Looking forward into the new year, we see significant actions and opportunities before us. We know that we are stronger when we work together, and threats to the scholarly publishing industry are before us.
COPE’s Facilitation and Integrity subcommittee (F&I) is one of our most active services. When it was launched in 2010 its role was envisaged as dealing with complaints concerning member journals.
In Part 1 of this Commentary we outlined some of the problems, solutions, and tools facing peer review. In Part 2 we address perhaps the most lively area of debate on this topic at the moment: the role of artificial intelligence (AI).
We have become used to speaking about scholarly peer review with some scepticism. Critics note that it is subjective and therefore inconsistent, it can be slow, it tends to down-weight negative results, and it is increasingly susceptible to manipulation.
How COPE is working on diversity, equity, inclusivity, and accessibility
COPE is committed to creating an inclusive and equitable culture, where all voices are welcomed and heard, and difference is celebrated. Through our words and actions, we have been working – and intend to continue working – for real change.
A year ago, COPE and STM (the trade association for the worldwide academic publishing industry) undertook a study with Maverick Publishing Services, using data from publishers and interviews with stakeholders, to understand the scale of the problem of paper mills, and to consider what actions should be taken.