The organizers of this workshop are committed to creating a safe, professional, and respectful environment for all participants, where inclusiveness is encouraged and embraced. We value diversity, equity and inclusion, and believe everyone deserves to be treated with courtesy and respect. Our aim is to ensure that the workshop, including all related activities, is productive, enjoyable, and free from any form of harassment or inappropriate behaviour.
We drafted a Code of Conduct that should give you guidance during the workshop:
1. Professional behaviour
All participants are expected to behave in a professional manner. Harassment (including sexist, racist, homophobic or exclusionary comments or jokes) is not acceptable. Harassment can take many forms, including (but not limited to): interrupting talks; asking intimidating questions; inappropriate physical contact; sexual attention; innuendo, or comments; stalking/intimidation; taking photos or recording someone without their consent; offensive remarks related to age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, race, nationality, or religion.
2. Appropriate communication
Communication should always be respectful and suitable for a professional audience, which typically consists of people with diverse backgrounds. Therefore, we recommend to communicate thoughtfully with others and consider the multitude of views and opinions that are different from your own. Verbal abuse, including racist, sexual or sexist comments , is not appropriate in any context (both formal and informal settings).
3. Respectful interaction
Participants are expected to treat one another with respect, avoiding insults or putting down other attendees or facilitators. Any critiques should focus on scientific ideas, not individuals. Constructive criticism should be gracefully accepted. During the entire duration of the workshop, we expect courtesy and respect to all participants at any moment of the workshop.
4. Scientific integrity
Scientific misconduct during the workshop including fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism research presentation /posters is not acceptable. Taking photos of talks/posters is allowed only with the clear consent of the speakers/authors. It is not allowed to put such photos and/or comments on the content of talks/poster presented at the conference on social media platforms without the explicit permission of the presenters.
5. Reporting violations
If you experience behaviour that violates this Code of Conduct, speak to a member of the LOC (listed in the website and identifiable by badges). For serious violations, please contact the designated LOC member (Cristiana Spingola; cristiana.spingola@inaf.it). You can report violations confidentially and will be supported through the process.
Participants are expected to comply immediately if asked to stop inappropriate behavior. In cases of severe violations, the participant will be asked to immediately leave the event.
6. Guidelines for chairs
In addition to the general Code of Conduct, we created a guideline for chairs, which we hope will further ensure a professional and supportive environment.
-
Introduce yourself: at the start of each session, introduce yourself and explain your role as Chair.
-
Prepare for speakers: meet the speakers beforehand (when possible) and ensure you know how to pronounce their names correctly.
-
Facilitate questions: ensure all questions are asked and answered with a microphone so everyone can hear. This is particularly relevant for hybrid meetings, to ensure that people online are included in the same way as the in-person participants.
-
Address inappropriate questions: if a question is inappropriate or unprofessional, intervene or move to another question.
-
Encourage participation: be conscious of your biases and ensure that all participants, including online attendees, have a chance to ask questions. After the talk ends, allow some extra time before selecting the first question to give more attendees a chance to ask, including early-career scientists. Check if the online participants have written questions in the chat and/or raised their hands.
-
Respect timing: allow the question-and-answer period to run for its full time, without extending the talk beyond the scheduled duration. In this way you will respect everyone’s time.
By attending this workshop, you agree to adhere to this Code of Conduct, ensuring a safe, professional, and inclusive environment for all. Thank you for contributing to a positive and collaborative experience.
