ICMJE Guidance Notice

Given recent actions of the executive branch of the United States government related to the manuscripts in process at scientific journals, ICMJE highlights our guidance (https://www.icmje.org/recommendations/) relevant to journals' response to requests to withdraw, revise, or alter authorship of manuscripts:

  1. Defining the role of authors and contributors and procedure to remove authors (Section II.A.).

    This section provides guidance on who should be included as an author or acknowledged as a contributor. If authors request removal or addition of an author after manuscript submission or publication, journal editors should seek an explanation and signed statement of agreement for the requested change from all listed authors including the author to be removed or added.

    While not explicitly stated in our recommendations, there may be extenuating circumstances in which a journal editor may choose to honor an author's request to be removed despite lack of agreement of all coauthors, but all coauthors should be notified of this decision.

  2. Maintaining confidentiality during the peer review process (Sections II.C.2.a, II.C.3, II.D.2)

    Manuscripts submitted to journals are privileged communications that are authors' private, confidential property, and authors may be harmed by premature disclosure of any or all of a manuscript's details. These sections provide guidance on best practices to maintain confidentiality.

  3. Withdrawal of submitted manuscripts before publication (Section II.C.2.b)

    While not explicitly stated in the recommendations, all coauthors should be aware of and agree with the decision to withdraw a manuscript.

  4. Corrections and retractions after publication (Sections III. A & B.)

    Corrections are warranted for errors of fact that should have been recognized at the time of publication. Matters of debate and evolving science and methods are not errors. Retraction of published work is generally reserved for errors serious enough to invalidate results and conclusions and/or when there is scientific misconduct.