Book policies

Publishing ethics

Scholarly books published across science, technology, and medicine serve as important and authoritative collections or curations of established doctrines and accepted scientific theories; they primarily serve as authoritative general references or academic course materials and the content is generally used for long-term reference ¹opens in new tab/window.

Although books and book chapters serve as important historical markers, they are distinct from scientific journal articles which disseminate novel research findings and serve as “a permanent, historic record of the transactions of scholarship” (see Elsevier Journal Policy: https://www.elsevier.com/about/policies-and-standards/article-withdrawal). While published journal articles “shall remain extant, exact and unaltered as far as is possible,” in order to preserve the ‘blockchain’ of historical scholarship, published books and book chapters do not always follow suit.  Occasionally, circumstances may arise where a book chapter is published that must later be removed. Such actions are not undertaken lightly and occur only under the exceptional circumstances outlined below.

Distinct from the roles and responsibilities of editors of learned journals, editors and authors of scholarly (STM) books do not commonly bear the sole or independent responsibility for deciding which chapters submitted as part of a larger book manuscript shall be published. Responsibility is most commonly shared between book Editor/Author and Publisher, as laid out in common (industry standard) language in Editor or Author contracts. Publishers rely on the scientific expertise of Editors and Authors to guide decision-making regarding the scientific or scholarly quality, clarity, and currency of information in the text, data, illustrations, and bibliography. However, Editors, Authors and Publishers commonly make collective decisions when ethical concerns arise. In this collective decision-making process, book Editors, Authors and Publishers are guided by general ethical policies set by the AAP, COPE, the individual Publisher, and constrained by legal requirements in force regarding libel, copyright infringement, and plagiarism (as laid out in book contracts).  As standards evolve and change, we will revisit this issue and welcome the input of scholarly and library communities.

Authorship of the book, book chapter or commissioned content

Definition of authorship

Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the study, conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the Work. Only those who have made substantial contributions should be listed as co-authors. Authors take collective responsibility for the Work. Each individual author is accountable for ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the Work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Where there are others who have participated in certain substantive aspects of the Work (e.g. language editing, reference gathering, data analysis, or content review), they should be recognized in the acknowledgements section [1].

Contributed works

The corresponding author should ensure that all appropriate co-authors and no inappropriate co-authors are included on the Work, and that all co-authors have seen and approved the final version of the Work and have agreed to its submission for publication.

Authorship in revised works

If content from the previous edition, written by an author no longer participating in the Work has been substantially retained, please include an acknowledgement of the original author. Authors are expected to consult with their Elsevier contact for specific guidance as to what form of acknowledgement would be appropriate. Best practice includes identifying original authors and authors from relevant prior editions in either a footnote, acknowledgement, or in the byline itself depending on the extent of the retained contribution.

Changes to authorship

Authors are expected to consider carefully the list and order of authors before submitting their Work and provide the definitive list of authors at the time of the original submission. Only in exceptional circumstances will Elsevier consider (at its discretion) author requests for the addition, deletion, or rearrangement of authors after the Work has been submitted. The corresponding author must clearly flag any such request to Elsevier, and all authors must agree with any such addition, removal or rearrangement in writing. To request such a change, Elsevier must receive the following from the corresponding author: (a) the reason for the change in author list and (b) written confirmation (e-mail, letter) from all authors that they agree with the addition, removal, or rearrangement. In the case of addition or removal of authors, this includes confirmation from the author being added or removed.

Elsevier reserves the right to make changes in authorship at its sole discretion if it determines that there has been a breach of an author's ethical duties. Credit and any payment will be given to authors in an order and manner which, in Elsevier's sole judgment, fairly reflects their relative contributions to the work.

Citations

Authors must cite relevant, timely, and verified literature to support the claims made in their work, chapter, book, or commissioned content. Authors should:

• Ensure that statements which rely on external sources are cited accurately.

• Ensure that all citations are verifiable.

• Avoid excessive or inappropriate citations to their own previously published content.

• Avoid excessive or inappropriate citations of other authors or institutions and not enter into arrangements to cite the work of other authors or author groups.

• Avoid excessive citations to support a single statement.

Editors and reviewers may recommend that authors consult (and potentially cite) additional sources during the review process for scientific reasons. If the editor or reviewer suggests that an author includes citations to the editor’s or reviewer’s (or their associates’) work, this must be for genuine scientific reasons and not with the intention of increasing the editor’s or reviewer’s citation count or enhancing the visibility of their work (or that of their associates). Requests for such citations can raise ethical concerns and may be seen as a conflict of interest or a source of bias. If an author suspects citations have been suggested against this policy, then they should inform the editor (if suggested by a reviewer) or contact Elsevier’s Book Author Supportopens in new tab/window (if suggested by an editor).

[1] Language editing done by a human can be acknowledged. Regarding ‘language editing’ performed by Generative AI, please see Elsevier’s policy on the Use of Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in Writing for Elsevier

Editorship of the book, book chapter or commissioned content

Duties and responsibilities of editors

Editors play a key role in the development and management of book projects, serving as both scientific and organizational stewards. Their responsibilities generally include developing a table of contents, inviting chapter and content contributors, reviewing and editing content for scientific and clinical accuracy and working with the Publisher to uphold publishing ethics standards. Elsevier depends on the scholarly expertise of Editors to help ensure the quality, currency and reliability of information in the text, data, illustrations and references. Editorship should be limited to individuals who have made substantial contributions to the work and who agree to take collective responsibility for its content, including ensuring that concerns relating to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated, addressed and resolved. Editors’ leadership, organizational skills and commitment to ethical standards are fundamental to the integrity and success of the book publishing process.

Editorial oversight

As leaders of the editorial process, Editors are responsible for developing the table of contents and inviting authors who are scientifically, clinically and/or technically qualified as well as committed to the timely delivery of chapter manuscripts or content. As organizational stewards, Editors are also responsible for working with the Publisher to establish project timelines and set clear expectations for authors and contributors regarding the manuscript development process, the use of the Publisher’s authoring platforms, manuscript review and revision and the final review of page proofs.

Editors are expected to invite suitably qualified authors with appropriate experience and publishing history while considering broad geographical perspectives and expertise. Editors are encouraged to use publicly available resources to confirm that authors and content contributors have displayed proper ethical publishing practices before inviting them to contribute. Chapter titles and lists of co-authors may evolve from project conception to contract stage to submission of final manuscripts or content. However, the content, format, and authorship of the book should largely correspond with the scope and structure agreed upon at contract stage with the Publisher. Any subsequent modifications, including delivery dates, must be agreed upon in writing by the Publisher.

Manuscript reviewing and editing

Editors are responsible for reviewing submitted chapter/book material for scientific, clinical and/or technical accuracy, as well as comprehensiveness of scope, cohesiveness of chapters, thematic unity and accuracy of references, to the best of their abilities. Editors are expected to act as subject matter experts and report any substantive scientific, clinical and/or technical inconsistencies to the Publisher.

Editors are responsible for maintaining integrity and confidentiality throughout the review and editing process. Manuscripts received for review should be treated as confidential documents from submission to final publication. Editors should exercise care and discretion when dealing with all manuscripts. They should not disclose any information to those not participating in the book project. To ensure confidentiality and to protect the rights of the authors and the Publisher, Editors must not upload any chapter manuscripts or content into a generative AI Tool. Please see Elsevier’s policy on the use of generative AI Tools in books and commissioned content. When reviewing author manuscripts, Editors should not make any citation recommendations to authors that do not comply with Elsevier’s Citations policy.

Authorship and co-authorship

When Editors act as authors or co-authors of a chapter, including the Foreword or Preface, they should adhere to all guidelines provided by the Publisher, including Elsevier’s policy on Authorship.

Editors should limit their authorship or co-authorship to those chapters where they are significant contributors to the work. Editing and reviewing a manuscript does not constitute "co-authorship." Similar to our policy for authored content, changes to the number and participation of editors will be thoroughly vetted by the Publisher. Editors should not serve as content "reviewers" of their own chapters as this represents a potential conflict of interest.

Book or book chapter correction and removal policy

Policy applies to books published on Science Direct

Correction

Elsevier reserves the right to correct, update, or otherwise modify any chapter of a published book at any time following its initial release. Corrections may include, but are not limited to, factual corrections, figure replacement, or recognition of contributions made by authors not previously credited.

All determinations regarding the necessity, scope, and timing of any post-publication revisions shall be made solely at the discretion of Elsevier in accordance with its publishing policies. Authors may be consulted during the revision process, but Elsevier retains final authority over all editorial decisions.

Revised chapters may be issued in subsequent printings, digital editions, or supplemental materials, as deemed appropriate by Elsevier in its sole discretion. A Correction note will appear in all print and electronic versions of the chapter with a brief explanation.

Removal

In a limited number of cases, it may be necessary to remove a chapter from the online database. This may occur when the chapter infringes on professional ethical codes, in cases such as multiple submission, bogus claims of authorship, plagiarism, fraudulent use of data or the like. This may also occur where the chapter is clearly defamatory, or infringes others’ legal rights, or where the chapter is, or Elsevier has good reason to expect it will be, the subject of a court order, or where the chapter, if acted on, might pose a serious health risk. A request for the removal of a single book chapter or an entire book may be initiated by the chapter authors, the book Author or Editor, or the Publisher (in its role as co-arbiter of publishing ethics for books).

In these circumstances, while the metadata (Title and Authors) will be retained, the text will be replaced with a screen indicating the chapter has been removed and explaining the reason for the removal.

• A Removal note titled “Removed: [Chapter Title]” replaces the Removed content in the electronic platform version.

• The HTML and PDF versions of the chapter are replaced with the Removal notice.

Generative AI Policies

Elsevier’s Generative AI policies aim to provide greater transparency and guidance to authors, readers, editors and reviewers in relation to generative AI and AI-assisted technologies. Elsevier will monitor ongoing developments in this area closely and will adjust or refine these policies as appropriate. For further information please see our page on Generative AI Policies for books and commissioned content.