CODE OF CONDUCT
Our Pledge to You
The main goal of the RoSE Network is to provide everyone a space to share their opinions and ideas on topics within statistics education. We pledge to make this a community that is free from the risk of harassment, bullying, victimisation, and exclusion based on personal characteristics, protected characteristics, or otherwise.
In addition to the guidelines listed below, we as network leaders endeavour to uphold the Network’s values:
Equality, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility
Welcoming all members equally, and allowing everyone the same opportunities to discuss topics and present research, regardless of personal or protected characteristics, identities, and backgrounds.
We believe that everyone should be able to participate in RoSE activities and we will actively and consciously strive to ensure that happens. We don’t just want to leave the door open. We want to find you wherever you are and walk through the door together. We welcome feedback on how we can best do that for you.
Openness and Transparency
We advocate for the openness and transparency of all RoSE operations. We strive to adhere to open science practices wherever appropriate and practical. When relevant to the Network membership, we will also be open about leadership discussions and decisions, including any formal investigations that have taken place.
Kindness
We will treat our members with compassion and respect and expect our members to do the same. We will investigate any reports of unacceptable behaviour submitted by Network members.
Integrity
The integrity of the Network will be upheld by adhering to our core values, through our words and actions at virtual and physical network events and online spaces, and by listening and actioning the comments and suggestions of Network members.
Community Guidelines
The RoSE Community Spirit
As a community, we expect RoSE Network members to maintain a high standard of personal and professional conduct during both online and in-person events. In order to maintain these high standards, we recommend that network members adhere to the following behaviours:
Be welcoming to all network members - we are an inclusive community and welcome anyone who wishes to join us, regardless of experience, training, or language proficiency. For new members, please feel free to say hello and introduce yourselves in whatever manner you feel most comfortable, and in whatever language you are most comfortable speaking in. For existing members, please welcome our new members and learn more about the diverse nature of our network.
Understand and accept that opinions may differ across network members - as a network, two of our core values are democracy and diversity. Everyone has the right to express an opinion on a topic, and with a diverse network will also come diverse opinions. If someone has a different opinion to you, try to understand why that might be. You may feel frustrated or confused, but use the experience as an opportunity to understand a different viewpoint and think about a topic more critically; do not use differences in opinion as justification for micro-aggressions.
Treat other network members in a fair and equal manner - kindness is one of the core values of the RoSE Network, and when communicating with others we ask that you treat others the way you wish to be treated. Whilst we all differ in our experiences, we all deserve the same levels of kindness and respect from other network members.
Be patient and considerate of others - at times, there may be barriers to understanding talks and presentations. For example, technical issues may cause issues in online presentations. Additionally, as an international network, another network member may not necessarily communicate in your primary language. We ask that you are patient and empathic, and treat other network members how you would like to be treated in that situation.
Use the preferred pronouns of other network members - we want all RoSE members to feel a sense of belonging and validation in our network. Take the time to learn how members wish to be referred to, including their preferred pronouns, and use them appropriately. If you're not sure how to refer to someone, simply refer to them by their name.
Be careful in the use of language when speaking - we strive to be inclusive to all of the community, and this also applies to the language we use when speaking to others. Not only do we encourage the use of preferred pronouns, we also encourage network members to use person-first language, and to avoid using terms that stereotype people based on age, ability, sexual orientation, or race. A list of suggested alternatives can be found in the APA Inclusive Language Guidelines.
Maintain a high standard of ethical integrity in research dissemination - we are advocates of open and transparent research practices, and this is inclusive of the dissemination of ethical information. As part of this, please ensure that scholarship disseminated during talks and conference presentations adheres to local or national ethical and legal obligations, and accurately acknowledges the contributions of all those involved in the work conducted.
The above guidelines are applicable in all spaces used by the RoSE Network, both virtual and physical. These guidelines are also relevant for those members who are representing the Network. This can include using an email address affiliated with RoSE, distributing content via official social media accounts, and acting as a representative or promoting the network at online or offline events.
Unacceptable Behaviours
The RoSE community expects its members to adhere to the above guidelines at all times. In summary, we expect all members to treat each other with fairness, kindness, and respect. Behaviours that the network deems to be unacceptable include, but are not limited to:
Racism
Sexism
Threats of verbal or physical aggression or violence to others
Doxxing- threats to release personal and private information about others in the network without their consent
Derogatory name-calling
Jokes or pranks with the intention of mentally or physically harming others
Unwanted sexual conduct
Bullying, either as a one-off event or as part of a continuous nature
Harassment
Victimisation
Comments that attack others based on appearance
The use of language that aims to discriminate against others based on protected or personal characteristics
Comments that enable a culture permitting offensive or stereotypical views
The deliberate exclusion or isolation of specific individuals from RoSE Network events
Less favourable treatment of specific individuals in the RoSE Network
Persistent interruption of others during RoSE Network events
Behaviour that creates an intimidating, humiliating, or uncomfortable environment for other network members
Displaying or distributing threatening, intimidating, or offensive electronic material
Repeated harassment of others after being asked to stop
The endorsement of any of the above behaviours through condoning these actions or enticing others to perform them
Any evidence or reports of these behaviours will be subject to a full investigation (outlined below) by the leadership team. Please note, a behaviour does not have to be explicitly included on this list in order for another member to raise a concern with the committee, nor for the committee to take action on such matters. For a list of exemplar personal and protected characteristics included within these unacceptable behaviours, please see the network’s ‘Diversity Statement’ below.
Diversity Statement
The RoSE Network strives to provide an environment that is inclusive of all of its members. We accept ideas and contributions from all network members, and strive to make the network as inclusive and accessible as possible. We embrace the diversity of all our network members; this is across several characteristics, such as, but not limited to:
Age
Disability (a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial impact on an individual’s ability to take part in day-to-day activities)
Gender identification
Sex
Sexual orientation
Race
Religious beliefs
Place of origin
Cultural beliefs
Pregnancy or maternity status
Marriage and civil partnership status
Political beliefs
Socioeconomic status
Job level
Level of experience in statistics research and education
Guidance for Reporting Misconduct
How to Report Misconduct
If you feel that you have been subjected to unacceptable behaviour from another member of the RoSE community, please use the following form to report this: RoSE Code of Conduct Report Form
Please provide as much detail as you are able to in order for us to investigate your claim. If you feel comfortable doing so, you should try to report the following: Names of any individuals involved; names of any witnesses; your account of what has occurred; the impact it has had on you; whether you believe the incident is a one-off or whether it is ongoing; if possible, any evidence (such as, but limited to, screenshots or online links); an email address for a member of the RoSE leadership team to contact you with; and any additional information that you feel would be helpful to an investigation.
The report form contains an option for you to provide an email address so we can follow-up the report with you. However, please note that this is not compulsory, and you may submit a report anonymously using this form if you wish.
How we Respond to Misconduct Reports
All reports will be passed on to the RoSE leadership team, who will conduct an investigation and decide on an appropriate outcome. A member of the RoSE leadership team may wish to contact you during the investigation to ask for further clarification, to review the report with you, and to let you know the outcome of an investigation.
If a member of the RoSE leadership team has any conflict of interest with the case, then they will recuse themselves from the investigation. Conflicts of interest may include, but are not limited to being the victim, perpetrator, or witness in an ongoing case, or having a personal relationship with the victim, the perpetrator, or any witnesses.
During the investigation, we will respect privacy and security, and keep all information confidential. However, in exceptional circumstances where confidentiality may result in a threat to the individual’s or the committee’s safety, we reserve the right to use any relevant information to fully discharge our duty of care.
We aim to complete all investigations and inform relevant parties of the outcome promptly. Written copies of reports and investigations will then be archived for future reference by the leadership team.
Outcomes from a Report of Misconduct
The leadership team are responsible for investigations of misconduct, and will take appropriate and proportionate action to any reports of actions they judge to be unacceptable, intimidating, offensive, or threatening to others. Consequences of misconduct within the RoSE Network may include:
An informal discussion between leadership team members and the perpetrator
A formal written warning to the perpetrator from the leadership team
The removal of responsibilities or privileges associated with the perpetrator’s RoSE membership
A temporary ban from virtual and physical RoSE community spaces. The length of this ban will be decided at the discretion of the leadership team
Expulsion from the RoSE Network and its associated community spaces
Banning from future RoSE Network events, both virtual and physical
Where evidence of misconduct may take place during events such as talks or presentations, the leadership team reserve the right to take actions such as ending a talk early, editing or refusing to publish the talk, and banning the perpetrator from giving future talks as part of the RoSE Network.
If the perpetrator in any particular incident cannot be identified, the leadership team will state publicly to the RoSE Network what would have been done if it were possible. Additionally, if the leadership team feel that the outcome of an investigation may be relevant to the Network as a whole, we will state publicly the results of that investigation. In both instances, all identifying information of individuals involved would be anonymised.
In some cases, the leadership team may decide to not take action on a misconduct report. If this is the case, all parties involved will be made aware of this decision along with a clear justification for the decision.
Attributions and Acknowledgements
This code of conduct was developed and adapted using the following sources:
Aurora, V., & Gardiner, M. (2019). How to Respond to Code of Conduct Reports. Frame Shift Consulting LLC.
Framework for Open and Reproducible Research Training (2022). Code of Conduct. Available at: https://forrt.org/coc/
University of Nottingham (2014). Dignity at Nottingham: Staff and student policy on harassment, bullying, and victimisation. Nottingham, UK.
Code of Conduct authored by Megan Barnard
Last updated: 27-Oct-2022