Ask Athena: What To Do When a Board Member Stands Accused

Abstract

Ask Athena is Science Editor’s advice column for your most challenging publishing and editing questions. Submit your questions to scienceeditor@councilscienceeditors.org Dear Athena, Our journal has a large editorial board, and one of our members has just been charged with a crime. A trial will be forthcoming, but there has not yet been a decision of guilt. The crime does not involve research misconduct, but is loosely related to our profession. What should the journal do now? —Accused Dear Accused, How unfortunate. Because you don’t have a lot of information, and nothing has been decided in a court of law, it is best at this point to remain cautious and remember that this person is innocent until proven guilty. You should not do anything that would punish the board member before you have more information. If your journal is published by a society, you should consult with the legal team, either in-house or external. They can advise you as to how to proceed. The society may have a policy for such situations, and there may be ramifications to this person’s volunteer activities if they go beyond peer review. For example, the person may not be allowed to serve on committees until the outcome of the trial is determined, or their name may need to be removed from the Editorial Board listing. If you are with a large publisher, they will likely have legal counsel that can provide input. Your next steps as a journal depend somewhat on your level of […]