Inclusive author name changes

How IUMS journals support inclusive, respectful and safe changes to author names on published and submitted articles, including privacy-protecting options and coordination with indexing services and ORCID.

Applies to all authors and co-authors in IUMS journals
Policy v1.0 – last updated April 2025
Related policies: Authorship & contributorship · Research ethics & integrity · Consent & privacy · Corrections & retractions · Archiving & indexer readiness

1 Scope & guiding principles

Respecting authors’ identities while preserving the integrity of the record.

IUMS journals recognise that author names are not only technical identifiers but also part of personal identity, safety and professional recognition. This policy describes how we handle requests to change author names on:

  • submitted manuscripts under review;
  • accepted but not yet published articles; and
  • previously published content across IUMS journals.

Our approach is guided by the following principles:

  • Respect: we treat name change requests as matters of dignity and inclusion.
  • Safety: we aim to protect authors from harm, discrimination or outing, especially in sensitive contexts (e.g. gender transition, safety or security concerns).
  • Integrity: we maintain a clear and stable scholarly record, including persistent identifiers and citations.
  • Practicality: we are transparent about what can be changed on the journal platform and what depends on external systems (indexers, repositories, etc.).

2 Why inclusive name changes matter

Supporting identity, continuity of record and fair attribution.

Authors may change their names for many reasons—such as gender transition, marriage or divorce, cultural or religious reasons, or ensuring correct spelling and diacritics. If published articles continue to display outdated or incorrect names:

  • authors may feel misrepresented or unsafe;
  • their publication record may be fragmented across different names;
  • citations and indexing may not fully reflect their contributions.

By implementing an inclusive name change policy, IUMS journals aim to:

  • align with best practices in research integrity and equity;
  • help authors maintain a coherent, accurate academic record;
  • reduce administrative barriers to updating names on past work.

3 Situations covered by this policy

Examples of when authors may request changes.

This policy covers legitimate author name change requests including, but not limited to:

  • Gender transition and identity affirmation: changes made to align published records with an author’s gender identity and affirmed name.
  • Marriage, divorce or family-related changes: new surnames or reverting to previous names.
  • Cultural, linguistic or religious reasons: for example, corrections to non-Latin scripts, addition of diacritics or name order adjustments.
  • Safety and security: changes requested to reduce risk of harassment, discrimination or other harm.
  • Spelling corrections and consistency: consistent use of a preferred transliteration or spelling across multiple papers.

IUMS journals do not ask authors to justify personal reasons such as gender identity or family circumstances. Limited documentation may be requested for certain legal or institutional requests, but we aim to keep burdens minimal.

4 Types of name changes

From minor corrections to full changes and ordering.

Common types of author name changes include:

  • Minor spelling corrections: fixing typographical errors, missing characters or diacritics.
  • Full name changes: replacing a previous given name and/or family name with a new one.
  • Reordering components: adjusting the order of given names, family names or patronymics to reflect correct usage.
  • Initials vs full names: switching between initials and full names for consistency across publications.
  • Script changes: updating Latin transliterations or ensuring that names appear consistently across platforms.

Some journals may also support updates to associated identifiers (for example, email addresses or institutional affiliations) when these are closely tied to the name change and do not alter the substance of the scientific record.

5 Timing: pre- and post-publication

How timing affects the process and scope of changes.

The process for name changes depends partly on where the manuscript or article sits in the publication workflow:

  • Before submission: authors can update their names directly in the manuscript and submission system profile.
  • Under review / before acceptance: authors should inform the handling editor or journal office. The manuscript and system records will be updated; the change will be reflected in the final publication.
  • Accepted but not yet published: the editorial and production teams will update the author line, metadata and proofs before online publication.
  • Published articles (including “online first”): the name change becomes a post-publication update, implemented in line with the steps described below.

For published articles, name changes may be treated similarly to other updates to the version of record, while taking extra care around privacy and safety (see Sections 7 and 11).

6 How to request an author name change

Practical steps for authors who want to update their names.

To request a name change on one or more IUMS journal articles, authors should contact either:

  • the editorial office of the relevant journal; or
  • the central contact listed at the end of this page.

Please include, where possible:

  • your current preferred name;
  • your previous name as it appears on the article(s);
  • article titles, journal names and DOIs;
  • whether you are requesting:
    • a visible public update (e.g. name change in the article and any related notices); or
    • a privacy-protecting update (e.g. no explicit explanation of the previous name in public notices).

For most name change requests, we do not require legal documentation. In some institutional or legal contexts, supporting documents may be helpful, but our default is to trust and support authors’ stated identities.

7 Privacy-protecting options

Balancing transparency with protection from harm.

In some cases, public association between an author’s previous and new names may put them at risk (for example, authors who have undergone gender transition, or who face discrimination or safety threats). IUMS journals therefore offer options that aim to protect privacy:

  • When feasible, the author name in the article and metadata will be updated silently, without publicly stating the previous name.
  • If a notice is needed for technical or indexing reasons (for example, a short note to signal that metadata have been updated), we aim to avoid disclosing personal details or reasons beyond what is strictly necessary.
  • We will not require authors to publicly declare the reason for a name change.

Requests for privacy-protecting updates are handled sensitively. Authors can indicate if they would like their request to be treated as highly confidential. For more general privacy principles, see the Consent & privacy policy.

8 Co-authors, acknowledgements & responsibility

When co-author consent is needed—and when it is not.

Name changes affect the way an author is cited and recognised but do not usually change the scientific content of the article. For this reason:

  • requests to update an individual author’s name typically do not require formal approval from all co-authors;
  • editors may, however, inform co-authors of the update when this is appropriate and safe to do so.

Name changes in acknowledgments, contributor lists or disclosures may be made when they are closely tied to the author’s identity or safety. These are considered on a case-by-case basis.

Any disputes about authorship, order or contributions are handled under the Authorship & contributorship and Misconduct policies and are distinct from straightforward name changes.

9 Article text, metadata & ORCID

What we update on the journal site and how identifiers help.

Where technically possible, IUMS journals will:

  • update the author name on the article web page and PDF (or the most recent version of record);
  • update internal metadata, including the author record used for indexing feeds;
  • ensure that the author’s ORCID iD, if provided, remains associated with the article.

Authors are strongly encouraged to:

  • register for an ORCID iD if they do not already have one;
  • update their name and publication list in ORCID to reflect the new name and ensure continuity;
  • use the same ORCID iD consistently across submissions and journals.

The DOI of the article remains unchanged. Any necessary editorial notes or metadata updates are linked to the same DOI to preserve the continuity of the scholarly record.

10 Indexing services & discoverability

How name changes are propagated beyond the journal website.

IUMS journals will make reasonable efforts to notify major indexing and abstracting services (for example, Scopus, Web of Science, MEDLINE, local or national indexes) of author name changes when:

  • the change has been implemented on the journal platform; and
  • the indexer’s systems support updating author metadata.

However:

  • each indexing service has its own timelines and technical limitations;
  • journals cannot fully guarantee how or when external databases reflect name changes;
  • in some cases, name changes may appear only gradually across third-party platforms.

For details of how IUMS journals work with indexers and repositories more broadly, see the Archiving & indexer readiness policy.

11 Technical & legal limitations

What may not be possible in every case.

While IUMS journals are committed to implementing inclusive name changes, some limitations remain:

  • Print and offline copies: previously distributed print issues, downloaded PDFs or local copies cannot be recalled or fully updated.
  • Third-party repositories: versions archived in institutional or subject repositories may need to be updated by those repositories directly. We encourage authors to contact them with the updated citation.
  • Legal and contractual restrictions: in rare cases, external legal or contractual conditions may limit the exact form of public notices or updates we can provide.
  • Legacy systems: older platforms or systems with fixed metadata structures may not support all types of changes.

Even where full technical updating is not possible, we will aim to ensure that the most visible, citable version on the IUMS journal site reflects the author’s current preferred name.

12 Questions, support & contact

Getting help with an author name change request.

We recognise that name changes can be sensitive and sometimes urgent. Authors who are considering or planning a name change are welcome to contact us proactively to discuss options—whether for a single article or for a larger body of work across multiple IUMS journals.

For confidential enquiries and requests related to author name changes, please contact:

Policy version: v1.0 – last updated April 2025. This policy will be reviewed regularly to align with emerging best practices in inclusive publishing and research integrity.