Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers (ALPSP) www.alpsp.org
International trade association for not-for-profit publishers and those who work with them. It is also the largest association of scholarly and professional publishers in the world. It provides representation of the sector, professional development activities and a wealth of information and advice. It runs many very useful and informative seminars and offers a wide variety of training courses at different levels.
Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) www.publicationethics.org
COPE is a forum for editors of peer-reviewed journals to discuss issues related to the integrity of the scientific record. It supports and encourages editors to report, catalogue and instigate investigations into ethical problems in the publication process.
Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) www.consort-statement.org
CONSORT is a tool to improve the quality of reporting of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). It allows RCTs to be reported in a standard, transparent and evidence-based way. It comprises a checklist and a flowchart, which together are called CONSORT. The checklist contains all the things that should be addressed in a trial report.
Council of Science Editors (CSE) www.councilscienceeditors.org
The CSE’s mission is ‘to promote excellence in the communication of scientific information’ and its purpose is ‘to serve members in the scientific, scientific publishing, and information science communities by fostering networking, education, discussion, and exchange and to be an authoritative resource on current and emerging issues in the communication of scientific information’ (accessed 8 August 2006).
European Association of Science Editors (EASE) www.ease.org.uk
EASE is ‘an internationally oriented community of individuals from diverse backgrounds, linguistic traditions and professional experience who share an interest in science communication and editing’ (accessed 8 August 2006). It has an electronic forum for the exchange of ideas, and holds a major conference every 3 years. Its Science Editors’ Handbook contains much useful information, divided up into sections on: (1) Editing, (2) Standards and Style, (3) Nomenclature and Terminology, and (4) Publishing and Printing.
International Association of Scientific, Technical and Medical Publishers (STM) www.stm-assoc.org
The mission of STM is ‘to create a platform for exchanging ideas and information and to represent the interest of the STM publishing community in the fields of copyright, technology developments, and end user/library relations’ (accessed 8 August2006). STM includes large and small publishing companies, secondary publishers, and learned societies.
International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) www.icmje.org
The ICMJE is made up of a group of editors from general medical journals who meet annually to discuss the ‘Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals: Writing and Editing for Biomedical Publication’. These guidelines have been extended to cover more than just manuscript preparation, and now include ethical considerations and many editorial issues. All editors and authors will benefit from looking at them and will find them a very valuable resource.
International Council for Science (ICSU) www.icsu.org
(Acronym derived from the previous name, the International Council of Science Unions)
The ICSU is a non-governmental organization with a global membership that includes both national scientific bodies and international scientific unions. The ICSU provides a forum for the discussion of issues relevant to international science policy and it actively advocates freedom in science, promotes equitable access to scientific data and information, and facilitates science education. It addresses global issues in partnership with other organizations and acts as an advisor on a wide range of topics from ethics to the environment.
International Publishers’ Association (IPA) www.internationalpublishers.org
The IPA is a long-standing (established in 1896) non-governmental organization that represents the publishing industry, with consultative relations with the United Nations.
International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number Register (ISRCTN) http://isrctn.org
The ISRCTN is a simple numeric system (based on randomly generated 8-digit numbers prefixed by ISRCTN) for the unique identification of randomized controlled trials worldwide. The website gives answers to frequently asked questions and readers are referred there for further details and up-to-date information.
Office of Research Integrity (ORI) https://ori.hhs.gov
The ORI is part of the Office of Public Health and Science within the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services in the US Department of Health and Human Services. It promotes integrity in biomedical and behavioral research supported by the US Public Health Service at around 4000 institutions worldwide. ORI monitors institutional investigations of research misconduct and promotes responsible conduct of research through educational, preventative and regulatory activities.
Sense about Science (SAS) https://senseaboutscience.org/
Sense about Science is a charity that challenges the misrepresentation of science and evidence in public life. With a focus on peer review and the importance of scholarly publishing to public confidence in science, Sense about Science has developed innovative programs to engage researchers, the public, policymakers, and media. Wiley has partnered with Sense about Science for a decade, sponsoring resources and activities that promote an understanding of evidence and peer review to empower people in public life to make more informed decisions. Results of our partnership include Sense about Science’s popular guide to peer review, I Don’t Know What to Believe, their regular series of peer review and Voice of Young Science workshops for early career researchers, and most recently, the 2019 Evidence Week in UK Parliament.
Society for Scholarly Publishing (SSP) www.sspnet.org
The mission of SSP is ‘to advance scholarly publishing and communication and the professional development of its members through education, collaboration and networking among individuals in this field’ (accessed 8 August 2006). It provides the opportunity for interaction among members in all aspects of scholarly publishing, including journal and book publishers, librarians, manufacturers, and web editors. It has links to many organizations and resources on its website, and includes email and telephone contact details for some of the listings.
World Association of Medical Editors (WAME) www.wame.org
WAME is ‘a voluntary association of editors from many countries who seek to foster international cooperation among editors of peer-reviewed medical journals’ (accessed 8 August 2006). WAME’s website provides many resources that will be useful to all editors, not just those from medical journals – policy statements, ethical considerations, and guidance for editors before and after taking up editorial positions. It also has a comprehensive listing of its listserv discussions, with links to the postings.