorities identified from member feedback and strategic planning by Trustees and Council: integrity; education; collaboration; and diversity, equity, inclusivity and accessibility. We look forward to sharing the new plan in the coming months. Also, after 8 years as a Trustee we were sad to say goodbye to Deborah Kahn, who is standing down from her role to spend more time on other activities, including United2Act ([link removed]) . We thank Deborah for all her focus, work and energy in supporting COPE.
In this issue we report on the cases which Members brought to the June Forum. The Forum attendees also discussed the topic Publishing in English as an additional language ([link removed]) , featuring feedback from editorial colleagues and members. It ties in with our recent editorial on the growing pressure in writing and reading English language ([link removed]) and its impact on accessibility. We welcome your feedback on both.
We also share news on November’s Publication Integrity Week, which is shaping up to be an exciting event. We hope to welcome many of you to the sessions once registration opens.
COPE Chair Dan Kulp
COPE Vice-Chair Nancy Chescheir
** NEW COPE FORUM CASES
------------------------------------------------------------
Three new cases were brought to the COPE Forum in June for discussion and advice from COPE Members:
* How to exclude AI-generated articles? ([link removed])
When a journal discovered a potential problem with the use of AI-generated articles, they asked the Forum for advice on a process to screen for AI-generated submissions.
* Handling contentious authorship disputes ([link removed])
The Forum agreed that the publisher handled the situation correctly. It is not the publisher’s role to make judgements on authorship; only authors’ institutions are able to examine what happened in the production of the article.
* Handling an undisclosed conflict of interest which is attracting controversy ([link removed])
An undisclosed COI has since been communicated with the original handling editor and corrected on the articles. The journal and publisher continue to receive attacks on social media. Is there any further action the journal should do?
TEMPLATE LETTERS: NEW
COPE Members Only
Communicating with authors, reviewers or universities about a suspected breach of research or publication integrity is one of the most difficult tasks of an editor. COPE template letters have been fully revised and updated, with more added, to help editors draft their own emails or letters.
TEMPLATE LETTERS ([link removed]) >
** YOUR PUBLICATION ETHICS CASES
------------------------------------------------------------
COPE Members Only
COPE Members: if you have a publication ethics issue you are currently dealing with and need advice from other COPE members, submit your case for discussion and advice at the Forum or from COPE Council Members.
[link removed]
** PUBLICATION INTEGRITY WEEK
MONDAY 18 - FRIDAY 22 NOVEMBER
------------------------------------------------------------
This week-long series of events will feature insights from across the publication integrity spectrum from sessions on good publication ethics practice to discussions on issues challenging research publishing.
SAVE THE DATE!
NISO PUBLISH RECOMMENDED PRACTICE
The National Information Standards Organization (NISO) has released the Communication of Retractions, Removals, and Expressions of Concern (CREC) Recommended Practice. The CREC guidelines recommend best practice for the creation, transfer, and display of retraction-related metadata, allowing all involved in publishing and dissemination of research to communicate retraction information quickly which in turn enables readers to identify the status of a publication.
CREC GUIDELINES ([link removed]) >
AN ACTIVE ROLE FOR LIBRARIANS AND INFORMATION SCIENTISTS IN FIGHTING PAPER MILLS
According to Curtis Brundy and Joel B. Thornton, from setting expectations and responsibilities in open access agreements with publishers to aiding authors and institutions in identifying fraud, there are multiple ways librarians can take an active role in fighting paper mills.
UKSG COMMENTARY ([link removed]) >
NEW JAPANESE LANGUAGE VIDEO FROM THINK.CHECK.SUBMIT
Think.Check.Submit have published a new video to help researchers who are looking for a trustworthy journal to publish their research.
Publishers and librarians can embed the video, now in Japanese, on their websites.
THINK.CHECK.SUBMIT ([link removed]) >
** ASIA PACIFIC ASSOCIATION OF MEDICAL JOURNAL EDITORS
AUSTRALIA
------------------------------------------------------------
COPE Council Member, Mark Hooper, has been invited to speak at the APAMJE 2024 conference taking place in Newcastle, New South Wales from 29-30 August.
APAMJE CONFERENCE ([link removed]) >
** AFRICAN POPULATION AND HEALTH RESEARCH CENTRE
NIGERIA
------------------------------------------------------------
COPE Council Member, Jason Hu, is speaking at the Nigerian meeting of the African Population and Health Research Centre (APHRC) about 'African journals' quality and visibility training'. This is one of a series of meetings in Kenya, Ethiopia and Nigeria. Jason will speak on the topic of publication ethics and standards at the meeting in Abuja 24-25 July.
APHRC ([link removed]) >
** Submitting a guest editorial or opinion piece to COPE
------------------------------------------------------------
We welcome guest editorials and opinion articles regarding research and publication ethics from COPE members. Please read the COPE guest editorial policy ([link removed]) before submitting your article.
** COPE Digest Editors:
------------------------------------------------------------
Itamar Ashkenazi, COPE Council Member
Trevor Lane, COPE Trustee and Council Member
Managing Editor, Sarah Gillmore, COPE Engagement & Outreach Officer
============================================================
** facebook.com/publicationethics ([link removed])
** facebook.com/publicationethics ([link removed])
** @C0PE ([link removed])
** @C0PE ([link removed])
** LinkedIn ([link removed])
** LinkedIn ([link removed])
** Publicationethics.org ([link removed])
Copyright ©2024 COPE,
All rights reserved.
Registered charity No 1123023. Registered in England and Wales, Company No 6389120
Registered office: New Kings Court, Tollgate, Chandler's Ford, Eastleigh, Hampshire, SO53 3LG, UK
You are receiving this email because you or your journal is a member of COPE or you have subscribed to COPE emails.
You can ** update your preferences ([link removed])
or ** unsubscribe from this list ([link removed])
.
