Politics edited science – Newspaper Kommersant No. 39 (7484) of 03/09/2023

The European Association of Science Editors (EASE) has terminated the individual membership of specialists from Russia. The president of the Association of Science Editors and Publishers (ANRI), Olga Kirillova, believes that this decision was caused by “a policy that cannot be defeated now,” and expressed the hope that the Russians will one day again become “legitimate members of this organization.” However, experts point out that in addition to political reasons, there are also purely technical reasons that prevent Russians from becoming members of international associations. Thus, about 600 Russian members of the European Society of Clinical Oncology (ESMO) this year were unable to pay dues due to restrictions on transactions from Russia.

The European Association of Science Editors has decided to terminate the membership of participants from Russia. This information was reported to Medvestnik by the President of the Association of Science Editors and Publishers Olga Kirillova. Russians became members of EASE and paid dues through the ANRI structure. Now the European association has asked the Russian to remove information about EASE membership from the site and from the ANRI magazine. “They treat us well, but they can’t do something. This is a policy that we cannot win now. We obey our laws, and they obey theirs. We can only hope that someday this will all be resolved, and we will again be legitimate members of this international organization,” Medvestnik quotes Ms. Kirillova.

Interaction with ANRI, despite the previously signed cooperation agreement, was also interrupted by ORCID, an international association that promotes a register of permanent identifiers for researchers. In particular, it registers ORCID ID – a unique number of a scientist that allows you to identify exactly his publications, patents, received grants and other results of scientific activity.

Olga Kirillova stressed that the restrictions on cooperation with the Russians apply only to EASE members from European countries and the United States. They do not affect, for example, scientists from India and some other countries – therefore, if they wish, they can participate in scientific events on Russian territory.

Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Alexei Khokhlov told Kommersant that the European Association of Science Editors is perceived more as a kind of club. “The organization has limited influence,” says Mr. Khokhlov. “They advise journal editors, help their journals enter international databases. But this association does not have much influence on the policy and development of journals.” Yury Filippov, head of the editorial and publishing department of the National Medical Research Center for Endocrinology of the Ministry of Health of Russia, a member of the editorial board of the Diabetes Mellitus journal, expressed the opinion in a conversation with Medvestnik that the suspension of membership could still “have significant negative consequences.” “Many of the leadership of Russian journals, alas, will perceive such a statement by EASE as a reason not to follow international experience and not to use in their practice the best achievements in the field of editing, peer review, quality control of scientific publications, publishing ethics,” he fears.

Recall that after Russia sent troops to the territory of Ukraine, several large professional and scientific communities announced a break in relations with specialists and organizations from Russia and Belarus. In particular, the European Association for the Study of the Liver published an appeal to all scientific societies, institutions and consortiums in Europe with a call to stop cooperation with Russian institutions in order to support Ukraine. The scientific journal The Lancet announced the suspension of cooperation with universities and research centers from Russia. The European Association of Urology also announced the break in ties with Russian and Belarusian colleagues. The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) froze all contacts and ruled out the possibility of Russians participating in any form of their activities. The Russian Psychological Society was expelled from the European Federation of Psychological Associations. The European Alliance of Rheumatological Associations last year decided not to allow delegates and organizations from Russia and Belarus to participate in the annual congress in Copenhagen. Leading rheumatologists of Russia and patient associations were supposed to take part in the event.

Last year there was also a conflict in the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). Some scientists opposed the designation of Russian researchers as co-authors of their scientific papers. Because of this, last year foreign scientific journals could not publish more than a hundred articles about research at CERN. However, in February CERN decided how to use the work of scientists from Russia and Belarus. Now the European organization has decided to indicate Russian and Belarusian scientists, but without affiliation with the institutions of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus. Last June, we recall, the CERN Council decided not to extend cooperation with Russia and Belarus after 2024.

However, in addition to political motives, there are also purely technical ones. Thus, a Kommersant source said that about 600 Russian members of the European Society of Clinical Oncology this year could not pay their membership dues due to sanctions restrictions on transactions from Russia. Last year, as the interlocutor pointed out, it was possible to agree on the extension of participation without payment of dues “at the expense of friendly relations” – but now, in his opinion, Russian oncologists can be expelled.

Natalya Kostarnova, Anna Vasilyeva