To ensure an inclusive and equitable environment for those who participate in CBSI activities we have established a set of community guidelines for CBSI participants. CBSI activities include, but are not limited to, programmes, projects, conferences, workshops, events, in-person and on-line meetings and all forms of communications (including email and social media).
These community guidelines are part of a wider effort to develop a shared inclusive culture within which we do our research and training. Listening, healthy debates, and constructive criticism generate better science. Thoughtful communication improves our collective scientific understandings and allows us to inspire one another towards new ideas and insights. CBSI is committed to contributing—through our science and actions—to a more equitable research culture. We expect this culture to evolve as we grow.
In summary, we expect everyone to be treated with dignity and respect. We ask that people are mindful of their behaviour and considerate when they interact with others.
A zero-tolerance approach will be applied to any form of discrimination or harassment, including sexual harassment and bullying, accepting of bribes or gifts, or the fabrication or falsification of scientific data.
If asked to stop inappropriate behaviour, participants are expected to comply immediately and, in serious cases, may be asked to stop participating in the activity.
Retaliation of any kind against anyone reporting violations of this code of conduct will result in exclusion from CBSI activities.
Definitions
Research misconduct
Research misconduct is often defined as fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism in proposing, performing, or reviewing research, or in reporting research results. Fabrication is making up data or results and recording or reporting them. Falsification is manipulating research materials, equipment, or processes, or changing or omitting data or results such that the research is not accurately represented in the research record.
Intentionally changing, misrepresenting, or biasing research data during data collection or analysis is research misconduct. Plagiarism is the appropriation of another person’s ideas, processes, results, or words without giving appropriate credit. This includes, use of material published or unpublished, in print, online, or personally communicated without the permission and crediting of the original author. Self-plagiarism is the copying of your own published work into a second publication, this is also research misconduct.
Research misconduct does not include honest errors or differences of opinion.
The UK Research Integrity Office provides further guidance on what constitutes research misconduct.
Discrimination
Treating a person differently than others based on that person’s age, colour, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, nation or province of origin, citizenship status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, and/or veteran status.
Harassment
A type of discrimination that happens when verbal, physical, electronic, or other behaviour based on a person’s identity or identities interferes with that individual’s participation in CBSI activities and/or creates an environment that is hostile, intimidating, or abusive.
Below are two types of harassment that still exist in academic environments, of which we have zero-tolerance:
- Race or colour-based harassment: Jokes, innuendos, racial slurs, offensive or derogatory remarks based on a person’s colour or perceived race; Physical conduct (e.g., excessive monitoring) based on a person’s colour or perceived race; Electronic conduct (e.g., the creation, display, or distribution of racially offensive text, symbols, or images) based on a person’s colour or perceived race.
- Sexual or gender-based harassment: Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favours, and other verbal, physical, or electronic conduct of a sexual nature that creates a hostile, intimidating, or abusive environment; Verbal, physical, or electronic conduct based on a person’s sex, gender, sexual orientation, or sex stereotyping that creates a hostile, intimidating, or abusive environment (even if acts do not involve conduct of a sexual nature); Intentionally and repeatedly ignoring someone’s pronouns. Clear, unambiguous, and express consent is necessary before encounters of a physical or sexual nature, without exception. Sexual activity with minors (persons under the age of 18) is explicitly forbidden, regardless of the local age of consent. To deploy speech with sexual content requires prior consent from every participant affected.
Sexual exploitation
Any actual or attempted abuse by personnel of a position of vulnerability, differential power or trust for sexual purposes, including but not limited to, profiting momentarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. Sexual exploitation is thus a broad term that includes, for example, transactional sex, solicitation of transactional sex, and exploitative relationships.
Sexual abuse
actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions.
Code of conduct
We expect those involved in CBSI activities to adhere to the UN Declaration on Human Rights, promote scientific knowledge, adhere to the highest professional standards, and create a work environment where the dignity and safety of every individual is upheld.
We expect that all CBSI activities enable work to take place in an environment that is free from violence, discrimination, and harassment.
We expect that all participants in CBSI activities conduct their research in a professional manner and that they conduct their science to enable it to be, as far as possible, replicable, with clearly stated results, and conclusions based on reasonable deductions derived from the available evidence.
We expect all participants in CBSI activities to avoid fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism in proposing, performing, or reviewing research, or in reporting research results.
Scientists make honest mistakes and errors, and we often have differences of opinion. We expect that mistakes are quickly rectified, and if the facts change our scientific opinions should change too.
We expect that all participants in CBSI activities take care of one another, be aware of our positions relative to others, to avoid making appeals to authority, and to take reasonable steps to stop discrimination and/or harassment.
We expect that all participants in CBSI activities actively avoid any discrimination and/or harassment on the basis of age, colour, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, citizenship status, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation.
We expect that all participants in CBSI activities respect Indigenous Peoples, Traditional Peoples, local forest-dependent communities and other minorities in all our work, including gaining Free Prior Informed Consent prior to working with these groups.
We expect all participants in CBSI activities to refuse bribes or significant personal gifts from governments, beneficiaries, donors, or suppliers.
We expect that all participants in CBSI activities who violate the Code of Conduct comply with requests to modify or cease their behaviour.
We are committed to using inclusive language in project outputs, documents and official communications. We recommend the following English language guide for the use of participants and stakeholders: https://www.un.org/en/gender-inclusive-language/guidelines.shtml
If you are a victim of harassment, discrimination, or repeated lack of engagement with expected behaviours. First, take care of yourself. Each person will need to deal with the experience of harassment and discrimination in a way that is best for them. Take the time you need, and if you need help responding, reach out for support, from the CBSI Co-chairs, Secretariat, your mentors or supportive peers.
If you feel comfortable doing so, tell the person who has not met the expected behaviours to stop. This may be at the time or in a later conversation. Research shows that confronting the harasser directly sometimes puts a stop to the harassment. If you need help having the conversation or want someone else to address it for you, please tell the CBSI Co-chairs and Secretariat, who are ready to support you.
Report any violation of the CBSI Code of Conduct to one of the Co-chairs or one of the Secretariat team in either Kinshasa or Leeds, in confidence. If this is not desired, contact the University of Leeds Report and Support team, writing in either English or French.
You can expect the CBSI Co-chairs and Secretariat to take action if they are told about or witness a violation of the Code of Conduct. If the behaviour is harassment or discrimination we will take immediate action to stop the behaviour, and if necessary move to institutional-level procedures. Any behaviour that is against the law of the country where the behaviour occurred will be reported to the authorities should the victim wish this.
If the violation is in the form of a consistent lack of engagement in the expectations, the CBSI Co-Chairs and/or Secretariat, will engage directly with the community member to address this.
For financial misconduct and allegations of fraud, these should be reported to the CBSI Co-chairs and/or Secretariat. If this is not desired or is not appropriate, use the University of Leeds Whistleblowing contacts to report any concerns, here.
For Research Misconduct, anyone may report, either orally or in writing, suspected Research Misconduct. These should be reported to the CBSI Co-chairs and/or Secretariat, and also be reported to the Research Integrity Officer (RIO) of the relevant academic institution(s). If this is not desired or is not appropriate, use the University of Leeds Whistleblowing contacts to report any concerns, here.
If you observe harassment or discrimination, and you feel safe to intervene in the moment, we encourage bystander interventions.
If you witness someone else being discriminated against or harassed remember these 4 D’s: direct, distract, delegate, delay.
If you feel safe doing so, it can be valuable to step in and confront the harasser (direct). However, don’t assume that you have to confront the harasser directly, and it may be safer to take the more indirect route of speaking directly with the person being harassed. You could ask if they need help, or even just make small talk (distract). If you don’t feel safe intervening at all, recruit help from someone in a position of authority (delegate). Once the incident is over, check in with the person who was harassed and ask them what they need (delay).
If you observe disrespectful behavior, you may decide to ‘call in’ your colleagues who are exhibiting disrespectful behavior and think about how you can create a safe environment for conversation (e.g. calmly and privately pointing out when a comment sounded offensive). However, for some behaviours it can be important to assess if you are about to address a real or imagined offense (it is important to understand that if you are speaking on behalf of another group, does that other group actually feel that way). These are not easy conversations and if you need help addressing the issue, talk to the CBSI Co-Chairs, or your mentors so we can support you.
If someone is trying to tell you about your own behaviour that has made someone feel uncomfortable or unwelcome, including discrimination and harassment, listen with an open mind and avoid becoming defensive. Remember that if someone offers you feedback, it likely took a great deal of courage for them to do so. The best way to respect that courage is to acknowledge your mistake, apologize, and move on — with a commitment to do better. If you need help responding appropriately, talk to the CBSI Co-Chairs or Secretariat or your mentors, so we can support you.
If you retaliate against someone telling you about your own harassment or discriminatory behaviour, you will be excluded from the CBSI activity.
This document is authored by the CBSI Scientific Steering Committee. We are committed to receiving ongoing feedback and suggestions to ensure this Code of Conduct is a living document that meets the needs of CBSI and the wider scientific community across the Congo Basin and beyond. If you have comments or concerns email info@congobasinscience.net.
Sources
This Code of Conduct is a compilation of aspects of the Code of Conduct from respected organizations including the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Science Panel for the Congo Basin, Science Panel for the Amazon Basin, NASA’s PANGEA programme and the UK governments Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office expectations of project partners in receipt of their funding.
