Thougths on ethics and publishing

Editorial is a privilege of the editors to share their opinions and news with the readers. It’s been a while since the last editorial was published in Acta Carsologica. In the following, I present my opinion on some issues related to our work and publishing. It was provoked by the Opinion, written by Wolfgang Dreybrodt and published in this issue. We are all aware that the way we do and publish scientific work has been changing fast and dramatically. Rapid progress, broad and productive collaborations, ever better access to sophisticated research equipment, the need for publishing and the search for funds sometimes distract us from deep thinking on the research questions that should be the key element of scientific work. The somehow provoking Opinion opens up many concerns that we all face. It does not reflect the opinion of the editorial board, although I agree with most of them. At some point one might say that times have changed, we need to collaborate and promote our work in order to be seen. However, basic scientific ethics as stressed in the Opinion, should not suffer from the changes. One ethical question facing the editors is whether we should publish in our own journals. A principle answer would be no. Acta Carsologica has an inherent interest in the research at Classical Karst, where most of our editors work. Therefore, we publish in our journal, but we do not interfere into the editorial process of our manuscripts. In times when you have to pay either to read and/or publish a manuscript, new opportunities arise for journals like ours. These journals can attract authors who, for whatever reason, cannot or do not want to spend money on publication and want to keep their work open. However, authors and readers should be aware that publishing is not our main task and that it is difficult to offer such good services as in journals belonging to the large publishing groups. In addition to managing reviews and making decisions, the editors’ tasks often include providing funds for layout and printing, reporting, website maintenance, proofreading, translation, transport, packaging and dispatch of issues. Surely this should not be an excuse for the delays in publication or the long editorial process, but I hope for some understanding of those waiting. We can of course improve. The whole system of scientific publishing is dependent on the review process. The everlasting problem of this and other journals is to get reviewers and then the timely reviews. Looking at the number of publications processed at any time, even in a “narrow” field like ours, we can imagine how many reviewers are needed. Most potential reviewers are busy, active researchers who are aware of the importance of the reviews, but are unable to respond to the requests. If a review takes one day, how many reviews per year can one accept? And, when it comes to selection, why not do a review for a high-ranking journal in which you want to publish your own work. Journals like ours therefore depend on a strong community interested in ensuring that their research field vivid and recognised. Small focused journals provide such a platform. I am asking you all to consider your own role in the karst community and accept the review from our and other karst science journals. This will keep us well and alive, and your work published and seen as well. &nbsp

Letter from Moses Woolson to John Muir, 1878 Oct 19.

[4]I have a very poor opinion of a minister who can start a crusade of hunters into the wilderness to Mu[illegible]a godi dear children of the [illegible] woods. So thanks for what you have written in [underlined: that] [ pen?]. Madam is making much of her Yo Semite lecture. Nothing can be finer, is [underlined: my] opinion, bu your own spirited writing. She goes to Newport R. [best gess: T.] to deliver it f[illegible] [illegible] 100 [ in a few weeks.?] I [illegible] the [illegible] [underlined: up] with the latest knowledge upon the Yo Semite. I fear she does not know the [underlined: new] routes. Will you [ port?] her? She sends her best regards to you, and would hive more [illegible] you than any other man living. So good bye Yrs. Moses Woodson00817 [1] Concord, N.H. Oct. 19th 1878My Dear Muir. I suppose you do not think it worth your while to waste your time [ to?] sentimental correspondence; nor do I blame you, - but I want to hear from you, and I long to see your work upon geology. The 3 [illegible] Vol. of H[illegible]ack’s Geology is nearly ready, and it has also accompanying it but [ note the?] [illegible] volume some splendid maps [Page 2][2]the governor of the state says you shall have them as soon as they are ready. So if you [illegible] you [illegible] [ I advise you to let m?] know it at once.] I under- stand you at [illegible] at 1419 Taylor St. where I shall direct this. I have just [ risen?] from reading in the Nov. Harper your article upon the Sequoia’s I have read it aloud to that eager woman of mine, and we are both charmed with it. God grant you may write [3]your geology in as interesting a manner. There is one thing I cannot help wanting to shake your hand for, viz. the indirect influence your writings must have upon your readers, in relation to the kind treatment of [illegible] animals. I would as soon shoot a fellow man, as to have shot one of them sleek deer you speak of in your article. But the Reverend Mr. Murr, would have p[illegible] his soul’s salvation to have shed that innocent blood [ underlined: bide?] his book on the [illegible

Letter from R[obert] U[nderwood] Johnson to John Muir, 1901 Nov 26 .

November 26, 1901.R.W.GILDER EDITOR.R.U.JOHNSON,ASSOCIATE EDITOR.C.C.BUEL,ASSISTANT EDITOR.My dear Muir:(1) I thank you for your letter of the 17th of November. How you do startle us! Hero we have been boning you for years for your autobiography (which was our original suggestion), and you calmly talk to us of Houghton, Mifflin Cc Co. and other publishers in connection with that work![illegible] If that goes to any other publisher we shall get up on our hind legs and get out an injunction, even if the matter has to be carried up to the Supreme Court, and I want you to know that I am on good terms with Justice Me-Kenna.That autobiography is for us whether it is ever written or not.The Century is accustomed to furnish ideas for other publishers, but we have reached the limit.(2) We are glad to hear that your pen is again moving. I have to-day a letter from C.D. Robinson in which he tells me that you have seen his sketches and like them, and asks me to write him again, but I shall not do this until I have heard from you your opinion of them.(3) I wrote you some days ago about an article on the Grand Canon of the Colorado, to be illustrated by Max-field Parrish. I hope to get a lotter in a day or two saying that you will write the article.You must n\u27t let yourself be so long a stranger to the pages of The Century.[02759] J. M. 2.s(4) Yes, I did get a day or tiro ago your handsom book on the parks and reservations, and I will give attention to it as soon as I can. Some time, in a second, third, or tenth edition-of that work, I wish you would put on record your relation and mine to tho Yosemite National Park. You know our enemies tried to mako out that I had lied in regard to my relation to that scheme. I meant to speak of this to you before, but forgot about it.(5) I wrote Roosevelt about his forest policy, urging him to say something about it in his message, to which he replied that he thought I would be satisfied with what he [illegible]. I wonder if we cannot now quietly get some influence from tho White House brought to boar upon the California legislature to get the Yosemite receded to the government\u27[illegibly](6) I am glad to hear that Wanda is at the State University. She is a nice girl and will appreciate her advantages, I am sure. Some time I hope you will send her East, so that she will not have a prejudice against us Eastern people.With hearty thanks for your kindness in sending that book, I am, as ever,Faithfully thine,[illegible]Associate Editor.John Muir, Esq.,Martinez, California.[02759

Why Do Landlords Still Discriminate (and What Can Be Done About It)?

Let\u27s say you have a serious, though not life-threatening, medical condition, such as a non-malignant growth in your back that causes considerable pain and impairs your ability to walk. At first, your doctor tells you there is no cure, but then one day, a new drug specifically designed to eliminate this kind of problem is approved. You take this drug, but notice no change. With your doctor\u27s encouragement, you continue to take the drug, hoping that its cumulative effect will achieve the desired result. Twenty years go by with no relief. Then, your doctor tells you that a much stronger version of this drug has been approved, so you begin to take it as directed. You are now in the nineteenth year of taking this improved version of the drug, but there is still no relief. Would you change doctors, get a second opinion, insist on some new approach, or at least stop taking the drug? Or, would you continue with the same course of action indefinitely? If the latter, would your friends and family be justified in believing that you have no hope of a cure and are just going through the motions without really wanting or expecting to get well? Now, substitute in this story the United States for the patient, the problem of racial discrimination in rental housing for the painful and debilitating ailment, and enforcement of the 1968 Fair Housing Act ( FHA ) as amended in 1988, for the supposedly helpful drug. The analogy is apt because both problems have gone on essentially unchanged for the past forty years, despite the administration of a supposed cure. By now, it is clear not just that the treatment has failed, but also that there has been a failure of imagination on the part of both patient and doctor. Something new must be tried. If we simply go on using the failed treatment, one has to wonder if we really want to get better—or deserve to. This Article is an attempt to start a new conversation about this issue. It begins with a review of the evidence for the disease of ongoing rental discrimination in Part I. Part II surveys the record of the legal cure (i.e., enforcement of the FHA), particularly in the two decades since the FHA\u27s 1988 amendments strengthened its enforcement provisions. Part III provides an overview of the rental housing market in the United States, and Part IV reviews what we know—and do not know—about race discrimination in this market. Part V then tries to identify some lessons from other fields, such as economics and psychology, that might help guide the effort to achieve better FHA compliance in rental opportunities for racial and ethnic minorities

Letter from C[harles] S. Sargent to John Muir, 1897 Mar 10.

ARNOLD ARBORETUM, HARVARD UNIVERSITY. Jamaica Plain, Mass., March 10, 1897.My dear Muir: Stiles, the editor of Garden arid Forest, a whose political judgment I have much confidence, says. – “Of course you want to make a public opinion as fast as possible and if you can jet into California papers an idea of your purposes, showing that they are not revolutionary and not hostile to the interests of the western people, and disseminate this through the west as quickly as possible, you will do a good thing.”You understand what our views are -- that they are not revolutionary -- and you pan certainly help more than any one else in instructing the west about the intentions of the Commission. I have not seen yet a California paper with anything about the President\u27s proclamations and have no idea what you and your friends are accomplishing oil your side of the continent. In next week\u27s Garden and Forest there will be an account of what has been going on in Congress and a brief outline of what ought to be done to secure the best results from the reservations. It is pretty evident to me that we are going to lose the outcome of all our work and that the reservations are going to be thrown open unless a [illegible] fire can be set in the west to check the [illegible] condemnation which our action seems to have called for. 02256 ARNOLD ARBORETUM. 2I hope you will write me frequent about the situation which troubles me very much. Your very truly, C. S. [illegible] John Muir, Esq. Martinez, Cal

Letter from C[harles] S. Sargent to John Muir, 1897 Mar 10.

ARNOLD ARBORETUM, HARVARD UNIVERSITY. Jamaica Plain, Mass., March 10, 1897.My dear Muir: Stiles, the editor of Garden arid Forest, a whose political judgment I have much confidence, says. – “Of course you want to make a public opinion as fast as possible and if you can jet into California papers an idea of your purposes, showing that they are not revolutionary and not hostile to the interests of the western people, and disseminate this through the west as quickly as possible, you will do a good thing.”You understand what our views are -- that they are not revolutionary -- and you pan certainly help more than any one else in instructing the west about the intentions of the Commission. I have not seen yet a California paper with anything about the President\u27s proclamations and have no idea what you and your friends are accomplishing oil your side of the continent. In next week\u27s Garden and Forest there will be an account of what has been going on in Congress and a brief outline of what ought to be done to secure the best results from the reservations. It is pretty evident to me that we are going to lose the outcome of all our work and that the reservations are going to be thrown open unless a [illegible] fire can be set in the west to check the [illegible] condemnation which our action seems to have called for. 02256 ARNOLD ARBORETUM. 2I hope you will write me frequent about the situation which troubles me very much. Your very truly, C. S. [illegible] John Muir, Esq. Martinez, Cal

How to Work With Public Opinion Research: A Guide for Human Rights and Civil Liberties Advocates and Their Funders

Presents arguments and tools for integrating public opinion research into communications work. Includes case studies, research methods, consultant information, and a guide to help grantmakers evaluate grant proposals to conduct public opinion research

ADIPOSE Participant Information Sheet V1.0 (06/03/2024)

Hello, Thanks for taking the time to click the email link to find out further information about ADIPOSE. This Participant Information Sheet has all the information you need to know to make an informed decision to join the study. Please take the time to read this before taking part. Details of who to contact if you want any more information are also below. Once you have read this information, if you are happy to take part, please continue to complete the consent form and then the study questionnaire on the study survey. You can also download a copy of this Participant Information Sheet from this web page. Thanks, ADIPOSE Study Team Title of Study Assessing awareness of fatty liver disease among people in Scotland: a cross-sectional survey study (ADIPOSE). We are inviting you to take part in a study You are being invited to participate in a research study (in the form of a questionnaire). Before you decide whether to participate, it is important for you to understand why the research is being done and what it will involve. Please take time to read the following information carefully and feel free to ask us if you would like more information or if there is anything that you do not understand. Please also feel free to discuss this with your friends, relatives or colleagues if you wish. We would like to stress that you do not have to accept this invitation and should only agree to take part if you would like to. Why we are doing this study Fatty liver disease is becoming more common across the world but people living with fatty liver disease are often unaware of it. We wish to understand how many people in Scotland have heard of fatty liver disease and what they know about it, particularly people who are living with diabetes or cardiovascular disease. Therefore, we are undertaking an online survey among people in Scotland living with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and those living with neither (for comparison). Why you have been contacted You have been contacted to take part in this study because you previously signed up to SHARE (The Scottish Health Research Register and Biobank) and indicated you might be interested in taking part in future research. Some people who have been invited to take part in this survey are registered as living with diabetes, some with cardiovascular disease and some people are not living with either of these conditions. Do I have to take part? No. Participation in the study is voluntary and you are free to withdraw you participation at any time until you submit the survey. To withdraw your participation simply don't complete the survey, you are not required to give a reason for this. This will not affect your usual healthcare in any way. However, if you choose to take part and complete the survey, once your survey responses have been submitted, we will no longer be able to withdraw your responses – because the survey is anonymous it will not be possible for us to be able to identify which response is yours at that point. What if I do not know the answers? That is fine! There are several questions in the survey that you may not know the answer to. But what we are interested in is what people think might be the correct answers. Please try and answer any questions you are unsure of the answer to with whatever you think might be the correct answer. What will happen if I take part? The study is an online survey made up of one set of questions only. After finishing reading this information sheet you will be asked to review and agree to some statements making sure you understand and are happy to take part in the survey (called informed consent – essential for all research). Then you will be asked questions about yourself, such as your post code (used to calculate your Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation), your type of job, age etc.; then some medical history questions (weight, height, whether you have been diagnosed with diabetes or other conditions etc.); and some questions about your alcohol consumption. After this you will be presented with the fatty liver awareness survey, which consists of approximately 14 questions that aim to assess your understanding of fatty liver disease - how it is diagnosed, treated, and certain associated illnesses. Remember you do not need to know anything about fatty liver disease to take part in the survey. Finally, you will be asked whether you want to enter a prize-draw to receive a high-street voucher in return for your participation. If you wish to do so, you will need to enter your email address (if you would rather not enter the prize-draw/ your email address you can still complete the survey without this, and we would still be pleased to have your responses). IMPORTANTLY we will not collect your name/ DOB/ full address / contact details and so none of the questions will allow us to identify you directly. In addition, we will not have access to your health records and none of your answers will be linked to your health records or your email address (should you chose to provide it) – all answers will be completely anonymous. How long will the ADIPOSE study take? The study survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete and may take less time. Will taking part in the ADIPOSE study affect my usual care? Participation in the study will not alter your regular healthcare. What are the possible benefits of taking part? Once you complete the survey, you will have the opportunity to opt-in to a draw to receive one of five high-street retail vouchers valued at £100 each. Opting into this draw is not a requirement for participation. Five participants will be drawn at random to receive one voucher each. There are no direct health benefits to you from taking part, however it is hoped that your involvement will help contribute to the development of liver health research and the care of people with fatty liver disease in the future. You will also have the option to opt-in to information about the results and publication of this research in the future. What are the possible disadvantages and risks of taking part? Apart from the short amount of time it takes to fill in the survey, there are not any disadvantages or risks involved in taking part in the study. Who is organising and funding this research? This study is being sponsored by the University of Dundee. It is being funded by Scottish Society of Physicians. The study is being organised by Professor John Dillon. How will my survey data be used? We will need to use information from you (from your survey responses) for this research project. Information from the survey will be used to measure awareness of fatty liver disease and associated medical conditions across Scotland. Data on demographics, medical history, alcohol consumption, etc., will be used to analyse the results and enable the team to determine public health priorities. This information will include your post code which will be used to calculate your Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation. No other identifiable information will be included. We will not have access to your name or contact details. Your survey response data will have a code number instead. We will keep all information about you safe and secure. Study Results The results from the study will be made available through the development of reports, peer-reviewed research papers, and presentations. You will not be identifiable in any of the results or any of the publications. If you wish to receive details of how the study is progressing and research outputs, there will be an option to opt-in to this at the end of the study. How will my data be collected? Data will be collected via an online anonymous survey. How will my survey response data be stored? All data will be stored on access-protected University of Dundee servers, accessible only to the research team. Your email address will not be stored with your other responses. How long will my survey response data be stored for? Data will be stored for 5 years after the study is completed. What measures are in place to protect the security and confidentiality of my data? The study survey is conducted using the Jisc survey platform. Jisc meets International Organization for Standardization 27001 data standards and data held with the survey platform is processed in compliance with GDPR. Further information can be found about Jisc data security here: https://onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/security/ Storage and usage of all data is governed by University of Dundee data protection policies, which are aligned to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and associated Standard Operation Procedures (SOP). Further information is available at: https://www.dundee.ac.uk/information-governance/data-protection. Will my data be anonymised? All data is stored anonymously, and it will not be possible for the research team or anyone else to identify individual ADIPOSE participants. Who will have access to my data? The surveys are submitted anonymously, and only the research team will have access to the completed surveys. Will my data be archived for use in other research projects in the future? Data collected will only be used in this project. How will my data be destroyed? The survey data will be securely destroyed 5 years after the survey results have been published. Where can you find out more about how your information is used? You can find out more about how we use your information at https://www.hra.nhs.uk/information-about-patients or by asking one of the research team by sending an email to [email protected]. What if I am unhappy or if there is a problem? If you are unhappy, or if there is a problem, please feel free to let us know by contacting: Primary Investigator, Dr Damien Leith ([email protected]) and we will try to help. If you are not satisfied, you can make a formal complaint to a senior member of the research team or to the Complaints Officer for NHS Tayside: Patient Experience Team NHS Tayside Ninewells Hospital Dundee DD1 9SY Freephone: 0800 027 5507 Email: [email protected] If you think you have come to harm due to taking part in the study there are no automatic arrangements to get financial compensation. If you have a complaint about your participation first of all please talk to the researcher. If you have any concerns about the way in which your data is processed, it is important that you are aware of your right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office – Scotland by calling 0303 123 1115 or emailing [email protected]. Insurance The University of Dundee is Sponsoring the study. The University of Dundee holds Clinical Trials indemnity cover which covers the University’s legal liability for harm caused to participants. Who has reviewed this study? This study has been reviewed by, and received favourable opinion from, the North of Scotland Research Ethics Committee. All processes outlined in this information sheet are included in the study protocol, which was reviewed by the Research Ethics committee. Who can I contact if I have further questions? Principal Investigator Dr Damien Leith Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee, DD2 1SY Phone: 01382 383017 Email: [email protected] Privacy Notice Information Governance – Data Protection How we use your information If you choose to provide personal data in response to any of our questions, you should understand that we will hold and process that information in the dataset we generate from the survey responses. We will retain the raw data from the survey responses for 5 years from the study end date, at which point it will be deleted. We will retain our anonymous analysis and reporting. You are under no obligation to complete this survey. Personal data This survey will include your post code (used to calculate your Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation) and some demographic data (age, sex, ethnicity). Should you provide additional personal data in response to any of our questions, please consider whether your responses reveal circumstances which may identify you and whether you wish to include them. Any disclosure of personal data is at your own discretion. You should restrict your answers to the matter at hand and avoid disclosing the personal data of others. Special categories of personal data This survey will ask for ethnicity data which is necessary for the study analysis. This is considered special category data. Will the use of my data meet GDPR rules? GDPR stands for the General Data Protection Regulation. In the UK we follow the GDPR rules and have a law called the Data Protection Act. All research using patient data must follow UK laws and rules. Universities, NHS organisations and companies may use patient data to do research to make health and care better. Universities and the NHS are funded from taxes and they are expected to do research as part of their job. They still need to be able to prove that they need to use patient data for the research. In legal terms this means that they use patient data as part of ‘a task in the public interest’. Data controller Should you provide personal data in response to this survey the University of Dundee would be the data controller for this information. This data may be processed by the University’s nominated agents such as software or service providers. Data will be processed using the University’s business systems. These include Microsoft 365 and Microsoft OneDrive. The University uses an online survey run by Jisc to collect this information. For information on how this service secures your data please see https://www.jisc.ac.uk/online-surveys. Lawful processing If you choose to provide personal data in response to our questions, it will be processed by the University on the basis that it is lawful for it to process your personal data, as the processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the University as data controller. Your rights If you wish to complain about the University’s use of your information, please contact the University’s Data Protection Officer in the first instance by emailing [email protected]. You may also wish to contact the Information Commissioner’s Office