Response to article published in Society
A statement from Springer Nature
London, July 2020
*Statement updated 31st July 2020*
We are deeply sorry that this commentary was published in one of our journals and for the harm and distress this has caused. Owing to a lack of editorial oversight, on both content and process grounds, this article should not have been published. Following an expedited investigation, the article has now been retracted and removed from the journal’s website with the full support of the Editor-in-Chief. We have a responsibility to publish scholarly literature that is based on, and supported by, facts and evidence. In this instance we fell far short of the standards we set ourselves as a publisher, resulting in an article being published which failed to meet a high standard of research. We are doing everything we can to make sure this does not happen again.
Springer Nature condemns racism and discrimination in all its forms. We unequivocally condemn the content of this article which is in stark contrast to our values as a company.
The retraction notice can be found here.
*Statement - 30th July 2020*
We are deeply concerned that flaws in our publishing process resulted in a commentary article being published in the journal Society without proper editorial oversight and we share the many concerns expressed regarding its content. As a scholarly publisher it is important that a proper investigation is undertaken and (in this case), we significantly expedited the process to allow action to be taken as quickly as possible.
When we first became aware of the concerns, an editor’s note was immediately placed on the piece to alert readers that there were concerns with the article and that it was under investigation while urgent discussions were held with the Editor-in-Chief. During these conversations the Editor-in-Chief took full responsibility and requested a retraction. Following this request, the author is now being consulted and we are confident of a swift resolution. We are reviewing the publishing process which was followed in this case and will make any necessary changes to prevent a situation like this happening again and to better enable us to take swift action in the future.
We are deeply sorry for the distress and upset that our publication of this paper has caused. We are committed to standing against racism and discrimination, and to supporting the academic community and wider society in this.
The retraction notice can be found here.
