A major publisher¡¯s decision to replace a journal¡¯s editor and withdraw one of his papers has sparked claims of interference in the publication¡¯s editorial direction.

Following Taylor and Francis¡¯ decision to replace the editor of the??(IJOEH), the publisher has been accused of undermining the independence and credibility of the journal.

In a letter to Taylor and Francis, David G. Kern, a former associate professor at?Brown University¡¯s School of Medicine, who has been published in the journal, criticised the publisher for its ¡°reprehensible actions¡±.

¡°I am moved to suggest a general boycott of your company¡¯s other journals,¡± he wrote.

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¡°Towards that end, I will be asking American and Canadian bioethicist colleagues, members of the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities, to consider what actions they deem appropriate with respect to Taylor and Francis¡¯s?The American Journal of Bioethics.¡±

Michael F. Jacobson, president of the Centre for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer advocacy group, wrote in a that the moves ¡°undermine the credibility and independence¡± of the IJOEH.

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A series of letters to Taylor and Francis from current and past members of the IJOEH¡¯s editorial board express ¡°grave concerns¡± about the decision to remove David Egilman, clinical associate professor in the department of family medicine at?Brown University, as editor-in-chief and replace him with Andrew Maier, associate professor in the department of environmental health at the?University of Cincinnati.

The letters question the decision to withdraw one of Dr Egilman¡¯s??on 16 April, despite it having been published for over a year.

The editorial board claim they were not consulted over the new editor appointment, that they were not consulted or informed about the paper¡¯s withdrawal, and accuse Taylor and Francis of compromising the ¡°scientific integrity¡± of a journal, which historically ¡°publishes independent research free of corporate influence¡±.

A Taylor and Francis spokeswoman said responsibility for ¡°selecting and appointing an editor-in-chief¡± lay with them as ¡°owner of the journal¡±.

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¡°International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health?was acquired by Taylor & Francis in 2015,¡± she added. ¡°Following a review of the journal we decided not to renew Dr Egilman¡¯s contract as editor-in-chief when it came to an end in December 2016.¡±

Dr Egilman told?THE?he ¡°wasn¡¯t contacted¡­at all¡± by Taylor and Francis about who was to be his replacement, nor was he given satisfactory reason for the withdrawal of his paper.

Taylor and Francis¡¯ spokeswoman said the article was ¡°withdrawn because it was published inadvertently before the review process had been completed¡±.

¡°On completing that review, it was decided the article was unsuitable for publication in the journal,¡± she added.

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In their most recent letter, the editorial board asked for authorisation to choose Dr Egilman¡¯s successor, ensure all already accepted papers are to be published promptly, and recognise that the board shares full responsibility with the journal editor and therefore ¡°must be party to any decision to retract published papers¡±.

Taylor and Francis¡¯ spokeswoman said: ¡°There was nothing unusual about the process we followed in reviewing the options and ultimately in appointing Dr Maier¡­We are keen to offer ongoing support to him and the journal¡¯s editorial board to allow them to reflect the many perspectives of this area with an impartial and evidence-based approach.¡±

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john.elmes@timeshighereducation.com