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class="content"> <div class="node-case node node-case view-mode-full "> <div class="node-case__left node-case__fields"> <div class="field field--short"> <div class="field-label">Case number:</div> <div class="field-item">24-17</div> </div> </div> <div class="node-case__body"> <div class="sidebar sidebar--offset"> <div class="sidebar__body"> <div class="node-case__fields"> <div class="field field-name-field-anonymised-text-of-the-ca field-type-text-long field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Case text (Anonymised): </div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p>In summer 2023, an author informed the journal that they had unintentionally neglected to declare a conflict of interest on all of the five articles that they had published in the journal between 2019 and 2022. They had been made aware of this on social media, in the context of a widespread movement to discredit members of an emerging healthcare profession that they represent. They stated that they had not benefited financially from the undisclosed conflict of interest and were happy to work with the journal to correct the scholarly record. The content of all five papers was about the particular healthcare professional group, and the conflict was that the author was the director of a recruitment organisation for that group. 聽</p> <p>The journal followed the COPE process for undeclared conflicts of interest in a published article, including contacting the original handling editor, who accessed the reviewer reports and confirmed that the conflict of interest would not have affected the decision to publish any of the articles. Subsequently, each article was corrected to include the conflict of interest and the journal published a corrigendum to draw attention to the corrected articles.</p> <p>However, the journal continues to receive attacks on social media as part of a wider campaign against the particular profession, saying that the articles should be retracted as the conflict of interest invalidates their content, and that their continued presence as part of the scholarly record is part of a wider conspiracy by the journal and its publisher to promote that healthcare professional group in a biased and unevidenced manner. The editorial independence of the journal from its publisher, and the reputations of both the journal and its publisher, are receiving repeated defamations on social media. This has led to calls by some internal stakeholders of the publisher for further review of the process followed. This case submitted to COPE forms part of that review.<br /> The journal has not engaged with any of the comments on social media, but there is a need to respond to the publisher鈥檚 internal stakeholders.</p> <p> <em>Questions for the Forum:</em></p> <ul> <li>Does the combination of previously undeclared conflict of interest and current controversy mean that the journal needs to take further action?</li> <li>If so, what should this action be?</li> <li>Does the particular nature of this conflict of interest (the author鈥檚 status as the director of a recruitment organisation for the healthcare professional group) change the status?</li> <li>Does the fact that the conflict was only declared after social media identification change the status?<br /> 聽</li> </ul> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-advice field-type-text-long field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Advice: </div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p><i>This case was聽presented to the聽</i><a href="https://publicationethics.org/copeforum"><b><i>COPE Forum</i></b></a><i>聽where advice is offered by a group of COPE Members and COPE Council Members. Advice on individual cases is not formal COPE guidance.</i></p> <p>While it is distressing to be subjected to public criticism, it is usually unwise to engage in further dialogue because it may encourage the critics further. The journal has done all it can by putting out a statement and following COPE guidance.</p> <p>If the attacks are defamatory then the journal could take legal counsel, although this carries a risk of inflaming the situation further,</p> <p>The journal could also consider actions to protect their team, especially if individuals are being publicly targeted or named. For example, they could review their complaints processes to deanonymise all contacts, and ensure that all decisions are made by a panel rather than an individual. They can also ensure that all team members know the complaints procedures and reiterate the importance of following them.<br /> 聽</p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-resolution field-type-list-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Resolution: </div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Case Closed</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-9 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Year: </div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/taxonomy/term/4478">2024</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--classifications field--short"><div class="field-label">Core practices:</div><div class="item-list"><ul><li class="first"><a href="/appeals" title="View all "Complaints and appeals" content">Complaints and appeals</a></li> <li><a href="/competinginterests" title="View all "Conflicts of interest / Competing interests" content">Conflicts of interest / Competing interests</a></li> <li class="last"><a href="/management" title="View all "Journal management" content">Journal management</a></li> </ul></div></div> </div> <aside class="sidebar__aside"> <div class="sidebar__aside__col"> <div class="sidebar__aside__inner"> <div class="contextual-links-region"><h3>COPE Forum</h3><div class="entity entity-bean bean-editable"> <div > <div class="field field-name-field-block-text field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p>COPE Members:<br /> do you have a publication ethics case and need help with next steps?<br /> <a href="https://publicationethics.org/copeforum">Submit your case</a></p> <p>Registration is now open for the 9 December Forum where new cases are discussed. 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