Manipulation of the publication process is a relatively new form of misconduct affecting the publishing industry. This editorial describes what it is, why it is difficult for individual journal editors and publishers to handle and the background to the development of the new COPE guidelines on how to manage publication process manipulation.
These new guidelines represent an important first step towards encouraging openness and collaboration between publishers to address this phenomenon.
Read more in the editorial by Jigisha Patel of SpringerNature, who collaborated on the development of the new guidelines and why they matter.