Working Effectively with Whistleblowers

Problems with published content are often discovered by individuals who raise them with authors, editors or publishers, allowing for investigation and potentially correction of the literature. However, there are many misconceptions and misunderstandings around how to respond to such reports. This short course considers who whistleblowers might be, their motivations, and how to work and communicate well with anyone reporting concerns. We have designed this course for journal editors across all scholarly fields and disciplines.

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Editor Resources

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English

time

25 minutes

About this course

This course equips participants with the knowledge and skills to work effectively with whistleblowers in a professional and ethical manner. Participants will learn how to assess whistleblowers concerns objectively, maintain confidentiality, and foster a culture of transparency and accountability that supports the integrity of the scholarly record. Additionally, this course looks at common misconceptions regarding whistleblowers.

Who should take this course?

This course has been written for journal editors who are new to the role, those who are more experienced but have not encountered whistleblowers or those who have experienced whistleblower communications and wish to work effectively with them to achieve a positive outcome.

What will I learn in this course?

This short course provides an outline of what a whistleblower is and the reasons for their actions, as well as the ways in which they may report concerns. It considers the reasons whistleblowers may choose not to identify themselves and outlines how to work and communicate well with any individual who reports concerns. It also examines some common misconceptions about whistleblowers.

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