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using personal phone number</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="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">24-04</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>We have received in the past several bribe attempts from authors from an Asian country trying to publish articles in our journal, which have always arrived by email. However, the editor-in-chief of our journal recently received a WhatsApp message on his personal phone number from an author of that same Asian country. The same message was also sent by email to the official email address of the journal and to the personal e-mail address of the editor-in-chief. What we find disturbing is how an author managed to find the personal phone number of the editor-in-chief.</p> <p>Update: the editor-in-chief discovered that their personal phone number had been included on a conference program which was on the internet. The conference organiser has now removed the content.</p> <p><em>Question for the Forum:</em></p> <ul> <li>What can we do about this?</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>This is an increasingly common scenario, with programmes now available to find personal details, and many opportunities to mine information from social media. It is good practice to perform periodic internet searches to see where your own information may appear, and take action to remove it where possible. Professional editors can be careful only to give out generic journal email addresses and publisher switchboard numbers; this is more difficult for academic editors who have a more public-facing profile.</p> <p>It is advisable to keep summaries of all conversations with organisations who have published personal information, and follow these up in writing so that there is a record of actions taken. This can also help to mitigate any flaws which have been exposed in processes either at the journal or by the other organisation.</p> <p>The editor could also consider following up with the author鈥檚 institution so that they can take any further appropriate action.<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 last"><a href="/misconduct" title="View all "Allegations of misconduct" content">Allegations of misconduct</a></li> </ul></div></div><div id="comments" class="comment-wrapper"> <h2 class="title">Comments</h2> <a id="comment-19274"></a> <section class="comment clearfix"> <ul class="attribution">  <li>Posted by <span class="username">santa manta</span>, 16/6/2024 6.07am</li> </ul> <div class="comment-text"> <div class="comment-arrow"></div> <div class="content"> <div class="field field-name-comment-body field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p>An author contacting the editor-in-chief using a personal phone number can lead to direct and immediate communication. This approach can help in quickly resolving issues, discussing urgent matters, or clarifying important points about a manuscript. However, it is important to maintain professionalism and respect boundaries to ensure a positive working relationship.聽</p> </div></div></div> </div>  <ul class="links inline"><li class="comment_forbidden first last"><span><a href="/user/login?destination=node/56614%23comment-form">Login to your account</a> or <a href="/user/register?destination=node/56614%23comment-form">register</a><br>to post comments</span></li> </ul> </div>  </section> <a id="comment-19277"></a> <section class="comment clearfix"> <ul class="attribution">  <li>Posted by <span class="username">Santa manta</span>, 18/6/2024 10.25am</li> </ul> <div class="comment-text"> <div class="comment-arrow"></div> <div class="content"> <div class="field field-name-comment-body field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p>To address this situation, you can consider the following steps:</p> <ol> <li> <p><strong>Review and Enhance Privacy Protocols:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Ensure that personal contact information of staff, especially senior personnel, is not shared in publicly accessible documents or online platforms.</li> <li>Implement stricter guidelines for the publication of conference materials to avoid including personal contact details.</li> </ul> </li> <li> <p><strong>Educate Staff on Privacy Practices:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Conduct training sessions to inform staff about best practices for protecting personal information.</li> <li>Encourage the use of official channels and contact details for professional communications.</li> </ul> </li> <li> <p><strong>Strengthen Communication Channels:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Encourage authors and other external parties to use official email addresses and communication channels for all correspondence.</li> <li>Set up an official WhatsApp or other messaging service account for the journal to handle informal communications, keeping personal numbers private.</li> </ul> </li> <li> <p><strong>Monitor and Respond to Unauthorized Contact:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Maintain a record of unauthorized contact attempts and review these regularly to identify any patterns or potential risks.</li> <li>Respond to unauthorized contact professionally, reaffirming the need to use official communication channels.</li> </ul> </li> <li> <p><strong>Collaborate with Conference Organizers:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Work closely with conference organizers to ensure personal contact details are not disclosed in future programs or related materials.</li> <li>Suggest the use of a general contact email or phone number for conference-related inquiries.</li> </ul> </li> <li> <p><strong>Legal and IT Support:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Consult with legal advisors to understand any potential legal actions that can be taken against individuals who misuse personal information.</li> <li>Seek advice from IT professionals on securing personal data and preventing unauthorized access.</li> </ul> </li> </ol> <p>By taking these measures, you can enhance the privacy and security of your staff while maintaining professional communication standards.</p> </div></div></div> </div>  <ul class="links inline"><li class="comment_forbidden first last"><span><a href="/user/login?destination=node/56614%23comment-form">Login to your account</a> or <a href="/user/register?destination=node/56614%23comment-form">register</a><br>to post comments</span></li> </ul> </div>  </section> </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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