Research Integrity at Springer Nature
Robust editorial policies and processes, including those for peer review, form the foundation of research publishing integrity. At Springer Nature there is a central advisory group, the Springer Nature Editorial Advisory Group (SNEAG), that not only maintains oversight of editorial standards and policies across all brands at Springer Nature, but also acts to ensure consistency of editorial standards in context of wider developments in the field of publishing. The SNEAG works closely with brand specific policy making teams, such as the Nature Policy forum, and with the Springer Nature Research Integrity Group (SNRIG) which is dedicated to promoting best publication practice and supporting editors to resolve publication ethics issues.
Springer Nature recognizes the very important work done by peer reviewers in maintaining the integrity of the published record. We offer resources and initiatives to acknowledge the outstanding work of our peer reviewers. More information about our resources for peer reviewers can be found on our peer-reviewer pages.
The role of the Springer Nature Research Integrity Group (SNRIG)
As custodians of the published record, editors and publishers have a responsibility to maintain its integrity and resolve potential breaches of publication ethics. With any publication ethics issue, there are likely to be a number of stakeholders involved, including authors, institutions, funders, reviewers and whistle-blowers. It can be difficult for an individual editor to effectively assess and manage such cases.
The Springer Nature Research Integrity Group aspires to a positive and proactive approach to preventing publication misconduct and encouraging sound and reliable research practices.
It achieves this via activities that raise awareness of best practice and ethical conduct in research, by investigating unethical practices, by providing training and resources as well as an advisory service for staff and editors, and by evaluating, via audits, Springer Nature’s own editorial practices and policies.
