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I'm starting a #Mastodon thread on the new #Trump administration's actions and positions on #OpenAccess to research.

I posted frequently about the actions of his first administration. But I did it on #Twitter / #X, which I no longer use.

Also see this wiki page where I'm collecting my old Twitter posts on his first term and my new Mastodon posts on his second term.
cyber.harvard.edu/hoap/The_Tru…

For updates, watch this space.

#OpenWashing #OSTP #ScholComm #Takedowns #USPol #USPolitics

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Update. Here's a good use of #GitHub to track textual changes and page takedowns on federal govt web sites since #Trump took office.
404media.co/github-is-showing-…

This project is dedicated to the pages on #DEI. I hope someone launches a similar project on the pages dedicated to science and research.

#Censorship #Takedowns #USPol #USPolitics

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Update. "For the first time in its more than 60-year history, the #CDC's [#OpenAccess] Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (#MMWR) did not go out as scheduled because of a communications pause at federal health agencies issued by the #Trump administration."
medpagetoday.com/infectiousdis…

#Censorship #Medicine #USPol #USPolitics

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Update. As recently as January 2, 2025, #NASA had five modules for teaching #OpenScience on its web site. The #Trump administration has taken them down.
science.nasa.gov/open-science/…

Here they are in the @internetarchive Wayback Machine.
web.archive.org/web/2025010214…

#Takedowns #TrumpAntiScience #USPol #USPolitics

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Update. If you're following this thread, also follow the Silencing Science Tracker from Sabin Center for Climate Change Law (at Columbia Law School) and the Climate Science Legal Defense Fund.
climate.law.columbia.edu/Silen…

#Climate #USPol #USPolitics

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Update. "Datasets aggregated on data.gov, the largest repository of U.S. government #OpenData on the internet, are being deleted, according to the website’s own information. Since Donald Trump was inaugurated as president, more than 2,000 datasets have disappeared from the database."
404media.co/archivists-work-to…

#Data #Takedowns #Trump #USPol #USPolitics

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Update. "#USDA ordered to scrub climate change from websites"
politico.com/news/2025/01/31/u…

"Agriculture Department employees have been ordered to delete landing pages discussing climate change across agency websites and document climate change references for further review, according to an internal email obtained by POLITICO...."

#Agriculture #Censorship #Climate #Takedowns #Trump #USPol #USPolitics

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Update. I just posted an item outside this thread that belongs in the thread. Sorry. Here it is. The #Trump #CDC is asking staffers to withdraw pending scientific publications that use newly-prohibited terms like #transgender, #immigrant, or #LGBT.
fediscience.org/@petersuber/11…

#Censorship #ScholComm #USPol #USPolitics

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Update. "Top advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [#CDC] are asking the agency’s acting director to explain the abrupt removal of information and data from CDC websites, and say when it will be restored. In a sharply worded letter sent Saturday, the group asked Acting Director Susan Monarez what the rationale was for removing the data, if the consequences and legal authority of such a decision were considered, what was being done to safeguard the data sets that were removed, and when access to them would return. The letter asks for answers by Feb. 7."
archive.is/SWhYj

The CDC advisory board was disbanded by Trump in 2019 and revived by Biden in 2021. The members "expect to be fired" for asking the agency to explain and reverse the takedowns.

#Censorship #Takedowns #Trump #USPol #USPolitics

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Update. "Represented by Public Citizen Litigation Group, Doctors for America filed a #lawsuit today [Feb 4] against the Office of Personnel Management (#OPM), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (#CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (#FDA), and the Department of Health & Human Services (#HHS) for the removal of a broad range of #health-related data and other information used by health professionals and researchers from publicly accessible government websites."
citizen.org/news/doctors-for-a…

#Medicine #Takedowns #Trump #USPol #USPolitics

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Update, on the #CDC order directing staffers to retract pending journal articles that use now-prohibited terms like #transgender and #immigrant (earlier in this thread) …

Bravo to the #BMJ (@bmj_latest) for calling this order "sinister and ludicrous."
bmj.com/content/388/bmj.r253

"This is not how it works. Medically relevant terminology and inclusive language follow evidence based reporting standards or are matters of individual journal style and policy. They do not follow political orders. Similarly, co-authors cannot simply scrub themselves from articles. Authorship gives credit and accountability for the work, and an article’s list of authors does not ghost contributors. If authors wish to withdraw submissions under review at a journal, this process is feasible should all of their co-authors agree. However, if somebody who merits inclusion in the authorship group of an article requests to be removed, even with the approval of the co-authors, this is a breach of publication ethics."

#Authorship #Retractions #ScholComm #Trump #USPol #USPolitics

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Update. Here's an online tool from #BradleyAllf to help you publish research in the #Trump age, especially if you're a US govt scientist. Just paste in your abstract and it will underline the banned words.
brad7280.github.io/thoughtcrim…

#Censorship #ReviseAndResubmit #Trump #USPol #USPolitics

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Update. The #BMJ isn't the only journal pushing back against the #CDC directive that staff scientists should retract pending publications that use Trump-banned words. (Earlier in this thread.)

Kudos to the _American Journal of Public Health_ (#AJPH) for pushing back as well.
medpagetoday.com/special-repor…

From publisher Georges Benjamin: "We at the American Journal of Public Health have no interest in following the president's prohibitions on language. We will publish things under our guidelines, under our ethical principles." Benjamin acknowledged that the journal may now get fewer submissions from government scientists.

AJPH is published by the American Public Health Association (#APHA).

#Censorship #Medicine #ScholComm #SocietyPublisher #Trump #USPol #USPolitics

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Update. #OMB is telling #DOGE to stop using #Slack. Why? Because Slack messages are subject to #FOI requests.
404media.co/doge-employees-ord…

#Trump #USPol #USPolitics

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Update. If you're following this thread, you might also follow Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to #Trump Administration Actions, from #JustSecurity.
justsecurity.org/107087/tracke…

#USLaw #USPol #USPolitics

in reply to petersuber

Update. The Dept of Defense (#DOD) just released the implementation plan for its upgraded #OpenAccess policy under the Biden-era #OSTP #NelsonMemo.
discover.dtic.mil/wp-content/u…

This is the first fed agency action of its kind since #Trump took office. Note that, so far, this work has not stopped or changed.

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Update. "White House budget proposal could shatter the National Science Foundation"
arstechnica.com/science/2025/0…

" 'This kind of cut would kill American science and boost #China and other nations into global science leadership positions,' [said] Neal Lane, who led the #NSF in the 1990s during Bill Clinton's presidency."

PS: I've never liked #nationalist arguments for funding or fostering science. Science is international. But the #Trump admin is putting us in a dilemma. Either we see deep cuts in US science funding. Or we use nationalist arguments to avert those cuts.

There are non-nationalist arguments to fund US science. For example, good science is usually expensive and those who do it well should be funded for the benefit of all. Unfortunately that argument is not likely to work on Trump admin officials. It's not US-specific and applies everywhere, even in China.

#Nationalism #USPol #USPolitics

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Update. "Trump officials exerting unprecedented control over CDC scientific journal"
cbsnews.com/news/trump-officia…

"Trump administration political appointees have taken steps in recent weeks to exert unprecedented influence over the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's flagship medical research publication, the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, multiple federal health officials tell CBS News. The interference included dictating what to cover and withholding studies on the growing bird flu outbreak."

PS: Just curious. How do Trump officials decide that covering bird flu is bad for their agenda?

#Medicine #ScholComm #Trump #USPol #USPolitics

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Over at @deltathink, Dan Pollock and Ann Michael estimate the impact of #Trump executive actions on academic publishing, starting with the #CDC.
deltathink.com/news-views-spec…

"The proportion of CDC-authored papers is tiny [0.1% of global output and 0.6% of US output], and so their suppression is unlikely to lead to a drop in publishing output. However, should the orders spread to other areas of health research, then the effects could be profound – especially for journals and publishers relying heavily on US-authored papers."

#Censorship #USPol #USPolitics

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Update The #Trump admin has taken down the #OSTP #NelsonMemo.

It was formerly at this URL.
whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uplo…

You can still find it in the @internetarchive #WaybackMachine, as recently as Jan 18, 2025.
web.archive.org/web/2025011802…

We can't tell yet whether it was taken down because Trump officials didn't like the #OpenAccess policies it laid out, didn't like its use of #DEI language — or both.

h/t fediscience.org/@jnonfiction@s…

#Censorship #Takedowns #USPol #USPolitics

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Update. "In the initial days of the #Trump administration, officials scoured federal websites for any mention of what they deemed #DEI keywords — terms as generic as “diverse” and “historically” and even “women.” They soon identified reams of some of the country’s most valuable public health data containing some of the targeted words, including language about LGBTQ+ people, and quickly took down much of it — from surveys on obesity and suicide rates to real-time reports on immediate infectious disease threats like bird flu."
vox.com/future-perfect/399319/…

#Censorship #Medicine #Takedowns #USPol #USPolitics

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Update. "The White House has designated Mr. #Musk’s office, United States #DOGE Service, as an entity insulated from public records requests."
nytimes.com/2025/02/10/us/poli…

In Nov 2024 before Musk joined the #Trump government, he wrote on X / Twitter: "There should be no need for FOIA requests. All government data should be default public for maximum transparency."
x.com/elonmusk/status/18530796…

#FOAI #Secrecy #Trump #USPol #USPolitics

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Update. "Court Orders #CDC, #FDA to Restore Scrubbed Webpages, Data"
medpagetoday.com/washington-wa…

"A federal judge on Tuesday ordered government agencies to restore public access to health-related webpages and datasets that they removed to comply with an executive order by President #Trump…The scrubbed material includes reports on HIV prevention, a CDC webpage for providing clinicians with guidance on reproductive healthcare, and an FDA study on 'sex differences in the clinical evaluation of medical products.'"

#Censorship #DefendResearch #Litigation #Medicine #Takedowns #USPol #USPolitics

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Update. From @hildabast: "What if We Can’t Rely on PubMed?"
absolutelymaybe.plos.org/2025/…

"#PubMed is incredibly reliable…That said, between the risks of an exodus of key personnel, understaffing, or goodness-knows-what vandalism when a goon squad arrives at NIH, it’s not paranoid any more to think ahead to the once-unthinkable. What would PubMed enshittification look like? Could PubMed go down more often, and for longer? Might services no longer be free? How else could the #quality and #reliability of its services be degraded?"

#Censorship #DefendResearch #Medicine #Takedowns #Trump #USPol #USPolitics

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Update. "The Trump Administration Is Targeting Science. The Scientific Integrity Act Could Help Protect It."
blog.ucsusa.org/kellickson/the…

"The Scientific Integrity Act (#SI Act) is a bipartisan bill re-introduced on February 6th in the US House of Representatives… [It] would include language prohibiting scientific or research misconduct; preventing intimidation or attempted coercion to alter or censor scientific or technical findings; and allowing public dissemination of scientific and technical findings…It would ensure that scientific conclusions are not made based on political considerations but based on the best available science."

#Censorship #DefendResearch #Legislation #Takedowns #Trump #USPol #USPolitics

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Update. "The #Trump administration and Elon #Musk are reportedly taking aim at #NOAA, the agency responsible for the National Weather Service and many other crucial functions."
fastcompany.com/91274927/trump…

"#Project2025 specifically noted NOAA as a target, as well. The Heritage Foundation’s 900-page right-wing playbook called the agency “one of the main drivers of the #climate change alarm industry” and recommended it be “dismantled and many of its functions eliminated” and instead #privatized. It’s not clear what that would look like, though experts have said it isn’t a good idea—and that private weather companies wouldn’t even want that change because they’d have to bear the cost of collecting weather data that’s currently given to them for free."

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

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Update. "Science at Risk: Protect #NOAA"
secure.ucsusa.org/a/2025-prote…

I just signed this open letter from @ucsusa and hope you will too.

"Scientists and other experts: Add your name to this open letter calling on Congress and the #Trump administration to ensure that NOAA and its sub-agencies remain fully funded and staffed, and that the independent, trusted science the agency produces is protected."

#Climate #DefendResearch #OpenData #Takedowns #USPol #USPolitics

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Update. "Join the Organizing Team for Your Local Stand Up For Science Rally!"
airtable.com/app4h5wUssMGXxiaX…

#DefendResearch #USPol #USPolitics

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Update. I applaud this open letter from 48 US scientific societies to US researchers, educators, and academics.
unitedsciencealliance.org/

"Today, science is under threat…We need scientific research to support the health and safety of people and our planet. We need policy decisions that are grounded in research and data…We will champion scientific integrity, including academic freedom, the inclusion of diverse perspectives, and policies grounded in scientific evidence…Scientific truths are nonpartisan. It has never been more important to recommit to scientific knowledge, and to ensure you have access to data, are free from censorship, and are able to do your valuable work."

#Academia #Censorship #DefendResearch #Takedowns #Trump #USPol #USPolitics
@academicchatter

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Update. "This position is a response to concerns raised regarding prohibition of specific terminology, and restrictions on researchers’ activities and collaborations. #COPE [Committee on Publication Ethics] considers that authors and editors are best placed to determine the appropriate language to be used in their respective fields, to ensure that research is communicated appropriately…COPE supports the World Association of Medical Editors (#WAME)’s statement that editorial decisions must remain unaffected by the authors’ nationality, ethnicity, political beliefs, race, or religion. Publication choices should not be swayed by external governmental policies, unless compliance with applicable laws is at stake.”
publicationethics.org/guidance…

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

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Update. The Union of Concerned Scientists (#UCS, @ucsusa) just released this open letter to Congress. I signed and hope you will too.
secure.ucsusa.org/a/2024-save-…

"I am asking you to defend the science and scientists that keep Americans safe. The Trump administration's current agenda is eviscerating the protections that Americans count on and support: clean air and water; safe food and medicine; products that won't harm us; and protection from extreme weather and other damaging effects of climate change…Protecting rigorous and independent science is a common-sense, nonpartisan goal."

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

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Update. Kathleen Bachynski and Martin McKee argue that #Trump cuts to medical research and ongoing clinical trials violate the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki on Research Ethics and the 1979 Belmont Report on Ethical Principles and Guidelines for the Protection of Human Subjects of Research.
bmj.com/content/388/bmj.r289

#DefendResearch #Ethics #Medicine #Trump #USPol #USPolitics

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Update. "Join academic workers across the country in fighting restrictions on research - Feb. 19th Rally."
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAI…

"For the last three weeks, we have seen unprecedented attacks on science that have severely impacted our day-to-day work as scientists, researchers, and clinicians - funding that sustains critical scientific research to improve human health has been dramatically cut, research is being censored, and scientists are losing their jobs…The work we do is a public good and essential for the health of each and every American, now and in the future. We must fight to save science so we can continue doing the work that keeps Americans healthy."

h/t @ClimateJenny

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

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Update. @juddlegum and #RebeccaCrosby provide more evidence that the #Trump team is taking down valuable govt pages — this time #OSHA pages on workplace safety — that use #DEI language in ways that have nothing to do with the kind of DEI Trumpists oppose.
popular.info/p/in-botched-dei-…

For example, they're taking down pages that refer to "diversity of state-specific…regulatory requirements" and "diverse conditions under which EMS responders could work."

PS: It's no accident that this might remind you of the brainless firing of US nuclear security staffers, which Trumpists are still trying to reverse. Autopilot ransacking.
nytimes.com/2025/02/16/us/poli…

#BrainlessKeywordSearching #Censorship #DefendResearch #Takedowns #Trump #USPol #USPolitics

in reply to petersuber

Update. US space scientists have written an open letter to #NASA and #Congress.
sites.google.com/view/space-sc…

"Almost all of our work as space scientists is funded by U.S. taxpayers, and we have a responsibility to oppose actions that limit the reach of our work to the public… Following NASA’s request, all AG [Analysis/Assessment Group] websites and the important, labor-intensive study reports, science goals documents, and other resources hosted on those websites are indefinitely unavailable to the communities who did this work and to the general public…We ask that all those in decision-making positions unequivocally condemn and act to reverse recent attacks on scientific integrity, federal grant funding for scientific research, and initiatives that broaden public participation in science."

PS: Also see the list of similar letters growing the left sidebar.

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

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Update. From @alicejmeadows: "Declaration To #DefendResearch Against US Government Censorship"
scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org/20…

"Much of the resistance to the Trump administration’s efforts to censor research and researchers is happening at the grassroots level, including this Declaration To Defend Research Against US Government Censorship, instigated by Lisa Schiff, together with Catherine Mitchell, Sara Rouhi, Peter Suber, and myself [Alice Meadows]. Like many of those who are protesting against these growing threats to research, we are acting in a personal capacity, rather than on behalf of our organizations. As members of the scholarly communication community, we believe that researchers must be freely able to conduct, collaborate on, share, review, and discuss their research…I very much hope that you’ll join the 1,000 plus who have already signed."

#Censorship #Takedowns #Trump #USPol #USPolitics

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Update. From @mayank_mchugh and @JACoates at @force11: "Science is Under Siege: The Open Science Community Must Act and Lead by Example"
upstream.force11.org/open-scie…

"The new US administration has thrown the entire academy into chaos, threatening global health. This article is a call for the #OpenScience community to practice what it preaches and lead by example in defending science…The only viable line of defence against such rapid and intense attacks is transparency and a heightened rigour. And it is here that the open science community has a unique and essential role in this very moment."

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

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Update. "Defend Scientific Freedom and Integrity Against Political Suppression."
change.org/p/defend-scientific…

I just signed this petition and hope you will too.

"We call on governments, funding bodies, academic institutions, and international organizations to:
1. Protect Scientific Freedom: Ensure that research funding decisions are made based on scientific merit, not political ideology.
2. Stop Censorship in Public Health and Environmental Science: Allow government scientists to communicate freely with the public and publish research without political interference.
3. Preserve Open Access to Data: Governments must not delete, withhold, or manipulate scientific data that serves the public good...."

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

in reply to petersuber

Update. Special thanks to the Association of University Presses (#AUPresses, @aupresses). It not only signed the Feb 13 Declaration to #DefendResearch, it posted an announcement to spread the word.
aupresses.org/news/aupresses-s…

#Censorship #Takedowns #Trump #USPol #USPolitics

in reply to petersuber

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

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Update. "Journalism organizations call for restoration of public data."
nasw.org/article/journalism-or…

"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

in reply to petersuber

Update. "Outcry as Trump withdraws support for research that mentions ‘climate’ "
theguardian.com/environment/20…

"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

in reply to petersuber

Update. "PLOS [@PLOS] statement on recent US Executive Orders and scientific integrity"
theplosblog.plos.org/2025/02/p…

"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

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Update. From @neuralreckoning: "Science must step away from nationally managed infrastructure"
thetransmitter.org/policy/scie…

"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

in reply to petersuber

Update. From @karenhao: "The foundations of America’s prosperity are being dismantled"
technologyreview.com/2025/02/2…

"[Scientists] warn that dismantling the behind-the-scenes scientific research programs that backstop American life could lead to long-lasting, perhaps irreparable damage to everything from the quality of health care to the public’s access to next-generation consumer technologies. The US took nearly a century to craft its rich scientific ecosystem; if the unraveling that has taken place over the past month continues, Americans will feel the effects for decades to come."

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

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

"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

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Update. "Reflections on the Current Moment from SSP’s Board of Directors"
sspnet.org/community/news/stat…

"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

in reply to petersuber

Update. "Will medical publishers fight Trump’s war on 'woke'?"
thebookseller.com/comment/will…

"Although many medical journal #editors have made their position known, medical #publishers are, for now, conspicuously silent…The collective resolve of the medical publishing industry is being put to the test. This is an opportunity for the industry to affirm its commitment to safeguard the scholarly record from ideological distortion. #Censorship in health research affects us all. We share a responsibility to stand firm and decry Trump’s war on "gender ideology" as a full-scale assault on the scientific method."

#DefendResearch #Journals #Medicine #Takedowns #Trump #USPol #USPolitics

in reply to petersuber

Update. Statement from #TheLancet in response to recent US executive orders
thelancet.com/editorial-polici…

"The Lancet Group will be making no changes to our editorial policies regarding withdrawal, authorship change, inclusive language, or retraction. Ahead of publication, the withdrawal of submitted papers and authorship changes will only generally be considered if the written agreement of all authors is received. The Lancet Group will continue to recommend the use of inclusive language, accepting authors’ ultimate choice of terminology when it is scientifically accurate and respectful, and will continue to encourage authors to follow the Sex and Gender Equity in Research (SAGER) reporting guidelines. Published papers will only be corrected or retracted when they contain factual errors or if scientific misconduct has taken place. These policies are in line with recently issued guidance from the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors [#ICMJE]."

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

in reply to petersuber

Update. "Farmers Sue Over Deletion of Climate Data From Government Websites"
nytimes.com/2025/02/24/climate…

"Organic farmers and environmental groups sued the Agriculture Department on Monday over its scrubbing of references to #climate change from its website…That included websites containing data sets, interactive tools and funding information that farmers and researchers relied on for planning and adaptation projects, according to the lawsuit…Peter Lehner, a lawyer for #Earthjustice, said the pages being purged were crucial for farmers facing risks linked to climate change, including heat waves, droughts, floods, extreme weather and wildfires."

#Agriculture #Censorship #DefendResearch #Litigation #Takedowns #Trump #USPol #USPolitics

in reply to petersuber

Update. "On March 7, 2025, we [Stand Up For Science] rally [in Washington DC] to defend science as a public good…We call on policymakers, institutions, and the scientific community to uphold the integrity of science, protect its accessibility, and ensure its benefits serve all people. To achieve this, we seek the following policy actions.
1. Secure and Expand Scientific Funding…
2. End Censorship and Political Interference in Science…
3. Defend Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in Science."
standupforscience2025.org/our-…

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

This entry was edited (3 weeks ago)
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Update. "The National Archives is nonpartisan but has found itself targeted by Trump."
apnews.com/article/trump-natio…

"The president didn’t give a public reason for firing archivist Colleen Shogan, but he has long held a grudge against the agency for notifying the Justice Department of his alleged mishandling of classified documents after he left office following his first term…A Trump-aligned archivist might also be less inclined to enforce the Presidential Records Act or ask questions if Trump leaves office with troves of classified documents, said Norm Eisen, executive chair of the State Democracy Defenders Fund."

#Censorship #DefendResearch #NARA #Takedowns #Trump #USPol #USPolitics

in reply to petersuber

Update. "Will They Come for PubMed Next?"
medpagetoday.com/opinion/secon…

"PubMed is the backbone of biomedical research in the U.S. That's not an exaggeration…However, there are reasons to be extremely concerned about its continued existence…There are [at least five] ways the administration could interfere with PubMed."

PS: Although the author mixes up #PubMed and #PubMedCentral, her concerns apply to both.

#Censorship #DefendResearch #Medicine #Takedowns #Trump #USPol #USPolitics

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Update. "The Rise (and Fall?) of the National Science Foundation"
chronicle.com/article/the-rise…
(#paywalled)

"The #Trump administration’s assault on the #NSF represents precisely the kind of political interference [#VannevarBush] sought to prevent — one that threatens not only scientific progress but also the very foundation of academic freedom."

#Censorship #DefendResearch #Takedowns #USPol #USPolitics

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Update. "Déclaration visant à défendre la recherche contre la censure du gouvernement américain"
redactionmedicale.fr/2025/02/d…

Thanks to Herve Maisonneuve for his French translation of the key recommendations of the Feb 13 Declaration To Defend Research Against U.S. Government Censorship. He adds this good conclusion: "We are free to consider that these initiatives are useless… but [signing them] allows us to support colleagues who cannot express themselves in public."

#DefendResearch #Trump #USPol #USPolitics

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Update. Thanks to @georgetown for making this public statement.
president.georgetown.edu/messa…

"I know that the rapidly evolving external environment is unsettling to many in the community. Some of us have received directives to stop our research activities; some of our students have had job offerings rescinded; some have read repeated external communications that question the value of their work…We promote scholarship freely based on inquiring minds…We do not conduct these activities alongside our mission; they are the essence of our mission…Be assured that we are actively tracking all developments as they occur, assessing whether they affect our mission’s work, quickly partnering with those community members affected, and supporting them as they navigate change."

#Censorship #DefendResearch #Trump #Universities #USPol #USPolitics

in reply to petersuber

Update. A new editorial in Nature: "Trump 2.0: an assault on science anywhere is an assault on science everywhere."
nature.com/articles/d41586-025…

"How, then, should those of us who are part of the global enterprise of education, health, science and engineering respond? One priority must be to denounce these actions, to shout about their negative effects, to support researchers and to defend their ability to work and study without fear for their jobs. Understandably, those working at — or even leading — federal agencies might feel that they cannot speak up, but researchers at other organizations, such as universities, scientific societies, businesses, labour unions and campaign groups have more freedom, and must exercise it by showing support for affected colleagues."

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

in reply to petersuber

Update. Reminder from #Trump's first term (2017): Trump’s budget director pick: “Do we really need government-funded research at all”
vox.com/science-and-health/201…

"President Donald #Trump recently picked Rep. Mick #Mulvaney…to head the White House’s Office of Management and Budget [#OMB]…In a stunning September 9 Facebook post (that’s since been deleted but is still cached), Mulvaney asked, '... what might be the best question: do we really need government funded research at all.'"

#DefendResearch #Funding #USPol #USPolitics

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Update. "CDC Staff Prohibited From Co-Authoring Papers With World Health Organization Personnel"
huffpost.com/entry/cdc-who-pub…

"Scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [#CDC] have been prohibited from co-authoring publications with World Health Organization [#WHO] staff, dealing a blow to global research efforts and continuing the #Trump administration’s aggressive attack on government-funded science."

#Censorship #DefendResearch #Medicine #Trump #USPol #USPolitics

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Update. The #NIH web site is down.
nih.gov/

It's been up and down, but mostly down, since before noon yesterday.
downdetector.com/status/nih/

I don't know what's going on but will post updates as I find them.

#DefendResearch #Medicine #Takedowns #Trump #USPol #USPolitics

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Update. "RFK Jr. issues rule barring public comment on #HHS rulemaking"
thehill.com/policy/healthcare/…

"Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Friday released a policy prohibiting public comments during his department’s rulemaking process, ending more than 50 years of the public’s involvement in crafting his department’s rules…After assuming office, Kennedy had vowed to usher in “radical transparency” at the HHS…Lawrence O. Gostin, faculty director of O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at the Georgetown University Law Center…speculated that Kennedy was rescinding public comments in order to quickly “ram through” radical changes to health care, public health and scientific research in the U.S."

#DefendResearch #Medicine #Takedowns #Trump #USPol #USPolitics

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Update. The #NIH site is back up.
nih.gov/

The reports of it being down have plummeted to near zero.
downdetector.com/status/nih/

But I'm still looking for a good explanation of what happened.

#Medicine #Takedowns #Trump #USPol #USPolitics

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Update. Therese Choquette ran searches on #PubMed and may have found gaps corresponding to terms banned by the #Trump admin.
linkedin.com/posts/therese-cho…

PS: Unfortunately she compared US PubMed with Europe PubMed Central, which is apples to oranges. (PubMed is metadata-only and PMC is full text.) Can we crowdsource some systematic searches comparing (1) PubMed now with PubMed before Trump, e.g. in the Wayback Machine, and (2) US PMC with Europe PMC?

#DefendResearch #Trump #USPol #USPolitics

in reply to petersuber

Update. "48 Scientific Societies Representing Almost 100,000 Scientists Ask Congress to Protect the Future of Science"
ucsusa.org/about/news/scientis…

"[48] scientific societies…representing almost 100,000 scientists from diverse disciplines, have sent a letter, organized by the #UCS, to members of Congress demanding that they protect federally funded scientific research and federal scientists. The letter is open so the number of signers may continue to grow."

#DefendResearch #Trump #USPol #USPolitics

in reply to petersuber

Update. Here's the open letter mentioned in the previous post (this thread).
ucs-documents.s3.us-east-1.ama…

"We, the undersigned professional scientific societies, associations, and organizations, are writing to ask you to take immediate action to protect and restore life-saving and essential scientific research that…[is] funded by American taxpayers and authorized by Congress and cannot be unilaterally halted by the executive branch."

#DefendResearch #Trump #USPol #USPolitics

in reply to petersuber

Update. It's just a coincidence that the newer open letter to Congress in the previous post, this thread (nd but approx March 3) …
ucs-documents.s3.us-east-1.ama…

… and this older letter (nd but approx Feb 17) …
unitedsciencealliance.org/

… were both initially signed by 48 scientific societies. They're different letters, organized by different groups, and signed by (mostly) different societies.

#DefendResearch #Trump #USPol #USPolitics

This entry was edited (2 weeks ago)
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Update. The American Physical Society (#APS, @apsphysics) is running a survey on the impact of cuts to US science #funding. Please take it if you're affected or likely to be affected.
apsphysics.fillout.com/t/6ESUv…

"This survey collects stories showcasing the transformative positive impact of #NSF, #NIST, #DOE, #NASA, and #DOD-funded research and programs as well as what would be lost if support for basic research evaporates. You can document your experiences and share how recent executive actions have impacted you. Individual stories will be only be used publicly with permission or when fully anonymized."

#DefendResearch #Trump #USPol #USPolitics

in reply to petersuber

Update. "US science is under threat ― now scientists are fighting back"
nature.com/articles/d41586-025…

"The courts temporarily halted some of the Trump administration’s orders, but a coherent message has broken through: federal support for science is in danger. Gradually, scientists began to stir, Varga says: “They’re realizing now that doing any one thing is better than doing nothing.” That activism is taking many forms...."

#Censorship #DefendResearch #Funding #Takedowns #Trump #USPol #USPolitics

in reply to petersuber

Update. "‘Omg, did #PubMed go dark?’ Blackout stokes fears about database’s future"
nature.com/articles/d41586-025…

"The NIH told Nature in an e-mail that, on 1 March 'some of NIH public-web services experienced service disruptions' but all services were restored on 2 March. 'NIH is committed to resilient and open access to PubMed and other NIH web services,' the team wrote. But [Krutika Kuppalli, an infectious-diseases physician] says any disruption — even if temporary — raises concerns about how researchers access essential scientific information. 'It also serves as a reminder of the need for contingency plans, such as alternative #repositories or offline access to critical research, to ensure that health-care providers and researchers are not left without crucial information when they need it most,' she says."

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

in reply to petersuber

Update. "EDGI Relaunches Federal Environmental Web Tracker"
envirodatagov.org/press-releas…

"In response to the #Trump administration’s rapid dismantling of federal websites, the Environmental Data & Governance Initiative (#EDGI) has relaunched its Federal Environmental Web Tracker…The… Tracker makes records of significant changes to federal environmental websites publicly available in a searchable database…Since the first Trump administration, EDGI has monitored thousands of federal environmental webpages. Partners at the #InternetArchive download these webpages every day, and EDGI’s #OpenSource software compares versions of these webpages to identify differences."

#Censorship #Climate #DefendResearch #Environment #Monitoring #Preservation #Takedowns #USPol #USPolitics

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This entry was edited (2 weeks ago)
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Update. Kudos to Aix Marseille University (@univamu_europe), for funding "American Scientists Who Fear #Trump #Censorship"
404media.co/french-university-…

"A leading French university is inviting American scientists who fear their research on subjects like #climate might be censored by Donald Trump’s administration to do their work in France. The program is called ‘safe place for science,’ and will provide 15 million Euros in funding for some 15 researchers over a 3-year period…It targets, but is not limited to, climate and environment, health, and human and social sciences."

#Censorship #DefendResearch #Medicine #USPol #USPolitics

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This entry was edited (1 week ago)
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Update. "‘Scientists will not be silenced’: thousands protest Trump research cuts"
nature.com/articles/d41586-025…

"Thousands of researchers and supporters of science protested in cities across the US and Europe today against actions taken by the administration of US President Donald #Trump to cut the US scientific workforce and slash spending on research worldwide…Marie Walde, a biophysicist at the Roscoff Biological Station in France, posted about a rally she attended…saying: “In solidarity with our colleagues in the US, researchers and citizens all over France are protesting today for science and knowledge as a public good.” … Since taking office in January, Trump and his team have laid off, and in some cases then tried to rehire, thousands from US science agencies, whose jobs touched on nuclear safety, bird flu surveillance, extreme-weather forecasting and more."

#Censorship #DefendResearch #Funding #Trump #USPol #USPolitics

in reply to petersuber

This entry was edited (1 week ago)
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Update. Selected additional coverage of the March 7 Stand Up For Science rally in Washington and across the country:

Scientists Are Rising Up to Resist Trump Policies, Inside Climate News, March 6
insideclimatenews.org/news/060…

‘Enough is enough’: Scientists from UCLA, USC protest Trump’s policy changes, LA Times, March 7
latimes.com/environment/story/…

Thousands gather across U.S. and world in Stand Up for Science events, Science, March 7
science.org/content/article/th…

Out of the lab and into the streets, researchers and doctors rally for science against Trump cuts, AP, March 7
apnews.com/article/science-doc…

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

This entry was edited (1 week ago)
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Update. "USDA’s Purge of #Climate #Data is Illegal and Reckless, Doing Immediate Harm to Farmers, Lawsuit Alleges"
insideclimatenews.org/news/050…

"The #Trump administration has deleted thousands of climate-related web pages from the U.S. Department of #Agriculture’s (#USDA) website, stripping #farmers of critical resources as droughts, floods and shifting growing conditions intensify. Now, a coalition of environmental and farming groups is suing to get that information back, arguing that the purge is not just reckless but illegal."

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

This entry was edited (1 week ago)
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Update. "These Words Are Disappearing in the New Trump Administration"
nytimes.com/interactive/2025/0…

"The above terms appeared in government memos, in official and unofficial agency guidance and in other documents viewed by The New York Times. Some [agencies] ordered the removal of these words from public-facing websites, or ordered the elimination of other materials (including school curricula) in which they might be included…The presence of some terms was used to automatically flag for review some grant proposals and contracts that could conflict with Mr. #Trump’s executive orders. The list is most likely incomplete. More agency memos may exist than those seen by New York Times reporters, and some directives are vague or suggest what language might be impermissible without flatly stating it."

#Censorship #DefendResearch #Takedowns #USPol #USPolitics

in reply to petersuber

Update. From @chrischirp: "Censor, purge, defund: how Trump is following the authoritarian playbook on science and universities"
christinapagel.substack.com/p/…

"Making a list of the actions taken since January 2025 reveals distinct patterns. Just as the administration’s actions as a whole are following an authoritarian playbook, so are the specific ways they are attacking science. I’ve displayed 35 distinct actions in the Venn Diagram below (table of actions with links), grouped into three main categories:
[1] Control of science to align with state ideology; [2] Undermining the independence of universities / suppressing dissent; [3] Maintaining geopolitical / economic goals."

#Censorship #DefendResearch #Takedowns #Trump #Universities #USPol #USPolitics

in reply to petersuber

Update. #ActionLab is a #crowdsourced collection of practical actions "for the various issues scientists are facing in the wake of destructive anti-science policies. Filter our database by action type, by location, by deadline, or by the amount of time you have to spend today. Find a way to act that is right for you."
airtable.com/apppMymixtqx3yqxa…

Here's the gallery view of the 27 actions posted to date.
airtable.com/apppMymixtqx3yqxa…

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

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Update. "#Trump’s next #climate move: Show global warming benefits humanity"
eenews.net/articles/trumps-nex…

"President Donald Trump has long rejected climate science. Now, his administration is grappling with how to assemble a body of federal climate research to show a warming world is benefiting humanity…Proposals include…conducting a hostile review of U.S. and international climate reports, and recruiting a White House-approved list of researchers to produce a National Climate Assessment based on partisan research and industry studies."

#Censorship #DefendResearch #Disinformation #Takedowns #Trump #USPol #USPolitics

in reply to petersuber

This entry was edited (1 week ago)