Standardizing author name changes in academic publishing: A case study of IEEE’s approach

• Published in: Information services & use Vol. 45; no. 1-2; pp. 86 - 93
• Main Author: Zhu, Julie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.05.2025
• Subjects: COPE guidelines; author name policies; scholarly integrity; the Committee on Publication Ethics; author name changes
• ISSN: 0167-5265; 1875-8789
• DOI: 10.1177/18758789251341778

The IEEE Author Name Change Policy, aligned with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines, enables authors to update their names in publications without requiring justification or legal documentation, prioritizing privacy and inclusivity. This study examines the policy’s implementation, challenges, and broader implications for academic publishing. Analysis reveals that 75% of name change requests involve conference papers, while 25% are for journal or magazine articles. Sixty-three percent of authors request changes for single articles and 14% do so for multiple publication types. IEEE has established effective workflows with Google Scholar, achieving high success rates in reflecting changes. However, inconsistencies persist across the scholarly ecosystem, with only 30% of indexing partners having formal policies. The paper highlights ongoing challenges in synchronizing updates across external platforms and technical limitations in modifying certain file formats. It advocates for industry-wide standardization through initiatives such as the NISO working group to enhance inclusivity, streamline processes, and improve academic record integrity while respecting author privacy. This research contributes to the evolving landscape of author identity management in scholarly communication, emphasizing the need for collaborative solutions to support diverse author needs and to maintain publication record cohesion.