Author name change policy
RAC adopts a policy for author name changes, whether for first name, last name, or both. In Brazil, name changes are provided for in Law n. 14.382 of 2022 and are guided by COPE - the Committee on Publication Ethics, an international organization supporting the scientific community.
It is understood that "an author should have the right to be responsible for their name and, if they wish, change it. [...] It is not unethical to request a name change, but the editor must be certain that the author requesting the change is in fact the author of the article" (COPE, 2021a).
Tanenbaum (2020) points out that "An author's name is not a scholarly contribution. The author's name is an essential part of a scientific work, but it is not the science itself that is reported in the body of a published work. The name published with a work tells us who is speaking, but not what is said."
"Due to the citation-driven nature of academic publishing, a one-time, swift, silent, and comprehensive effort to correct a trans author's name is insufficient to prevent inadvertent disclosure and the risks and threats associated with it. Once a name change is implemented, publishers should be prepared for some degree of ongoing recordkeeping to remove recurrences of the previous name" (COPE, 2021b).
Therefore, RAC is committed to maximizing efforts to replace the old name in all of the journal's metadata and publications, as well as in databases, as it seeks to promote the DEIA (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) policy, which works with authors to adjust authorship across a variety of channels linked to the original publication.
RAC offers two ways for authors to request a change of authorship:
a) Name change for transgender individuals: This must be done by completing and submitting the forms, and requesting the replacement of the old name with the new one, by sending it to the following email address: editoriarac@epagri.sc.gov.br. This process remains anonymous, guaranteeing the right to change one's name without barriers or public exposure.
b) Name Change: Individuals who have married, separated, or for some reason changed their names and wish to make the necessary adjustments with the publisher must complete the forms and formally request the replacement of their old name with the new one, without any barriers. They must send it to the following email address: editoriarac@epagri.sc.gov.br.
The requirement to complete the declaration, in both cases, is to ensure that the author is fully aware that a great effort will be made to carry out the name change and to ensure that the person requesting the change is indeed the author of the document.
Política redigida com base em:
ACM. Publications Policy on Author Name Changes. Association for Computing Machinery, nov., 2019. Disponível em: https://www.acm.org/publications/policies/author-name-changes Acesso em: 20 ago. 2025.
BRASIL. Lei 14.382 de 2022. Dispõe sobre o Sistema Eletrônico dos Registros Públicos (Serp); altera as Leis nºs 4.591, de 16 de dezembro de 1964, 6.015, de 31 de dezembro de 1973 (Lei de Registros Públicos), 6.766, de 19 de dezembro de 1979, 8.935, de 18 de novembro de 1994, 10.406, de 10 de janeiro de 2002 (Código Civil), 11.977, de 7 de julho de 2009, 13.097, de 19 de janeiro de 2015, e 13.465, de 11 de julho de 2017; e revoga a Lei nº 9.042, de 9 de maio de 1995, e dispositivos das Leis nºs 4.864, de 29 de novembro de 1965, 8.212, de 24 de julho de 1991, 12.441, de 11 de julho de 2011, 12.810, de 15 de maio de 2013, e 14.195, de 26 de agosto de 2021. Diário Oficial da União, Brasília, 28 jun. 2022. Disponível em: https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/_ato2019-2022/2022/lei/l14382.htm Acesso em: 20 ago. 2025.
COPE. Update on COPE guidance regarding author name changes. jan. 2021a. Disponível em: https://publicationethics.org/news-opinion/update-cope-guidance-regarding-author-name-changes Acesso em: 20 ago. 2025.
COPE. A vision for a more trans-inclusive publishing world: guest article. 2021b. Disponível em: https://publicationethics.org/news-opinion/vision-more-trans-inclusive-publishing-world-guest-article Acesso em: 20 ago. 2025.
COPE. Diversity, equity, and inclusion. maio 2021c. Disponível em: https://publicationethics.org/guidance/seminar-and-webinar/diversity-equity-and-inclusion Acesso em: 20 ago. 2025.
TANENBAUM, T.J. Towards A Trans Inclusive Publishing Landscape. Medium, [S.l.], set. 2020. Disponível em:https://medium.com/the-name-change-policy-working-group/towards-a-trans-inclusive-publishing-landscape-893339b9868d
TANENBAUM, T.J. Publishers: let transgender scholars correct their names. Nature, [S.l.], v.583, n.7817, p. 493-493, jul., 2020. DOI: 10.1038/d41586-020-02145-3
