I am writing to make you aware of a new policy on post-publication name changes that went into effect this month, a change that was requested by the division:
APA is pleased to announce a policy on changing authors’ names in the digital record on request. Respecting authors’ autonomy and recognizing that authors’ names may change after articles have been published, APA Publishing will update author names without publishing an accompanying correction notice. Changes will be made to the digital record for APA-published ebooks or journal articles that have already appeared in print.
This policy was suggested by APA Division 44 (Society for the Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity) and formally recommended by the Publications and Communications Board in May 2020. The P&C Board recognizes that transgender and nonbinary authors are often subjected to gatekeeping discrimination when updating their records and has extended the option to all requesting authors, regardless of their reason for the change.
Authors who change their name and wish to update their published articles or ebooks may request corrections via email. For articles published before this policy was posted in August 2020, coauthors will be notified of the change so that they can update their publication records. APA Journals is committed to equity in its practices and systems and follows the APA Style exhortation to “respect the language people use to describe themselves; that is, call people what they call themselves” (APA Publication Manual, 7th ed., p. 133).
Thank you, and congratulations!