Researcher Name Changes Now Easier in APS Journals

June 9, 2021 (Rockville, Md.)—The American Physiological Society (APS) is making it easier for researchers to change their names on work published in the Society’s 16 journals with its new Author Name Changes after Publication policy. The new process was established both in response to requests from members and authors, and in line with the Society’s overarching efforts to increase diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) within the physiology community.

“We recognize there are a number of reasons why an individual may need to change their name—including marriage, divorce, gender transition and religious practice, to name a few,” said APS Chief Publishing Officer Colette Bean, MA. “To that end, APS Journals have devised a policy aimed at making author name changes seamless across our journals while protecting the privacy and autonomy of our authors who choose to do so.”

The name change process is meant to make it easier for authors by reducing documentation requirements and seamlessly updating their information in all work published within the APS portfolio. Updated publications will also be redeposited across 10 indexes, including Medline, Crossref, PubMed Central and Clarivate. To protect the privacy of individuals requesting a name change, APS will not notify co-authors or editors, or publish a correction to the paper.

While the new policy is a solution within the 16 APS journals, it does not apply to other publishers. The Society recommends that authors make updates to their Open Researcher and Contributor Identifier (ORCID ID) to ensure their name change is reflected across their published work.

Read the full policy and learn more about the Society’s efforts to increase DEI in STEM on the APS website.