Publication Integrity & Ethics (PIE) was developed over a decade ago to address several areas of concern and promote real editorial freedom.Read more.
Council Duties
PIE Highlights | |
You are invited to join the Publication Integrity and Ethics as one of its founding members. PIE offers free membership to all interested individuals. Read more. | |
As an Editor-in-Chief Member you will play a central role in shaping the organisation; you will benefit from the many and varied facilities the P.I.E. Read more. | |
The Publication Integrity and Ethics intends to publish a special peer-reviewed periodical that will publish short debate articles in science. Read more. | |
- Tim Reeves talks about “Publication Integrity and Ethics” -
- Charles Rosen talks about “Association for Medical Ethics” -
The Council is the PIE supreme governing body. It includes 23 members co-equal in rank and position who vote democratically and anonymously on any issue related to the publishing sector. As the governing body of P.I.E., the Council is responsible for its overall organisational structure and for directing the activity of the organisation, updating the guidelines and the code of conduct, investigating and resolving the issues related to the breaches in the code and the official complaints of members and adherents of PIE.
As managing trustees of the ethical editorial conduct, members of the Council have the duty to follow the guidelines and to ensure that all other members of the organisation are up to date with the code of conduct and in compliance with it. As trustees, members of the Council must at all times act in the best interest of the Publication Integrity and Ethics and its members. Provided that they do so, as individuals, members of the Council will be indemnified by the organisation against the results of their actions or decisions.
General duties of the Council members
The PIE Council is the managing board of ‘Publication Integrity and Ethics’ as an organisation and as all members are equal, each Council member is a director. All members of the PIE Council are responsible for the management of the organisation in the interests of its members. The Council members act collectively unless otherwise agreed while investigating or mediating issues and breaches signalled by members of PIE.
While there is no restriction on the place of residence or nationality, Council members must be registered members of PIE. They must also disclose their current location and announce to the other members any permanent change in their address. Their specific duties as members of the Council are as follows:
- To approve any complaints formulated against editors and publishers related to breaches in the code of conduct and guidelines.
- To investigate the complaints and mediate the conflict.
- To call general meetings.
- To notify all members about changes in the code of conduct or in the organisation’s structure or management.
- To ensure that every complaint is dealt with in a fair and objective way.
Roles of the members of the Council
The PIE Council has neither chairman nor a president. As the governing body of ‘Publication Integrity and Ethics’, the Council includes 30 members co-equal in rank and position who vote democratically and anonymously on any issue related to the publishing sector. Their main roles are as follows:
- To maintain a critical overview on the activity of the organisation, communicate with each other and with the other members if necessary.
- To take strategic action if necessary in order to increase individual membership of PIE and to improve new member retention.
- To promote alternative solutions and resolutions on complaints which couldn’t be resolved in due time.
- To maintain a critical overview of the activities of the PIE organisation and its members.
- To act as liaison between members of the organisation or between publishers and editors and complainants.
- To promote the guidelines and the code of conduct to all members of PIE and to facilitate access to all the resources available online.
- To give guidance to all members of the organisation in matters related to the ethical editorial conduct and publication ethics.
- To act in accordance with the PIE guidelines and to comply with the code of conduct.
- To represent the organisation and its views in the relationships with third party individuals and organisations.
Conduct of the Council members
All Council members are expected to serve in the best interests of the PIE organisation and its members during their term of office. They should maintain regular communication by e-mail with the rest of the Council, give reports of their activity if asked to do so and attend to regular meetings of the Council if necessary.