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  • CAREER FEATURE

Shrouded in secrecy: how science is harmed by the bullying and harassment rumour mill

Academics are calling for greater transparency in harassment cases. But do the benefits outweigh the risks?
  1. Sarah Wild

    1. Sarah Wild is a freelance journalist in Canterbury, UK.

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In August 2023, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) revised its code of conduct in response to complaints about the online hounding of astronomers who had collaborated with alleged or known harassers. “We knew of several astronomers around the world who were being ostracized from the astronomical community,” Debra Elmegreen, president of the Paris-based organization, told Nature at the time. Examples included researchers having papers rejected and being excluded from conferences.

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Nature 629, 245-247 (2024)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-00986-w

References

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