"Peer Review Boycott: Say No to Political Censorship

Peer Review Boycott: Say No to Political Censorship

 Savage Minds: Notes and Queries in Anthropology — A Group Blog by Carole McGranahan 

By: Charlene Makley and Carole McGranahan

Would you peer review manuscripts for a journal or press that politically censors its content? If your answer is no, then please join us in making your statement public by signing this petition.

Why the need for what seems like such an obvious defense of academic freedom? Several weeks ago, the People’s Republic of China pressured Cambridge University Press to restrict access in China to articles and book reviews in two major journals: China Quarterly and Journal of Asian Studies (the flagship journal of the US-based Association of Asian Studies). The Press agreed to censor content in China Quarterly, but then changed this decision after international scholarly protest.

"Cambridge University Publisher Removes 300 Academic Articles for the China Market

Cambridge University Publisher Removes 300 Academic Articles for the China Market

Global Voices Online by Oiwan Lam  

Cambridge University Press. Image from Cambridge University

[Update August 22, 2017: CUP has reversed its decision and unblocked the banned articles in China.]

"Cambridge Press Changes Course on Chinese Censorship Request

Cambridge Press Changes Course on Chinese Censorship Request

Facing intense criticism for caving to Chinese censors, Cambridge University Press restores access to more than 300 journal articles it had blocked in China -- but the problem for international scholarly publishers isn’t going away. Chinese authorities are also trying to block articles from another journal....