Wiley has announced its endorsement of the United2Act initiative, marking a significant commitment to combat the pervasive issue of paper mills and systematic manipulation in scholarly publishing. United2Act, a multi-stakeholder strategy, aims to unite the scholarly community to address the collective challenge of paper mills, recognizing the importance of collaboration across the entire research and publishing ecosystem.
The decision to endorse the United2Act initiative reflects Wiley's dedication to fostering transparency, integrity, and resilience in scholarly publishing. The initiative was instigated through collaborative leadership from the STM Association and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) during the United2Act Summit in 2023.
United2Act focuses on five key areas of strategic focus: Education and Awareness: Develop and create new educational resources to raise awareness among researchers, journal editors, reviewers, journals, and publishers about the problem of paper mills; Improve Post-Publication Corrections: Investigate and agree on ways to improve communication with those reporting misconduct to journals, expediting the correction of the literature once misconduct is discovered; Research Paper Mills: Collaborate with interested parties to facilitate and organize research on paper mills, emphasizing regional and subject-specific aspects; Enable the Development of Trust Markers: Work with various suppliers developing tools to verify the identity of authors, reviewers, and editors to ensure solutions work for different authors and author choices; and Facilitate Dialogue Between Stakeholders: Continue to bring together voices and stakeholders through joint projects and initiatives to combat the issue of paper mills.
Wiley, through its Working Group engagement and leadership, commits to supporting and advancing these actions. The company also pledges to apply the insights gained from this collaborative effort to its own publishing processes and strategy. Transparency and openness about these challenges are seen as crucial in finding effective solutions.
The United2Act initiative is a crucial step forward in promoting transparency and integrity in scholarly publishing. Wiley expresses its commitment to bringing its expertise, experience, and leadership to this important collective effort. As the scholarly community unites through initiatives like United2Act, Wiley believes in the power of collaboration to overcome evolving challenges in the academic publishing landscape.
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