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COPE Digest
August 2025
eLearning | Cases
Welcome to the August issue of COPE Digest
This month we have released new guidance to help prospective members understand what is required to join COPE, make clear the eligibility and membership criteria, and support potential members in ensuring their journals follow best practices. This is the first step in a wide ranging review of COPE's application and assessment process with more improvements to come.
We also strongly encourage current members to review the new criteria and implement any necessary changes to their journal practices to ensure they too are following best practice in publication ethics.
The resources include a detailed Guide to applying for journal membership ([link removed]) which explains what information applicants need to provide. This is complemented by guidance and tools, including the Ethics toolkit for a successful editorial office ([link removed]) now available as a set of web pages, as well as a PDF, making it easier to access and navigate. The toolkit has also been updated with references to new COPE guidance providing practical support for both applicants and existing members.
Key features of the new Guide to applying for journal membership include:
* Clear eligibility requirements and minimum criteria, with direct links to relevant guidance for further support.
* An application form guide outlining the details to be submitted.
* A transparent description of the assessment process and how membership reviews are conducted.
* A glossary ([link removed]) to clarify publication ethics terms COPE uses throughout the materials.
COPE introduced these new guidance documents and tools to increase transparency and reduce confusion.
READ MORE ([link removed]) >
Natalie Ridgeway, COPE Executive Officer
NEW CASE
A new case was recently submitted to COPE Council and the COPE Forum for advice. View the case with a summary of the discussion and advice offered:
* Conflicts of interest at a scholarly society and inappropriate access to author information ([link removed])
The Vice President of a society which owns Journal A, also editor of another journal, accessed Journal A’s database without permission, raising ethical breaches and conflicts of interest.
How should Journal A prevent this in future?
** INTRODUCTION TO PUBLICATION ETHICS
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Introducción a la Ética de la Publicación
出版伦理介绍
The Introduction to publication ethics module, available in three languages, is free for editors and editorial staff who are not yet COPE Members.
ELEARNING ([link removed])
** ELEARNING: TEN MODULES
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COPE Members Only
Each module includes case studies and questions so that you can review your knowledge. For COPE Members, there are ten modules to choose from. They can be completed them in any order:
- Introduction to publication ethics* - Authorship - Conflicts of interest - Corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern - Fabrication - FalsifIcation - Plagiarism - Redundant publication - Reviewer misconduct - Selective reporting
*Introduction to publication ethics module is free for non-members
ELEARNING FOR MEMBERS ([link removed])
** COPE FORUM
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MONDAY 29 SEPTEMBER 2025
COPE Members Only
The next COPE Forum will be held on Monday 29 September beginning with about the impact of geopolitics on scholarly publishing. This will be followed by discussion and advice by the participants about the cases submitted by COPE Members.
COPE Members: if you have a publication ethics issue you're currently dealing with and need advice from other Members, submit your case for discussion and advice at the September Forum.
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** SAVE THE DATE!
17-21 NOVEMBER 2025
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We are excited to announce the dates for Publication Integrity Week. This year’s theme "Exploring the landscape of publication integrity together" invites our community to discuss and share insights for scholarly publishing standards. Registration will open soon!
** MEET THE COPE TEAM
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COPE has a small, friendly team who work closely together every day to support our Trustees and Council Members. Everyone on the team has their own area of expertise, and we each help wherever we’re needed to make sure COPE runs effectively. Although our Trustees and Council Members volunteers live in many countries around the world our team works from the UK and Ireland making it easier to meet in person now and then, allowing us stay connected.
By managing daily operations, the team frees our dedicated Trustees and Council Members to focus on providing leadership in publication ethics and supporting the community in addressing ethical challenges.
As one team member reflects, “Being part of an organisation that’s striving to make a positive impact gives me a real sense of purpose and makes my work feel much more meaningful”.
COPE TEAM ([link removed]) >
** AI IN PEER REVIEW
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VIRTUAL
COPE Council Member Jason Hu will be part of the panel discussion on the topic of 'One System, Many Contexts: International Reflections on AI in Peer Review'. The panel discussion will be hosted by the Asian Council of Science Editors (ACSE), on Thursday 18 September 2025, as part of Peer Review Week.
The panel will explore how AI is influencing peer review globally, across different publishing systems, languages, and regional priorities.
ASIAN COUNCIL OF SCIENCE EDITORS ([link removed]) >
** CREDITING ORGANISATIONS
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LUND, SWEDEN
COPE Council Member Itamar Ashkenazi is invited to present at The League of European Research Universities (LERU) around the issues and possible solutions of 'crediting organisations'. The discussion will be part of LERU's internal meeting of the Research Integrity Policy Group in September.
LERU is a network of European research-intensive universities which acts as a strong, outspoken voice of European research-intensive universities on a wide range of topics related to EU policies and initiatives.
LEAGUE OF EUROPEAN RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES ([link removed]) >
** Submitting a guest editorial or opinion piece to COPE
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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 edtiors
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Mark Hooper, COPE Council Member
Managing Editor, Sarah Gillmore, COPE Engagement & Outreach Officer
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