ASM Journals Supports Author Name Changes Post-Publication
Washington, D.C. - December 2, 2020 - As part of our ongoing commitment to promote diversity, equity and inclusion, ASM Journals has created a pathway for authors to request name change updates to their published record. Authors may update their name on ASM publications to reflect name changes made for personal reasons including, but not limited to, marriage, divorce, religious conversion and gender identity changes. These changes can be made retroactively to any site within the body of a paper, author byline and /or email address. The ASM Journals team will work confidentially with authors and will not require evidence of legal name change or identification.“ASM Journals prides itself on putting our authors first. The new author name change policy does just this by empowering authors to maintain the continuity of their publication record and their identity when life events bring about a name change,” said Pat Schloss, chair, ASM Journals Committee.
As part of ASM Journals' priority to be more diverse and inclusive, the Journals Committee is also taking several steps to improve the representation of Black microbiologists in ASM’s journals.
For more information about how to submit a name change request and to read ASM’s official statement.
###
ASM is dedicated to the life sciences and is composed of 30,000 scientists and health practitioners. ASM's mission is to promote and advance the microbial sciences.
ASM advances the microbial sciences through conferences, publications, certifications, educational opportunities and advocacy efforts. It enhances laboratory capacity around the globe through training and resources. It provides a network for scientists in academia, industry and clinical settings. Additionally, ASM promotes a deeper understanding of the microbial sciences to diverse audiences.