Debate: Journal editors do not need to prevent misinformation from being spread
It is traditional for EASE conferences to end on a lively, provocative and controversially charged debate, and this year, Council members Are Brean and Haseeb Irfanullah went debate on the conference theme of misinformation from the perspective of the responsibility of editors.
We live in an age where both information and misinformation spread at an ever-increasing speed, and where the difference between the two is getting harder to discern. Scientific journals are the cornerstone of honest and fact-checked truth-seeking research, with journal editors playing a pivotal role in preventing misinformation being published. But does their role extend beyond that duty? Does their training in critical appraisal and scientific method give them a special role in preventing misinformation also at a larger scale? Should they engage their expertise in public discussions to correct their course? Do they even have authority in the public space outside the citadels of academia?
This session tackled these challenging times with a debate that addressed the scope and responsibilities of the editor role.
Editor-in-Chief, The Lancet PsychiatryUnited Kingdom
Joan Marsh is the Editor-in-Chief of The Lancet Psychiatry. Joan was on the Council of the European Association of Science Editors for 12 years, including six as President. She is now Chair of its Gender Policy Committee and an Associate Editor of European Science Editing.
Independent ConsultantBangladesh
Dr. Haseeb Md. Irfanullah, is a biologist-turned-development facilitator, who often introduces himself as a research enthusiast. Active as a consultant and a volunteer in environment, climate change, and research system, he advocates for evidence-guided policy and practice change for effective conservation and resilience building efforts.
