Some COPE Members have contacted the organisation voicing uncertainty about news of recent governmental actions, such as governmental agencies banning the use of selected words and research topics, as well as letters to some journal editors asking for details about their editorial processes.
"COPE wishes to express its strong support for and solidarity with authors in all disciplines, journal editors, and publishers and stress its unwavering belief that undue influence by any political, corporate or social entity is against the core ethical principles of editorial independence and academic freedom. We call upon all those involved in scholarly publishing to be guided by these principles when taking any action in response to external pressure."
More: https://publicationethics.org/news-opinion/cope-statement-external-influence-editorial-decisions
