The Journal of the American College of Radiology is updating its name-change policy to ease the process for transgender scholars and others it may impact.
Typically, modifying one’s name in an academic journal can require “significant” legwork, including persuading the publisher along with investing time and money. Academics may modify their name for numerous reasons, such as divorce, religious reasons, or a gender identity change.
“Publishers often require a burden of proof in the way of a documented legal name change. However, legal name changes are not universally accessible, affordable or expedient for all trans people,” Evelyn Carroll, MD, a transgender radiologist with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and JACR Editor-in-Chief Ruth Carlos, MD, wrote Nov. 1. “Many trans authors are faced with abandoning their previous scholarship because of these numerous barriers to a successful name change in
Along with expediency and simplicity, discretion is crucial in these instances, the authors noted. Forcing one to change their name with a formal announcement and listing of their pretransition identifier can be “traumatizing” for trans individuals.
In partnership with publisher Elsevier, JACR is allowing authors to initiate the process via a discreet web link, which minimizes bureaucratic burdens while allowing for anonymity.
“We at JACR affirm our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in scholarly publishing, medicine, and the broader world,” the authors concluded.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.