10 practical tips for researchers to launch a career in publishing ethics
Considering a career change into publishing ethics and research integrity? Sabina Alam, Director of Publishing Ethics & Integrity at Taylor & Francis, shares tips and advice for researchers exploring this path.
Sabina was recently a guest on the ‘Knowing Me, Knowing UKSG’ podcast, hosted by Katherine Stephan, Research Support Librarian at Liverpool John Moores University. In this inspiring interview, Sabina discussed her career journey from research to publishing, her passion for research integrity and the advantages of working together to combat fraudulent publishing.
Listen to the full podcast episode.
Key qualities you need to work in publishing ethics
Working in publishing ethics requires a mix of personal and professional qualities to navigate the challenges of maintaining integrity and ensuring high ethical standards in the publishing process. Here are the key qualities needed:
Drive to work through the volume and complexity of Research Integrity issues
Must be adaptable and able to change course when working on evolving issues
Confident in decision-making around lots of noise, disputes and mixed signals
Comfortable analyzing data to find trends, and report these accordingly
Be collaborative. Work with others across the industry to share knowledge and experiences
Have passion to protect the scholarly record
Advice for researchers considering a career in publishing
Thinking about transitioning into publishing? Here’s a quick piece of advice to get you started. Listen to the podcast for a deeper dive on making the leap and thriving in the publishing world.
Understand what ‘Research Integrity’ means: ‘What are we protecting?’ ‘What is our role’.
Take time to learn how research is conducted in different disciplines and the different expectations and infrastructure that must be considered.
Keep an open mind. Prepare to be shocked, but don’t be overly suspicious of everyone, keep to the right protocols and do the due diligence to arrive at a fair conclusion.
Don’t be afraid of going into something you don’t know much about, if you think it’s going to be interesting, do it! The work you do must interest and drive you. Don’t put yourself in a box, there are so many transferable skills that you can apply.
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Listen to the podcast episode to hear the full interview.
Where to next?
If you’ve found these tips helpful, take a look at:
Our podcast series for researchers – 15 minutes to develop your research career.
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