Responsible Conduct Regarding Scientific Communication
Guidelines: Responsible Conduct Regarding Scientific Communication
Scientific societies exist for many purposes, one of which is to establish guidelines for responsible conduct within the field that they represent. Over the years, the Society for Neuroscience has established many such guidelines, including a general policy on research ethics, as well as specific policies on sharing research materials, publishing DNA sequences, and the use of humans and other animals as subjects in neuroscience research.
Beginning in 1995, an ad hoc committee of the Society began to prepare guidelines focusing on scientific communication. This includes writing, reviewing, and editing peer-reviewed manuscripts; submission of abstracts to scientific meetings; and presentations to the lay public. The committee and its consultants has included a broad range of researchers in academia and private industry, officers and councilors of the Society, and individuals with special expertise in publishing and in law.
The final revision of these guidelines, entitled Responsible Conduct Regarding Scientific Communication ("Guidelines"), appears here as approved by the Council of the Society for Neuroscience on November 7, 1998.
Invitation for comment: The Society for Neuroscience notes that we are in a period of considerable change with respect to publication, due in part to the increasing role of electronic means of transmitting information. For this reason, and because no document such as this can ever be complete, the Society invites comments from both members and nonmembers at any time. These can be addressed to Guidelines on Publishing, Society for Neuroscience, 1121 14th Street NW, Suite 1010, Washington, DC, 20005, or khawker@sfn.org.
Responsible Conduct Regarding Scientific Communication
Society for Neuroscience
First Edition
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface
Acknowledgements
Summary of Points
Guidelines
1. Authors of Research Manuscripts
2. Reviewers of Manuscripts
3. Editors of Scientific Journals
4. Abstracts for Presentations at Scientific Meetings
5. Communications Outside the Scientific Literature
6. Dealing with Possible Scientific Misconduct
Download the Guidelines in pdf file format (153K)
These guidelines can be reprinted in part or in whole with attribution to the Society for Neuroscience
These guidelines were approved by the Council of the Society for Neuroscience on November 7, 1998.
© Society for Neuroscience, 1996, 1997, 1998.