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class="breadcrumb"><a href="/web/20220403040634/https://publicationethics.org/">Home</a></p> </div> <div class="hero__title"> <a id="main-content"></a> <h1 id="page-title">COPE advice to editors on Geopolitical intrusions on editorial decisions</h1> </div> <div class="hero__bottom"> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="page-main"> <div class="page-main__row"> <div class="page-main__col"> <main> <section id="content" class="region region-content"> <div id="block-system-main" class="block block-system clearfix"> <div class="content"> <div class="ds-1col node node-newsopinion node-promoted view-mode-full clearfix "> <p class="node-publish-submitted"><time datetime="2013-08-01T06:11:57" class="node-time">1 August 2013</time></p> <div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><h2>Update聽2022</h2> <p><strong>10 March 2022</strong></p> <p>There has been much discussion recently on government sanctions against Russia and the potential effect on Russian researchers. COPE has discussed the issue of geopolitical intrusion into editorial decision making previously in similar situations.</p> <p>COPE's position on this remains as follows:</p> <p>"Editorial decisions should not be affected by the origins of the manuscript, including the nationality, ethnicity, political beliefs, race, or religion of the authors. Decisions to edit and publish should not be determined by the policies of governments or other agencies outside of the journal itself."</p> <h2>2013</h2> <p><strong>1 August 2013</strong></p> <p>There has been much discussion recently on government, specifically US government, sanctions against Iran, the potential effect on Iranian researchers and some publishers have cautioned editors and reviewers about handling papers from Iran. A recent <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220403040634/http://www.bmj.com/content/347/bmj.f4650?ijkey=c4uuy6XSR6IK4Cj&keytype=ref">BMJ news item</a> reported on this, which followed an<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220403040634/http://news.sciencemag.org/2013/05/scientific-journals-adapt-new-u.s.-trade-sanctions-iran"> earlier report in Science</a>.</p> <p>COPE has discussed the聽 issue of geopolitical intrusion into editorial decision making on two occasions over the past year, most recently at the June council meeting. We agreed聽 to clarify COPE鈥檚 position on this by adding the following clause, that is drawn from text developed by WAME, to our <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220403040634/https://publicationethics.org/files/Code_of_conduct_for_journal_editors_1.pdf">Code of Conduct for journal editors</a>.</p> <p>"Editorial decisions should not be affected by the origins of the manuscript, including the nationality, ethnicity, political beliefs, race, or religion of the authors. Decisions to edit and publish should not be determined by the policies of governments or other agencies outside of the journal itself."</p> <p>When the Code is revised we will formally add the new text within the body of the Code; in the meantime this new clause and any subsequent interim amendments will be noted at the bottom of the Code.</p> <h3>Page history</h3> <p>Page last updated: 10 March 2022</p> </div></div></div></div> </div> </div> </section> </main> </div> </div> </div> <footer class="footer"> <div class="footer__outer"> <div class="footer__row"> <div class="footer__col"> <div class="footer__menu"> <h2>Useful links</h2> <ul class="links menu-site-map"><li class="menu-4141 first"><a href="/web/20220403040634/https://publicationethics.org/become-member" title="">Become a member</a></li> <li class="menu-4140"><a href="/web/20220403040634/https://publicationethics.org/contact-us" title="">Contact Us</a></li> <li class="menu-4137"><a 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