By Sam Perkins

SAGE Publishing has recently implemented a post-publication name change policy for its journals, which allows updates to an individual’s name for any reason, without requiring the provision of supporting documentation and without publication of a correction notice.

The policy was created to address the needs of transgender (trans) and gender non-conforming people who, if unable to update their name, are at an increased risk of harassment and assault, as well as exposure to professional biases (e.g. relating to citation, tenure, and promotion). In recognition that individuals should have complete authority over their names and other social identities, we now permit name change requests for any reason, including indigeneity, marriage, divorce, and religion.

Our decisions were informed by the principles outlined in “A vision for a more trans-inclusive publishing world” and the formative work of organizations such as COPE and the  “Joint Commitment for action on inclusion and diversity in publishing,” organized by the Royal Society of Chemistry and 35 other publishers.

Read the full post on the SAGE Perspectives blog.

Sam Perkins is a Peer Review Manager at SAGE Publishing, working to optimize systems and support for authors, editors and reviewers. They are a member of SAGE's Research Integrity Group and co-lead of SAGE’s UK LGBTQIA+ Employee Resource Group. Sam has an MA in Publishing, was shortlisted for London Book Fair's Trailblazer Awards and won the whitefox Unsung Heroes of Publishing Award.