COPE guidelines on good publication practice

The Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) was founded in 1997 by a group of UK medical editors who wished to discuss specific examples of possible research and publication misconduct that they were currently facing. A few, such as the editors of the Lancet and BMJ , were full time professional editors with a large publishing staff and ready access to expert advice. Most, however, were more isolated part time editors who had received no formal training in publication issues. Additional committee members provided expertise on medical ethics, law, and the practical consequences of actions such as “whistle-blowing”. The discussions of cases by COPE, published regularly in anonymised form,1 2 focus on the practicalities of what should and what could be done in each specific case. These case discussions have proved useful not only to guide appropriate action in …