Publication Integrity & Ethics (PIE) was developed over a decade ago to address several areas of concern and promote real editorial freedom.Read more.
Join PIE
| PIE Highlights | |
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You are invited to join the Publication Integrity and Ethics as one of its founding members. PIE offers free membership to all interested individuals. Read more. |
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As an Editor-in-Chief Member you will play a central role in shaping the organisation; you will benefit from the many and varied facilities the P.I.E. Read more. |
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The Publication Integrity and Ethics intends to publish a special peer-reviewed periodical that will publish short debate articles in science. Read more. |
Read about Publication Integrity and Ethics
- P.I.E. history - P.I.E. council -
Any individual member of the publishing sector may register and become a member or an adherent of the Publication Integrity and Ethics. Members are required to agree and comply with PIE guidelines and the code of conduct. The case is variable for adherents.
You can join PIE as either: (1) A member (which can be affiliate or editor-in-chief) or (2) An adherent (this is for publishers). The PIE Council is discussing opening the adherent’s section for departments, institutes and universities as well as academic search engines.
1. Affiliate members are the individuals who are involved in the publishing sector but choose not to be registered as official representatives of a journal. In some cases, they may not be official representatives. Students and other individuals who have an interest in the publishing world may become affiliates as well. Usually, this category comprises authors, peer-reviewers, editorial board members (not editors-in-chief) and all interested individuals in this field.
2. Editors-in-Chief are members associated with journals that represent the view and the official voice of the publication they lead. Usually this category comprises editors-in-chief only. When approved, the ‘Journal’ will be accepted as a member of PIE.
Official publication of the Publication Integrity & Ethics (π) 
3. Adherents: the Council does not provide membership for publishers. Instead, they are able to join the community as adherents to the organisation. As an adherent, the publisher is aware of the code of conduct and the PIE guidelines but may choose not to follow it. The publisher may follow their own codes of conduct and ethical guidelines.
Membership of PIE is free of charge and it is available for editors-in-chief, editors, authors and peer-reviewers. Furthermore, any editor-in-chief that signs up with PIE certifies that his/her journal follows and complies with the highest ethical standards in the publication sector and with the PIE Guidelines and Code of Conduct.
Membership of PIE certifies that any member should follow the code of conduct to the letter. The member should always be aware of the updates in the guidelines and the code of conduct and if problems and errors occur during the publishing process, he/she will take immediate action and try to correct them with due prominence.
Benefits of PIE membership
- Submit and receive complaints against acts of misconduct and breaches in the code of conduct.
- Receive advice related to the issues investigated through the PIE complaint system and any other editorial problem that falls under the remit of PIE.
- Access all the information available online on the website, the updates on the guidelines, PIE resources and other relevant data to their line of work.
- Ask for an audit in order to assess whether the practice of their journal conforms with the PIE guidelines.
- Use the PIE logo on their publication and the PIE resources to guide and train the editorial staff if necessary. The repository comprises: the code of conduct and PIE guidelines for each party in particular (publishers, editors, authors and peer-reviewers), flowcharts, exercises, previous cases database and newsletters.
- Receive newsletters and updates on the guidelines, the code of conduct, the exercises and the complaints submitted by them or by third party individuals.
Who is eligible for PIE membership?
- Editors-in-chief, editors and authors of publications.
- Peer reviewers and other individuals involved directly or indirectly in the reviewing or publication process.
