Committee on Publication Ethics

The Committee on Publication Ethics, commonly known as COPE, is a United Kingdom-founded nonprofit organization focused on improving ethical standards in scholarly publishing. It works with journal editors, publishers, researchers, and other participants in the academic communication system to encourage responsible conduct and consistent handling of publication-related problems. Its stated purpose is to define good practice in publication ethics and help editors and publishers apply that practice in their daily work. COPE was established in 1997 by a small group of medical journal editors in the United Kingdom. Although its origins were in medical publishing, its membership and remit broadened over time to cover academic publishing across disciplines. By 2022, the organization reported more than 13,000 members worldwide. Membership is paid and is open primarily to academic journal editors and other people involved in publication ethics, with fees varying according to membership category and year. The organization operates primarily as a standards, education, and support body rather than as a publisher or regulator. It produces practical resources intended to help editorial teams respond to issues such as suspected misconduct, conflicts of interest, authorship disputes, peer-review concerns, corrections, retractions, and other integrity questions. Its materials include flowcharts, guidelines, discussion documents, e-learning modules, newsletters, and an audit tool designed to help members assess their alignment with COPE's Core Practices. COPE also provides a forum in which members can discuss individual cases and compare approaches to difficult editorial decisions. A significant stage in COPE's development was the creation of its first guidelines following discussions at an April 1999 meeting. These were published as Guidelines on Good Publication Practice in the organization's 1999 annual report. In 2004, COPE published the first edition of its Code of Conduct for Editors on its website, accompanied by an editorial in the BMJ. In 2017, the Code of Conduct was replaced by the more streamlined Core Practices framework, which sets out high-level expectations and links to more detailed guidance. This shift emphasized principles that could be applied across different disciplines and publishing models. COPE's activities include regular educational communication, a monthly newsletter, and annual seminars. Its resources are used by editorial offices and publishers seeking structured approaches to ethical questions, but COPE is not a court or statutory enforcement agency. Its influence is based largely on education, member support, shared standards, and the dissemination of practical tools. The organization seeks to make ethical conduct part of normal publishing culture rather than treating publication ethics only as a response to individual scandals. Governance is assigned to a Trustee Board, which has ultimate responsibility for COPE's financial, legal, and business affairs as a charitable organization. The Board delegates day-to-day management to the organization's Council, executive officer, and staff team. COPE also maintains links with a range of scholarly publishing and editorial organizations, including the Council of Science Editors, the European Association of Science Editors, the International Society of Managing and Technical Editors, the World Association of Medical Editors, the Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association, the Directory of Open Access Journals, STM, and the Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers. These relationships place COPE within a wider network of organizations concerned with research integrity, editorial practice, and the governance of scholarly communication.

COPE was founded in 1997 by a small group of medical journal editors in the United Kingdom. Its initial focus reflected the growing need for editorial communities to develop shared responses to misconduct, questionable research practices, and other ethical problems encountered in medical journals. From the beginning, COPE's role was advisory and educational: it aimed to help editors reason through difficult cases and establish good procedures rather than act as a governmental regulator. The organization began developing formal guidance after discussions at a COPE meeting in April 1999. The resulting Guidelines on Good Publication Practice appeared in the 1999 annual report and provided an early foundation for COPE's later standards work. As its audience expanded beyond medical publishing, the organization developed resources intended to be useful across academic disciplines and publishing models. In November 2004, COPE published the first edition of its Code of Conduct for Editors on its website. The code was accompanied by an editorial in the BMJ and gave editors a more explicit statement of expected professional behavior. It helped establish COPE as a recognizable reference point for journal governance and publication-integrity policy. COPE subsequently expanded its practical support. Its resources came to include flowcharts for handling recurring editorial problems, discussion documents, guidelines, training materials, newsletters, and an audit tool for assessing member compliance with its Core Practices. Annual seminars and member discussions supplied opportunities for editors and publishers to compare procedures and examine individual cases. This combination of standards and case-based support became central to the organization's identity. In 2017, COPE replaced the earlier Code of Conduct with the Core Practices framework. The revised model presented a simpler set of expectations and connected them to more detailed guidance. The change reflected COPE's broader international membership and the need for principles that could be applied across fields rather than a single detailed code designed around one segment of journal publishing. By 2022, COPE reported more than 13,000 members worldwide, demonstrating the development of the organization from a United Kingdom group of medical editors into an international scholarly-publishing network. Its membership is paid and includes academic journal editors and others interested in publication ethics. COPE continues to support members through education, practical resources, case discussion, a monthly newsletter, annual seminars, and online learning. The organization is governed by a Trustee Board responsible for its ultimate financial, legal, and business affairs as a charitable enterprise. Day-to-day authority is delegated to the Council and executive officer and team. COPE has also maintained links with organizations representing science editors, managing and technical editors, medical editors, open-access publishers, scholarly societies, and the broader publishing industry. These relationships reinforce its role as part of the international infrastructure for research integrity and responsible scholarly communication.

• 2024

  Chairmanship transition

  [1]Committee on Publication Ethicsen.wikipedia.org

  Dan Kulp's reported chairmanship ends, and Nancy Chescheir is identified as the current chair.

• 2022

  Membership exceeds 13,000 worldwide

  [1]Committee on Publication Ethicsen.wikipedia.org

  COPE is reported to have more than 13,000 members across academic fields and international markets.

• 2017

  Core Practices replace the Code of Conduct

  [1]Committee on Publication Ethicsen.wikipedia.org

  COPE replaces the earlier editor code with a simplified Core Practices framework linked to more detailed guidance.

• 2004

  First Code of Conduct for Editors

  [1]Committee on Publication Ethicsen.wikipedia.org

  COPE publishes the first edition of its Code of Conduct for Editors on its website, accompanied by an editorial in the BMJ.

• 1999

  First publication ethics guidelines

  [1]Committee on Publication Ethicsen.wikipedia.org

  Following discussion at an April meeting, COPE publishes Guidelines on Good Publication Practice in its annual report.

• 1997

  COPE is established

  [1]Committee on Publication Ethicsen.wikipedia.org

  A group of medical journal editors in the United Kingdom establishes the Committee on Publication Ethics to promote better ethical practice in scholarly publishing.

An international, education-led standards and support organization for scholarly publishing ethics. COPE positions itself as a practical resource for editors and publishers, helping them establish consistent processes and respond to ethical problems without functioning as a statutory regulator or disciplinary court.

• Standards framework · 2017

  COPE Core Practices

  A concise framework describing expected practices for responsible scholarly publishing. Introduced in 2017 as a replacement for the earlier Code of Conduct for Editors, it provides high-level principles and directs users to more detailed COPE guidance for implementation.

• Editorial guidance

  COPE Flowcharts

  Decision-support diagrams that help editors work through recurring publication-ethics situations. The flowcharts are designed to make responses more consistent when journals face questions involving misconduct, authorship, peer review, corrections, retractions, or related editorial concerns.

• Professional guidance · 1999

  Publication ethics guidelines and discussion documents

  A collection of written resources addressing good practice in scholarly publishing. The portfolio includes the early Guidelines on Good Publication Practice, later topic-specific guidance, and discussion documents that help editors and publishers consider complex or developing ethical issues.

• Education and training

  COPE e-learning modules

  Online learning resources intended to educate editors, publishers, and others involved in publication ethics. The modules extend COPE's education-led approach by turning general principles and editorial dilemmas into structured training material.

• Self-assessment tool

  COPE member audit tool

  An assessment resource that allows members to examine how closely their policies and processes align with COPE's Core Practices. It supports internal improvement and is intended as a practical tool rather than a statutory certification or enforcement mechanism.

• Professional support

  COPE seminars and member case forum

  Educational events and member discussions through which editors and publishers can exchange experience and consider individual publication-ethics cases. These activities complement COPE's written resources by providing opportunities for interpretation, discussion, and peer learning.

• 2017

  Adoption of the Core Practices frameworkStrategy

  Background

  COPE had developed an international membership extending beyond its original medical-journal base, while its earlier Code of Conduct for Editors was a more detailed and specific instrument.

  Action taken

  The organization replaced the Code of Conduct with a simplified set of Core Practices supported by links to more detailed guidance.

  Aftermath

  The framework gave COPE a more adaptable basis for serving editors and publishers across academic disciplines and publishing models.

  Source

1. 1Committee on Publication Ethicsen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Committee on Publication Ethics official websitepublicationethics.org