Professional organizations

The following professional organizations and initiatives provide standards and guidance for editors, including specifically in the field of medical research. Membership to some of the organizations can be arranged through Cochrane or its publisher.

Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)

  • COPE provides guidelines, flowcharts, case studies, eLearning modules, and webinars on ethical standards and behaviour in the journal publication process, particularly in ten “core practices”.
  • Cochrane holds membership with COPE, and editorial group staff can access the password-protected areas of COPE’s website. To obtain a password, contact Wiley.

International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE)

  • Cochrane’s editorial policies are written in consultation with the ICMJE’s Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals, which are updated annually.
  • ICMJE is not an open membership organization; however, the Recommendations are free to read online.

International Society of Managing and Technical Editors (ISMTE)

  • The ISMTE is a professional society with resources and activities aimed at networking, training, and promoting best practices.
  • Cochrane’s publisher Wiley holds corporate membership to the ISMTE, and can activate free membership for Cochrane editors.

EQUATOR Network (Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research)

  • EQUATOR aims to achieve accurate, complete, and transparent reporting of health research studies by developing and promoting resources and guidelines to support the adoption of robust reporting practices.
  • The organization is a global initiative bringing together editors and others with a shared interest in improving the quality of research publications.

World Association of Medical Editors (WAME)

  • WAME is an association of editors of peer-reviewed medical journals seeking to foster international cooperation and education. The group provides extensive policies on topics relevant to medical research publishing.
  • Membership in WAME is free, but full membership is limited to “decision-making editors”. WAME’s policies and resources are free to access online without membership.

ORCID (Open Researcher and Contributor ID)

  • ORCID provides unique, persistent identifiers for individuals, to help ensure that scholarly work is correctly attributed by distinguishing between researchers with similar names.
  • ORCID is a non-profit initiative supported by publishers and funders; anyone can register for an ORCID ID.



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