Code of Conduct

The BMLA 2021 Virtual Conference & Educational Courses is a professional scientific meeting that provide a respectful, harassment-free and inclusive environment for all participants, regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, appearance, ethnicity, race, national origin, age or religion.

All delegates, including speakers, exhibitors and staff, and other participants are expected to behave with integrity and respect towards other delegates attending or involved with BMLA 2021 Virtual Conference & Educational Courses and/or any related event, activity or third-party related platform.

BMLA is committed to informing delegates about the code of conduct for meeting attendees. Likewise, BMLA is committed to installing procedures and guidance for appropriate reporting of unacceptable behaviour of any kind. 

BMLA highlights the importance for delegates to express cultural sensitivity and respect with regards to clothing and appearance. The present Code of Conduct is not a legal document or prescriptive in nature. It supplements, but does not affect, the application of other relevant policies, regulations, rules and laws, including laws regulating the premises or platform in which the BMLA 2021 Virtual Conference & Educational Courses takes place, third party related platforms and any applicable host country agreement. The BMLA 2021 Virtual Conference & Educational Courses complies with such policies and will report all inappropriate conduct accordingly.


Online behaviour during the BMLA 2021 Virtual Conference & Educational Courses

BMLA 2021 Virtual Conference & Educational Courses delegates will be provided with personalised credentials allowing them access to the virtual platform. These credentials are personal and non-transferable. Non-registered individuals, patient parents/relatives, other members of the public and minors will not be able to access the Virtual Conference, unless upon prior agreement with the Virtual Conference organisers.

Throughout the Virtual Conference, all meeting delegates are expected to interact with fellow attendees in the same way as at a physical BMLA Conference. As such:

  • All communication, be it verbal or electronic, must be carried out in a respectful and polite manner. Inappropriate messaging or contact will not be tolerated.
  • Live sessions during the Conference will be moderated. Delegates are expected to respect the choices of the moderator in selecting questions or comments, managing session times, etc.
  • Any recording, filming, photography, screenshots or other capturing of presentations, live sessions or other events, including scientific posters, taking place during, or associated with, the BMLA 2021 Virtual Conference & Educational Courses, is prohibited without the expressed consent of the presenter. Expressed content is a written confirmation by the author in a live chat or email correspondence

Participants are encouraged to report any experienced harassment to the designated BMLA Conference organiser on office@bmla.co.uk. The Conference organisers reserve the right to take any action deemed appropriate in case of harassment. Host institutions of reported individuals will be notified about filed harassment reports.

Use of camera and video

Attendees of the BMLA 2021 Virtual Conference & Educational Courses are required to respect the privacy of other participants and refrain from any unauthorised or unwelcomed recording or photography, including recording of any direct or indirect interactions or electronic messaging with other meeting delegates. Participants are not allowed to take photos or videos of scientific material shown unless express prior consent by the presenter has been ascertained. Moreover, integral recording of oral presentations is not allowed unless these are done by a professional entity that has been contracted for this purpose by or on behalf of the organiser.

Taking photos and recordings within the Virtual Conference environment for professional use is not allowed without obtaining prior permission from the conference organiser.

The BMLA 2021 Virtual Conference & Educational Courses adheres to the copyright laws guiding the appropriate sharing of scientific research material, including data. Authors’ consent may be requested by the BMLA 2021 Virtual Conference & Educational Courses in case sharing of scientific material from abstracts/posters/presentations will be required as part of BMLA educational activities.

As detailed under “Online behaviour at the BMLA 2021 Virtual Conference & Educational Courses”, any recording, filming, photography, screenshots or other capturing of presentations, live sessions or other events, including scientific posters, taking place during, or associated with, the BMLA 2021 Virtual Conference & Educational Courses, is prohibited without the expressed consent of the presenter. Expressed consent is a written confirmation by the author in a live chat or email correspondence.

Presenters and exhibitors are strongly encouraged to clearly indicate whether or not photography/recording of the poster, presentation, or exhibit booth and sharing/remixing of the material is permitted.

Harassment

For the purpose of these guidelines, harassment consists of improper or unwelcome conduct that might reasonably be perceived as causing offence or humiliation to another person. Harassment may involve any conduct of a verbal, non-verbal or physical nature, including written and electronic communication, and may occur between persons of the same or different genders. Harassment in any form is not tolerated at the Conference.

Examples of harassment include, but are not limited to:

  • Verbal comments that reinforce social structures of domination related to gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, ethnicity, race, age, religion, political affiliation
  • The production or non-consensual sharing of harassing non-consensual photography or unwanted recording, including sexual images in public spaces (in any format, electronic or otherwise)
  • Sustained disruption of talks, sessions or other events
  • Inappropriate contact, including via electronic communications
  • Unwelcomed sexual attention
  • Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behaviours

Presentations

All data and scientific research that is presented at the BMLA 2021 Virtual Conference & Educational Courses shall be based on original research findings that have been derived from procedures and experiments that adhere to the accepted guidelines for good ethical and experimental research conduct. Presenters are responsible for the content of their presentations, whether oral or written, and shall secure appropriate consent from collaborators and funders, as relevant, prior to any presentation at the BMLA 2021 Virtual Conference & Educational Courses.

Social Media

BMLA encourages open and respectful discussions on social media and blogging platforms. Nonetheless, participants are requested to not post images or video online without obtaining appropriate permission. Participants are requested to respect any request from an author not to disseminate the contents of their presentation/poster.

Reporting Process

The BMLA 2021 Virtual Conference & Educational Courses organisers reserve the right to take any action as deemed necessary, as a consequence of any breach of the present Code of Conduct. This includes reporting to host institutions and permanent removal of BMLA 2021 Virtual Conference & Educational Courses credentials.

In case of a breach of the Code of Conduct, the concerned individuals are requested to contact a member of the BMLA 2021 Virtual Conference & Educational Courses staff. BMLA 2021 Virtual Conference & Educational Courses staff can be easily reached at the live chat of the BMLA 2021 Virtual Conference & Educational Courses info centre on the virtual platform or by email to Ms Clare Beach, BMLA 2021 Virtual Conference & Educational Courses Manager: office@bmla.co.uk

BMLA reserves all rights to take any action to prevent and report violations of the Code of Conduct, including blocking access to the BMLA 2021 Virtual Conference & Educational Courses and filing a police report when appropriate. BMLA cannot investigate reports of harassment or other misconduct during the Conference but will inform the appropriate departments of the accused person’s host institution about any such filed report.