- Case
Concerns regarding image manipulation and inconsistent figure legends
A journal received a complaint from readership about manipulation of images of gels and also of some figures which had been published as part of a thesis with different sample legends. The authors were contacted to provide explanations for the observed inconsistencies. The authors provided full images and then an official expert analysis, but the Editor-in-Chief did not feel that these response… - News
Letter from the COPE co-Chairs: July 2018
…3px; margin-right: 3px; float: left;" /> Disclosure: CG works for Wiley, where he is Director, Research Integrity and Publishing EthicsPicture credit: CC0 Creative Commons from - News
In the news: November 2018 Digest
…findings. COPE Council member Deborah Kahn Read November Digest: Post-Publication Discussions and Corrections… - Case
A case of scientific misconduct?
…authors wrote back to us, cc'ing the heads of their two research ethics committees, to say that indeed, the manuscript did not match the two different protocols they sent us. They explained that there was a fault in the manuscript and not in the work carried out. They explained that the paper they sent us did not describe a single study but rather parts of 4 different approved studies taking place over… - Case
Request to withdraw as an author of an accepted but unpublished paper
…specific details regarding the nature of her disagreement with PD. It turns out that it involved two data points (out of 22) in a supplementary analysis. AP and PD could not agree on the value of those data points. The editor then suggested to AP and PD that they re-do the supplementary analysis, based on the 20 scores that were not in dispute; if the pattern reported originally was confirmed in… - Case
Is ethics committee approval necessary for retrospective clinical studies?
A journal received a manuscript on risk factors for a disease, which had no ethics committee approval or dispensation. The clinical data were collected from the electronic and physical histories of the patients during hospitalization. The authors stated that the study was not submitted to an ethics review board because these data are "secondary." In some countries, this type of research will re… - News
Announcement of COPE Council elections
…obtained from the COPE Administrator, Linda Gough to whom applications and nominations can be emailed. The closing date for applications is 30 September 2011. COPE council member: role description Purpose of role To be responsible, together with other council members, for the policy and management of the Committee on Publication Ethics. … - Event
COPE Lightning Talk: AI
30 January 2024, 13:00-14:00 GMT / UTC COPE members only New for 2024 COPE introduces Lightning Talks! We've created these to increase awareness and confidence in specific topics. Each talk will begin with a short introduction from experts, and then open up to discussion and questions from the audience. Join us to learn more, let us know your thoughts… - News
Data and reproducibility: The role of research institutions
…src="/files/u7140/data%20carpentry_logo.jpeg" style="width: 267px; height: 75px; margin-top: 3px; margin-bottom: 3px; float: right;" />It may be a part of: RCR training, graduate student and post-doc training, new faculty onboarding, and offered on an ongoing basis as part of continuing professional development (e.g., - News
Creating and implementing research data policies: COPE webinar report
…availability, and, if available, to require persistent identifier/s and applicable licence information. The guidelines ask for certain TOP Statements to be provided in journals, as explained in a preprint about implementing the guidelines. Audience questions covered practical… - News
In the news: December Digest
…international group of authors in Ophthalmology topics selected 200 references from PubMed and then checked them for Open Access status. Those that were paywalled were examined to see if they were available at established institutions in low income countries or through HINARI. There was a lot of heterogeneity from 0% full texts to 95%, with a mean of 47% availability. Use of complementary "alternative ways"… - News
In the news: March Digest
…sharing, and implementing data availability statements in journals, is worth the effort involved.https://scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org/2019/01/30/guest-post-encouraging-data-sharing-a-small-investment-for-large-potential-gain/ The … - News
Case Discussion: Editor and reviewers requiring authors to cite their own work
…discussion document which will be ready, on our website, early this year. Nancy Chescheir on behalf of the COPE Education Subcommittee Read January 2019 COPE Digest newsletter and use the COPE… - Case
Unusual consent process in a vulnerable population
A clinical trial was conducted in a low income country. The trial involved two schools. At the first school (the control school), children would receive a one-off drug treatment for a common infection (such “mass drug administration” is the norm for treating and breaking the transmission cycle of this infection). At the second school, children would receive the same one-off drug treatment plus… - Seminars and webinars
COPE webinar 2018: Creating and implementing data research policies
…Guidelines is not to mandate for data access per se, but to mandate disclosure of data availability, and, if available, to require persistent identifier/s and applicable licence information. The guidelines ask for certain TOP Statements to be provided in journals, as explained in a - Case
Claim from an author that his name should not have been included as author on a paper
Dr R submitted a paper to our journal and has since expressed unhappiness about the way in which our journal has dealt with the issue. The manuscript was submitted to our journal according to the usual accepted procedures. Our journal requires that only a single author (the corresponding author) sign the copyright assignment form (on behalf of all the authors). We require that the author… - Case
Author with recidivist behaviour involving simultaneous submissions
An author submitted manuscript A to Journal 1 and to Journal 2 in consecutive months, both journals published by the same publisher. The author had previously submitted another manuscript to Journal 3 and informed the journal that the paper had been already published by another journal when the proofs were received. Journal 1 and Journal 2 have decided to withdraw the manuscript. Journa… - News
In the news: October-November 2021
…="http://www.elsevier.com/connect/reviewers-update/the-case-for-more-diversity-in-peer-review">how diversity affects peer review. The 9th International Congress on Peer Review and Scientific Publication, to be held in September 2022, has issued a call for research and abstracts. The Congress invites papers discussing new research into the quality and credibility of peer review and scientific publication. In an - News
Case discussion: gift authorship
…authorship came from further study of 81 of the hyperprolific authors. Of the 27 authors who completed a survey, 19 admitted failing to meet one of the four ICMJE authorship criteria in more than a quarter of their papers and 11 admitted failing to meet two or more… - Case
Seven plagiarized manuscripts in one month by the same corresponding author
In one month we have received 11 manuscripts (9 case reports, 1 original study and 1 letter) written by authors from a European Union country. The manuscripts were submitted by the same corresponding author (author A) who was also the first author in all of the 11 manuscripts. Another author was the second author (author B) in 10 of the manuscripts. There were two other authors (authors C and D…