Navigating name changes in scholarly authorship
A strong publication history remains a key factor in career progression within academia and research. However, many authors change their names over the course of their careers for various reasons, including marriage, divorce, religious conversion, and gender transition.
Historically, many publishers had restrictive authorship policies that aimed to preserve the “version of record.” Unfortunately, these policies inadvertently prevented authors from updating their names on past publications. As a result, affected authors faced a difficult choice: either abandon their previous work or disclose their former name and identity to potential employers and collaborators.
American Chemical Society (ACS) Publications sought to remove barriers to inclusion, professional mobility, and author credit through the launch of its Author Name Change Policy. This initiative marked a significant shift—moving away from relying solely on names as identifiers– challenging centuries of status quo within publishing and paving the way for a more equitable publishing process for all researchers.
What actions were taken?
- Updated Publication Policy: The Author Name Change Policy was developed with input from the trans community, though it benefits authors from all backgrounds.
- Created an Inclusive Process for Authors: The new process ensures a positive author experience when requesting a name change. ACS Membership & Society Services updates member records accordingly. Under this policy, authors can now update their names on past publications without publishing an erratum, notifying past collaborators, or providing legal proof of name change—a major step toward inclusivity.
- Expanded Name Change Options: Authors can update their name, pronouns, salutations, initials, and email addresses in both HTML and PDF versions of publications, as well as in metadata that propagates to key discovery platforms.
- Staff Training: ACS provided inclusivity training to help staff understand the challenges faced by transgender and nonbinary researchers and improve the support available to them.
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