- Forum discussion topics
Artificial intelligence (AI) and fake papers
…topic. Back to top Questions for discussion 1) Is it an acceptable, and ethical, practice for an author to use AI to write a scholarly article? 2) Can we detect whether an article has been written by AI? Is it important to do so? If so, why? 3) Can an article written by an AI trained on existing articles be considered original? 4) What… - Event
CSE annual meeting: Editorial policy ethics clinic
…This will be a virtual event Heather Tierney, is speaking on behalf of COPE as a panellist on the editorial policy ethics clinic at the CSE Annual Meeting. The ethics clinic discussion will be around retractions. For more information on retractions read - Case
Suspicion that signed informed consent forms are forged
…for educative purposes. The editors should also consider whether there is enough evidence to suggest research misconduct, in which case the authors’ institution should be informed (in neutral terms, with the authors potentially copied). The editors may find COPE’s guidance on - Case
An appropriate response to concerns of research validity
A paper describing a novel technique was submitted. Three out of four external reviewers felt that the results could not be true. The manufacturers of the tool used in the technique provided evidence to support the reviewers’ claims that the results were not feasible. The editor wrote to the authors asking them to explain their results. The authors replied saying that they were unable… - Case
The unacceptable use of a placebo
_ Ethics committee approval should be requested, but how far could this be challenged if the authors had it, in which case the local ethics committee in question should be queried. _ It was correct to trial an established treatment against a new treatment, and not just a placebo. But it would be wrong to test a drug against other drugs that had been found to be ineffective. _ The editor… - Case
Transparency of peer review to co-authors
An associate editor of one of our journals has asked whether we can configure our online peer review system to restrict access to reviewer correspondence to corresponding authors. His concern is that some of the review materials (eg, a harsh critique) might be embarrassing for the principal investigator if accessed by a co-author who was a junior investigator or laboratory technician.… - Research
Prevalence and attitudes towards plagiarism in biomedical publishing 2010
…of plagiarism and attitudes towards plagiarism in the scientific community. The prevalence of plagiarism in a biomedical journal will be measured using CrossCheck, eTBLAST, and WCopyFind plagiarism detection software. All papers submitted to the Croatian Medical Journal (CMJ, an international peer-reviewed open-access journal; http://www.cmj.hr) in 2009 and… - News
Announcement of COPE Council elections
Due to vacancies on Council, we are seeking nominations for two new candidates.These are voluntary positions. Council is responsible for COPE’s policy and management. Council members are expected to attend four meetings a year (at least 2 of which are in London and 2 may be attended by phone or other media). There is also an annual 1 day strategy meeting which Council Members are expected to… Systematic manipulation of the publishing process via paper mills: Forum discussion topic September 2020
…the publication process are being seen. The production of fraudulent papers at scale via alleged ‘paper mills’ is one such manipulation. Paper mills are profit oriented, unofficial and potentially illegal organisations that produce and sell fraudulent manuscripts that seem to resemble genuine research. They may…- Webform
COPE peer review workshop, November 2020
…this workshop, with the same cases, at a time that we hope will be suitable for members in different time zones. The workshop will work through real cases raised by COPE Members to identify issues in peer review and how to handle them. Join us for the workshop where we'll create an online environment for attendees to share ideas, experience, and suggest next steps for each case. The… - Seminars and webinars
Ethical concerns in research on urbanisation: perspectives from the Global South
…because of the urgency of the questions addressed in this field, she notes the dangers of reliance on funding from outside the country. Doing so can lead to a replication of western methods and researchers attributing value to outputs which may be inaccessible to audiences in the country being studied. Instead, partnerships should be framed as equitable and collaborative from the outset, with outcomes… - Forum discussion topics
Coordinating multi-journal complaints
…is then taken on that article, usually without reference to the broader concerns. As such complaints become more frequent, should editors continue the previous best practice to treat each case individually or in isolation? Taken in the context of just one or two papers, it could be an acceptable resolution to issue an erratum or correction for an error, but how much consideration should be… - News
COPE flowcharts now available in French
The full set of the COPE flowcharts are now available in French. They can be downloaded from the website here.… - Case
Confidentiality and consent in case reports
…the study of the doctor–patient relationship to shed light on the presenting difficulties. In other words, the doctor–patient relationship is one of our key treatment ‘tools’ allowing connections to be made between the body and the mind in relation to the sexual problem. These consultations almost always include intimate and sensitive information. Therefore, it had previously been felt that… - News
Announcement of COPE Council elections
Due to vacancies on Council, we are seeking nominations for three new candidates, as our constitution requires. These are voluntary positions. Council is responsible for COPE’s policy and management. Council members are expected to attend four meetings a year (in London) as well as take part in subcommittees and other COPE related tasks. It may be possible to attend some meetings by… - News
Announcement of COPE Council elections
Due to vacancies on Council, we are seeking nominations for two new candidates, as our constitution requires. These are voluntary positions. Council is responsible for COPE’s policy and management. Council members are expected to attend four meetings a year (in London) as well as take part in subcommittees and other COPE related tasks. It may be possible to attend some meetings by… - News
Announcement of COPE Council elections
Due to vacancies on Council, we are seeking nominations for five new candidates. These are voluntary positions. Council is responsible for COPE’s policy and management. Council members are expected to attend four meetings a year (in London) as well as take part in subcommittees and other COPE related tasks. It may be possible to attend some meetings by phone. There are also occasional… FORUM DISCUSSION TOPIC: Sharing of information among editors-in-chief regarding possible misconduct
….1111/%28ISSN%291365-2044/homep...) Discussions with publishers suggest that such sharing of information risks accusations and/or legal claims of defamation, since submissions should be handled confidentially, even though the journals concerned might carry a statement on their website saying that manuscripts and related documents may be shared if that is considered necessary to investigate possible…- Case
Patient consent
…evidence that this syndrome may be associated with malingering. The report was reviewed by the Editorial Committee and publication offered as a letter. It was noted, however, that consent had not been provided and this was sought from the authors. The authors explained that this was not available and the Editor explored the possibilities of publishing without patient’s consent, applying the - Forum discussion topics
COPE Forum 4 September 2013: Sharing of information among editors-in-chief regarding possible misconduct
…/editorial_policies.htm">https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/page/journal/13652044/homepage/editorial_policies.htm). Discussions with publishers suggest that such sharing of information risks accusations and/or legal claims of defamation, since submissions should be handled confidentially – even though the journals concerned might carry a statement on their website saying that manuscripts and related documents may be shared if that's considered necessary to…