Update. Although the #Trump admin is firing scientists, "some science leaders argued [that it's] not specifically targeting research. 'Science seems to be collateral damage to these [downsizing] efforts that are almost random, by date of hire or date of promotion,' says Sudip Parikh, CEO of #AAAS…'It’s not strategic. It’s not based on the needs of the future, the needs of science.'"

PS: My take: Some of the destruction targets research he opposes for political reasons, like #climate research. But much of the rest is semi-random pillaging to show numbers (positions cut, dollars saved). This is evident from the growing number of firings, in a growing number of departments, that Trump and #Musk later try to rescind.

#DefendResearch #USPol #USPolitics

Update. "Journalism organizations call for restoration of public data."
https://www.nasw.org/article/journalism-organizations-call-restoration-public-data

"Leaders of five #journalism organizations, including the National Association of Science Writers and representing more than 7,000 members in the United States and abroad, sent the following letter to the heads of eight U.S. federal agencies that have recently removed public datasets and databases funded by Americans’ tax dollars."

#Censorship #Data #DefendResearch #OpenData #Takedowns #Trump #USPol #USPolitics

Update. "Outcry as Trump withdraws support for research that mentions ‘climate’ "
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/feb/21/trump-scientific-research-climate

"The #Trump administration is stripping away support for scientific research in the US and overseas that contains a word it finds particularly inconvenient: “climate”…Trump, who has said that the climate crisis is a “giant hoax”, has already stripped mentions of climate change and global heating from government websites."

#Censorship #Climate #DefendResearch #Takedowns #USPol #USPolitics

Update. "PLOS [@PLOS] statement on recent US Executive Orders and scientific integrity"
https://theplosblog.plos.org/2025/02/plos-statement-on-recent-us-executive-orders-and-scientific-integrity/

"We are deeply concerned about a range of recent US Executive Orders that collectively have the potential to dismantle the US scientific enterprise as it has existed for the past 70 years…We will not approve changes to terminology or removal of data that compromise the scientific accuracy of content. Requests to remove legitimate authors from manuscripts violate our authorship policies which are grounded in principles of credit, accountability and transparency…We are actively working to understand the evolving implications of these directives and the disruption they have brought…We remain dedicated to the advancement of #OpenScience."

#Censorship #DefendResearch #PLOS #Takedowns #Trump #USPol #USPolitics

Update. From @neuralreckoning: "Science must step away from nationally managed infrastructure"
https://www.thetransmitter.org/policy/science-must-step-away-from-nationally-managed-infrastructure/

"Scientific data and independence are at risk. We need to work with community-driven services and university libraries to create new multi-country organizations that are resilient to political interference."

#Censorship #DefendResearch #OpenInfrastructure #Takedowns #Trump #USPol #USPolitics

Update. The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (#ICMJE) has updated its guidance in light of recent actions by the #Trump administration.
https://www.icmje.org/news-and-editorials/icmje_guidance_notice.html

"If authors request removal or addition of an author after manuscript submission or publication, journal editors should seek an explanation and signed statement of agreement for the requested change from all listed authors including the author to be removed or added…Corrections are warranted for errors of fact that should have been recognized at the time of publication. Matters of debate and evolving science and methods are not errors. Retraction of published work is generally reserved for errors serious enough to invalidate results and conclusions and/or when there is scientific misconduct.."

#Censorship #DefendResearch #Medicine #ScholComm #Takedowns #USPol #USPolitics

Update. "ALLEA Statement on Threats to Academic Freedom and International Research Collaboration in the United States"
https://allea.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/ALLEA-Statement-on-Threats-to-Academic-Freedom.pdf

"The European Federation of Academies of Sciences and Humanities expresses grave concern over the escalating threats to academic freedom, both in the United States and beyond. Recent developments regarding science and scholarship in the U.S., including executive orders freezing billions in federal research funding and censorship around topics such as climate change and gender, are forcing many U.S. science agencies and research organisations to abruptly suspend normal operations. Such censorship and political suppression of language, research topics, and methodologies—whether through funding restrictions, legislative control, or institutional interference—fundamentally compromise the integrity of scientific and scholarly endeavours not just in the U.S. but around the world due to the global nature of the research ecosystem."

#AcademicFreedom #ALLEA #Censorship #Collaboration #DefendResearch #Takedowns #Trump #USPol #USPolitics

Update. "Reflections on the Current Moment from SSP’s Board of Directors"
https://www.sspnet.org/community/news/statement-from-the-ssp-board-of-directors/

"The challenges stemming from a shifting U.S. political landscape, which threaten academic freedom, #DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility) initiatives, the scholarly record, and federal research funding, are affecting the Society for Scholarly Publishing (#SSP) community in multiple ways: mentally, emotionally, physically, and financially…Since we were established in 1978, SSP has intentionally demonstrated an unwavering commitment to building a diverse and inclusive community. We actively infuse our work with equitable values, including providing leadership as a founding member of the Coalition for Diversity and Inclusion in Scholarly Publishing (#C4DISC)."

#Censorship #DefendResearch #DEI #ScholComm #Takedowns #Trump #USPol #USPolitics