Correction

EDITORIAL Correction for “Uncensored exchange of scientific results,” by Journal Editors and Authors Group, which appeared in issue 4, February 18, 2003, of Proc Natl Acad Sci USA (100:1464; first published February 15, 2003; 10.1073/pnas.0630491100). Due to a printer’s error, the author name “Steven Salzburg” should instead appear as “Steven Salzberg.” Additionally, the affiliation for Steven Salzberg should instead appear as “The Institute for Genomic Research.” The corrected group author footnote appears below. The online version has been corrected.

*Group members: Ronald Atlas, President, ASM, and Editor, CRC Critical Reviews in Mi- crobiology; Philip Campbell, Editor, Nature; Nicholas R. Cozzarelli, Editor, PNAS; Greg Curfman, Deputy Editor, New England Journal of Medicine; Lynn Enquist, Editor, Journal of Virology; Gerald Fink, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Annette Flanagin, Man- aging Senior Editor, Journal of the American Medical Association, and President, Council of Science Editors; Jacqueline Fletcher, President, American Phytopathological Society; Elizabeth George, Program Manager, National Nuclear Security Administration, Depart- ment of Energy; Gordon Hammes, Editor, Biochemistry; David Heyman, Senior Fellow and Director of Science and Security Initiatives, Center for Strategic and International Studies; Thomas Inglesby, Editor, Biosecurity and Bioterrorism; Samuel Kaplan, Chair, ASM Pub- lications Board; Donald Kennedy, Editor, Science; Judith Krug, Director, Office for Intel- lectual Freedom, American Library Association; Rachel E. Levinson, Assistant Director for Life Sciences, Office of Science and Technology Policy; Emilie Marcus, Editor, Neuron; Henry Metzger, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health; Stephen S. Morse, Columbia University; Alison O’Brien, Editor, Infection and Immunity; Andrew Onderdonk, Editor, Journal of Clinical Microbi- ology; George Poste, Chief Executive Officer, Health Technology Networks; Beatrice Re- nault, Editor, Nature Medicine; Robert Rich, Editor, Journal of Immunology; Ariella Rosengard, University of Pennsylvania; Steven Salzberg, The Institute for Genomic Re- search; Mary Scanlan, Director, Publishing Operations, American Chemical Society; Thomas Shenk, President Elect, ASM, and Past Editor, Journal of Virology; Herbert Tabor, Editor, Journal of Biological Chemistry; Harold Varmus, Memorial Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center; Eckard Wimmer, State University of New York at Stony Brook; Keith Yamamoto, Editor, Molecular Biology of the Cell.

www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1206993109

8352 | PNAS | May 22, 2012 | vol. 109 | no. 21 www.pnas.org Downloaded by guest on September 27, 2021 Uncensored exchange of scientific results

Journal Editors and Authors Group*

he process of scientific publica- scientist-authors, government officials, dures that might be employed as models tion, through which new find- and others, held a separate meeting de- in considering process design. Some of ings are reviewed for quality signed to explore possible approaches. us represent some of those journals; and then presented to the rest What follows reflects some outcomes others among us are committed to the ofT the scientific community and the pub- of that preliminary discussion. Funda- timely implementation of such pro- lic, is a vital element in our national mental is a view, shared by nearly all, cesses, about which we will notify our life. New discoveries reported in re- that there is information that, although readers and authors. search papers have helped improve the we cannot now capture it with lists or FOURTH: We recognize that on oc- human condition in myriad ways: pro- definitions, presents enough risk of use casion an editor may conclude that the tecting public health, multiplying agri- by terrorists that it should not be pub- potential harm of publication outweighs cultural yields, fostering technological lished. How and by what processes it the potential societal benefits. Under development and economic growth, and might be identified will continue to such circumstances, the paper should be enhancing global stability and security. challenge us, because, as all present ac- modified or not be published. Scientific But new science, as we know, may knowledged, it is also true that open information is also communicated by sometimes have costs as well as benefits. publication brings benefits not only to other means: seminars, meetings, elec- The prospect that weapons of mass de- public health but also to efforts to com- tronic posting, etc. Journals and scien- struction might find their way into the bat terrorism. tific societies can play an important role hands of terrorists did not suddenly ap- in encouraging investigators to commu- pear on September 11, 2001. A policy The statements follow: nicate results of research in ways that maximize public benefits and minimize focus on nuclear proliferation, no FIRST: The scientific information pub- risks of misuse. stranger to the physics community, has lished in peer-reviewed research jour- been with us for many years. But the nals carries special status and confers events of September 11 brought a new unique responsibilities on editors and *Group members: Ronald Atlas, President, ASM, and Editor, understanding of the urgency of dealing authors. We must protect the integrity CRC Critical Reviews in Microbiology; Philip Campbell, with terrorism. And the subsequent of the scientific process by publishing Editor, Nature; Nicholas R. Cozzarelli, Editor, PNAS; Greg harmful use of infectious agents brought manuscripts of high quality, in sufficient Curfman, Deputy Editor, New England Journal of Medi- cine; Lynn Enquist, Editor, Journal of Virology; Gerald a new set of issues to the life sciences. detail to permit reproducibility. Without Fink, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Annette As a result, questions have been asked independent verification, a requirement Flanagin, Managing Senior Editor, Journal of the Ameri- by the scientists themselves and by some for scientific progress, we can neither can Medical Association, and President, Council of Science political leaders about the possibility advance biomedical research nor pro- Editors; Jacqueline Fletcher, President, American Phyto- pathological Society; Elizabeth George, Program Man- that new information published in re- vide the knowledge base for building ager, National Nuclear Security Administration, Depart- search journals might give aid to those strong biodefense systems. ment of Energy; Gordon Hammes, Editor, Biochemistry; with malevolent ends. SECOND: We recognize that the David Heyman, Senior Fellow and Director of Science and Journals that dealt especially with mi- prospect of bioterrorism has raised legit- Security Initiatives, Center for Strategic and International Studies; Thomas Inglesby, Editor, Biosecurity and Bioter- crobiology, infectious agents, public imate concerns about the potential rorism; Samuel Kaplan, Chair, ASM Publications Board; health, and plant and agricultural sys- abuse of published information, but also Donald Kennedy, Editor, Science; Judith Krug, Director, tems faced these issues earlier than recognize that research in the very same Office for Intellectual Freedom, American Library Associ- some others, and have attempted to deal fields will be critical to society in meet- ation; Rachel E. Levinson, Assistant Director for Life Sci- ences, Office of Science and Technology Policy; Emilie with them. The American Society for ing the challenges of defense. We are Marcus, Editor, Neuron; Henry Metzger, National Institute Microbiology (ASM), in particular, committed to dealing responsibly and of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, Na- urged the National Academy of Sciences effectively with safety and security issues tional Institutes of Health; Stephen S. Morse, Columbia University; Alison O’Brien, Editor, Infection and Immunity; to take an active role in organizing a that may be raised by papers submitted Andrew Onderdonk, Editor, Journal of Clinical Microbiol- meeting of publishers, scientists, security for publication, and to increasing our ogy; George Poste, Chief Executive Officer, Health Tech- experts, and government officials to ex- capacity to identify such issues as they nology Networks; Beatrice Renault, Editor, Nature Medi- plore the issues and discuss what steps arise. cine; Robert Rich, Editor, Journal of Immunology; Ariella Rosengard, University of Pennsylvania; Steven Salzberg, might be taken to resolve them. In a THIRD: Scientists and their journals The Institute for Genomic Research; Mary Scanlan, Direc- one-day workshop at the Academy in should consider the appropriate level tor, Publishing Operations, American Chemical Society; Washington, DC, cohosted by the Cen- and design of processes to accomplish Thomas Shenk, President Elect, ASM, and Past Editor, Jour- ter for Strategic and International Stud- effective review of papers that raise nal of Virology; Herbert Tabor, Editor, Journal of Biolog- ical Chemistry; Harold Varmus, Memorial Sloan–Kettering ies on January 9, 2003, an open forum such security issues. Journals in disci- Cancer Center; Eckard Wimmer, State University of New was held for that purpose. A day later, a plines that have attracted numbers of York at Stony Brook; Keith Yamamoto, Editor, Molecular group of journal editors, augmented by such papers have already devised proce- Biology of the Cell.

1464 ͉ PNAS ͉ February 18, 2003 ͉ vol. 100 ͉ no. 4 www.pnas.org͞cgi͞doi͞10.1073͞pnas.0630491100