You can change the world, one decision at a time: Federation members' code for 1991 ... and 2006

Dear Federation Members:

The news of 2005 featured many stories with a scientific and often a coastal twist.

At the continental scale powerful hurricanes devastated coastal regions. The storms changed the lives of millions and altered ongoing research work. Our meteorological predictive tools improved demonstrably in recent years, saving numerous lives.

At the molecular scale the threat of a rapidly spreading avian influenza virus drew public attention to scientists' attempts to understand evolution and mutation. It is easy for the public to see to the benefits of understanding and predicting these tiny organism's behaviors.

At the investigator scale the news of scientific fraud in embryonic stem cell research saddened the scientific community and confused an already distrustful public. It is hard to convey in a sound bite that the good news of this story is that science is ultimately a self-correcting enterprise.

These events in 2005 underscore the global nature of science and the increasing need for communication among scientists and the public.

Your individual behavior will not affect the frequency of hurricanes nor the outbreak of a pandemic, but there are important results from it. We can predict with certainty that you will be confronted with choices every day about how to conduct your research and your interactions with your peers and subordinates. The sum of your choices shapes our field and is integral to our legacy for future generations.

Recognizing the essential role of individual behavior in the conduct of our work, in 1991 the Federation's leaders created this Code of Ethics. We think you will agree that its contents are still vibrant. It is presented here for members' consideration and information. We welcome your thoughts.

Very truly yours,

Robert R. Christian, ERF President 2005-2007
Joy Bartholomew, ERF Executive Director

Code of Ethics for the Estuarine Research Federation

This Code provides guiding principles of conduct for all members of the Estuarine Research Federation. Recognition of professional status by the public depends not only on skill and dedication but also on adherence to a code of professional conduct.

1. An ERF member shall act at all times with integrity.
   • Will offer professional advice only on those subjects in which they are informed and qualified through training and experience.
   • Will avoid and discourage the dissemination of false, erroneous, biased, unwarranted or exaggerated statements.
   • Shall clearly differentiate opinions, theories, hypotheses and ideas.
   • Will support and promote equal opportunities in all professional activities.
   • Will not engage in any activity that might result in a conflict of interest (and will be conscious of the appearance of a conflict of interest).
2. An ERF member should strive to increase his/her competence and the competence and prestige of the profession.
   • In any communication will give full and proper credit to and will avoid misrepresentation of the work and ideas of others.
   • Shall exercise utmost care in laboratory and field research.
   • Within reasonable limits of time and finance will volunteer their special knowledge, skill and training to the public.
   • Will keep informed of advances in his/her field of expertise, including methodologies of data acquisition and analysis.
   • Will fulfill acknowledged commitments in a timely manner.
3. An ERF member will accept responsibility for his/her work.
   • Shall report accurately, truthfully and clearly the information pertinent to a given project and will convey findings objectively.
   • As an author, should have made a substantial contribution to the manuscript in at least two of the following ways:
     • Conceiving the ideas and design of the experiment
     • Participating in the active execution of the study
     • Analyzing and interpreting the data
     • Writing the manuscript
   • The principal investigator(s) of a research project should establish a clear understanding with everyone working on the project as to the right of any person to publish a paper using data collected in that project.
   • An author should not submit a manuscript to a journal while it is already under review by another journal.
   • Original records of research methods, conditions, equipment, personnel, results, analyses, and statistical tests should be retained for several years after publication of results.