COPE brings together all those involved in scholarly research and its publication to strengthen the network of support, education and debate in publication ethics
Our core practices
Core practices are the policies and practices journals and publishers need, to reach the highest standards in publication ethics. We include cases with advice, guidance for day-to-day practice, education modules and events on topical issues, to support journals and publishers fulfil their policies.
Discussion and advice
Effective communication and collaboration between institutions and journals on cases of research integrity and publication misconduct is essential. COPE makes a number of recommendations, for institutions and journals, to achieve this.
What should an institution do when a journal raises a concern about research or publication integrity? Use the flowchart for a step-by-step process on handling the issue.
In Part 2 of this COPE Commentary Alysa Levene addresses perhaps the most lively area of debate on this topic at the moment: the role of artificial intelligence (AI).
Cases on the topics of authorship, paper mills, image integrity, and ethical oversight are now available. They were discussed, with advice given, by the COPE Forum.
Action against paper mills
A society publisher's perspective. Zara Manwaring describes the challenge faced by the journal Bioscience Reports in 2020, when an anonymous reader alerted them to potential issues in over 50 papers. She outlines the investigation, subsequent correction of the literature, and the processes and policies which have been revised.
COPE guidance with practical steps for editors and publishers dealing with paper mills, empowering decision-making at batch level and supporting timely investigations.
United2Act, an international collaboration committed to addressing the challenge of paper mills in scholarly publishing, outlines five key areas of action against the impact of paper mills on the integrity of academic research and publishing.
An article highlighting why United2Act is needed in the global effort to fight fraud which corrupts the scholarly record.