Editors as gatekeepers of responsible science

Journal article is the best publicly visible documentation of research activity so that fraud or misconduct in science is often fi rst discovered in scientifi c journals. Journal editors are responsible for the integrity of the record they publish in their journals, but they may often fi nd it diffi cult to ensure the full integrity of the published work, particularly if they work in small scientifi c communities. The support for editors is provided by the larger editorial community and well-developed guidelines for good publishing practice. Particularly useful for editors are the guidelines from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the largest editorial organization dealing with actual ethical problems of journal editors. COPE has developed ethics fl ow charts -algorithms for editors to follow when they have an ethical problem in their journals. These charts provide also important information for authors about what they may expect from journal editors as gatekeepers not only of good science but of responsible science.