- Case
Ethical approval for a study
We had a presubmission enquiry from a group regarding a paper reporting what seemed to be an uncontrolled trial in infertile women who were given soft tissue physical therapy. The authors wanted to know if we would be interested in their paper; if it was a problem that the trial had not been registered (because, they claimed, it was not a trial as no control group was used); and if it was… - Case
Consideration of publishing raw data
…situation. Does anyone already publish anonymised raw data in their journal and, if so, how does one handle the ethics of such a publication: · Do you assume that the original ethics approval covers this new publication? · Do you require… - Case
Submissions from members of the editorial board
…manuscripts was delayed for two reasons. At first, essential forms (such as the conflict of interest statements) were missing and the editor-in-chief received the manuscripts 10–35 days after submission when the administrative checklist was complete. In addition, it was difficult to recruit reviewers who were willing to assess the manuscripts over the summer, and several papers were within a rather narrow… - Case
Profusion of copied text passages
…in the region of 25% to >35%. These are substantial values and certainly beyond fortuitous incidences. However, in almost all cases it is difficult to suspect acts of conscious (self)plagiarism as the copied text (ranging from single sentences or fragments of sentences to passages of 2–3 sentences) can be attributed to a very large number of sources: often more than 60, and in one case… - Research
Characterisation of trials published in medical journals to determine whether there are specific characteristics of trials that are designed primarily for the purpose of marketing and, if identified, what the prevalence and distribution of such trials is
…Characterisation of trials published in medical journals to determine whether there are specific characteristics of trials that are designed primarily for the purpose of marketing and, if identified, what the prevalence and distribution of such trials is 2011 There is increasing anecdotal evidence of publications describing trials that appear to be for marketing purposes rather than… - Case
Unable to contact authors
The Forum advised not publishing the paper if the editor does not have final consent from the authors. A suggestion was to contact the authors and the authors’ institutions with a specific deadline, stating that if no response is received within this time frame, the paper will be withdrawn. The editor may wish to also send a registered letter by post to ensure the authors have received the… - Case
The perfect study but no investigational drug
…· We need a response from the authors as to when the work was done. · The editor can point out to the authors that he is puzzled as the drug was withdrawn in 1993 and can question the legitimacy of the data. · The editor said that the data were… - Case
Suspected plagiarism
…flow of the article and the subheadings and the text is too similar.It was pointed out to me by my associate editor.There have been no complains yet but does that mean one should not investigate?Is the editor entitled to conduct investigations without complaints.Can plagiarism detection software be applied retrospectively?What action can be taken if only ideas are copied in the same sequence though… - News
What to do if you suspect systematic manipulation of the publication process
Manipulation of the publication process is a relatively new form of misconduct… Member Registration Form
Click on the appropriate membership type below: Journal Member If you are the Editor or Publisher of a peer-reviewed, academic journal(s) that publish in discrete intervals in print and/or online, select Journal Member. Continuous…- Case
Dual publication
…version of the original paper so that we could assess whether this was a case of dual publication. In the meantime, we removed the online version. Following this, the authors withdrew the paper. The question now is, should we pursue this further by reporting the authors to the regulators in their country for an apparent attempt at dual publication and, if so, to whom should we report?… - Case
Authorship dispute over image
Advice on this case is from a small number of COPE Council Members. Most cases on the COPE website are presented to the COPE Forum where advice is offered by a wider group of COPE Members and COPE Council Members. Advice on individual cases is not formal COPE guidance. The best approach, if possible, would simply be not to… - News
COPE is now on LinkedIn!
If you are a member of LinkedIn you can join the COPE group. Click here to stay up to date with ethical issues.… Thank You
Thank you for registering your interest in becoming a member of COPE. Your application will be processed and considered at the next Council meeting. If you have any queries about membership before then, please contact the COPE Administrator here.…- Case
Should a journal disclose peer reviewer names?
…article had a bearing on an issue in the litigation. The lawyer said that they understood that the review process was designed to be anonymous; however, in cases where the comments were potentially relevant to subsequent litigation, that waiving of anonymity could become necessary. The lawyer informed the journal that they planned to proceed with a formal subpoena for this information if… - Case
Using industry knowledge to evaluate an ethics case
…topic and is qualified to conduct its own expert analysis into the research methodology used – knowledge it otherwise may not have and analysis it otherwise may not do. Questions for COPE Council Given the subject matter, is it fair and appropriate for publisher A to evaluate this research differently than it would typically handle other ethics cases? If… - Case
An accusation of fraud in a rejected paper
…misgivings because the effect of the biological mechanism described in the paper was less than 1%, and s/he was therefore strongly opposed to the submission of the manuscript. The lead author had responded to these misgivings by removing the writer’s name from the author list. The writer explained that s/he feared the study might damage the journal’s reputation if accepted, but at the same time felt that… - Case
Lost raw data
In a nutshell, if someone has lost their raw data, workup data and laboratory books (so that in effect their data cannot be checked/queried/verified/substantiated) what would be the implications of submitting his/her results to a journal? I have a very clear view. I would not do it. However, others seem to think that if you cannot prove that the results are wrong, then they must be accepted on… - News
COPE Trustee
…COPE and ensure its financial stability (see COPE governance for more detail). Key responsibilities The Trustees meet four times a year; three of the meetings are held by webinar, with the other being a 3-5 day residential meeting incorporating Strategy, Trustee Board, Council, and Subcommittee meetings. The residential… - Case
“Medical research” using data in the public domain
Information on competitors participating in a popular sporting activity was obtained from a website in the public domain. The authors used this data to see if the competitors' personal characteristics (height, weight etc.) affected their chances of winning. The editor asked the authors how they obtained consent from the competitors for this study. The authors responded saying that this data…