Name Change Policy Working Group

The Name Change Policy Working Group (NCPWG), also referred to as the Trans Name Change Policy Working Group, is an advocacy and resource organization focused on reforming how academic publishers handle author name changes. It was founded to encourage publishers to amend or update their name change policies for transgender, nonbinary, and gender non-conforming authors, who have been harmed by restrictive or absent policies. The group also highlights that inflexible name change policies affect other groups, including people who change their names due to marriage or divorce, Indigenous authors with name changes, and foreign authors whose names have been misspelled. The working group operates primarily as a knowledge and resource hub. Its website provides guidance for authors who want to update their name on previously published work, resources for publishers working to introduce a name change policy, and a list of articles and press releases that cite the working group or its individual members. It also publishes principles and commentary on trans-inclusive name changes in academic publishing, including a piece originally posted at the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) that presents five high-level principles for trans-inclusive name changes. The NCPWG's advocacy addresses the unique risks faced by trans authors, who may lack legal protections against discrimination in many countries and states. The continued circulation of a previous name can cause epistemic labor, risk, and trauma, making name change policies a matter of both professional credit and personal safety. The group's work sits at the intersection of scholarly publishing, metadata policy, and LGBTQ+ inclusion. As a working group rather than a commercial publisher, the NCPWG does not sell products or services. It functions as a volunteer or member-based initiative within the broader publishing and metadata librarian community. Its website serves as its primary public-facing platform, and its influence is exercised through policy recommendations, resources, and citations in scholarly and publishing venues.

The Name Change Policy Working Group was founded to address a specific gap in academic publishing: the lack of clear, humane policies allowing authors to change their names on previously published work. The group's formation was driven by the recognition that transgender, nonbinary, and gender non-conforming authors face unique harms when publishers refuse or complicate name changes. These harms include the continued circulation of a previous name, which can expose authors to discrimination, harassment, and violence, particularly in jurisdictions without legal protections for trans people. The working group also frames the issue more broadly, noting that restrictive name change policies affect people who change their names due to marriage or divorce, Indigenous authors with name changes, and foreign authors whose names have been misspelled. This inclusive framing positions name change policy as a matter of basic author dignity and accurate scholarly record-keeping, rather than a niche concern. As part of its advocacy, the group published a vision for a more trans-inclusive publishing world, originally posted at the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). That article presents five high-level principles for trans-inclusive name changes in academic publishing and considers the implications of such a paradigm shift within the scholarly world. The group maintains a website that serves as a knowledge and resource base for the working group, interested individuals, and others. It contains resources for authors who want to update their name on previously published work, resources for publishers who are working to introduce a name change policy, and a list of articles and press releases that cite the working group or individual members. The NCPWG operates within the broader ecosystem of scholarly publishing, metadata standards, and library science. Its members and cited works have appeared in publishing and ethics venues, and its resources are aimed at both authors and publishers. The group does not appear to have a formal commercial structure; it functions as a working group, likely volunteer-driven, with its website as its primary public output. Its ongoing work involves encouraging publishers to adopt name change policies and providing practical guidance for implementation.

Advocacy and resource hub for trans-inclusive name change policies in academic publishing.

1. 1Name Change Policy Working Groupncpwg.org
2. 2Name Change Policy Working Groupwikidata.org