Call for Abstracts - Abstracts Dealing with Microbiological Sensitive Issues

"The Council Policy Committee of the American Society for Microbiology affirms the long-standing position of the Society that microbiologists will work for the proper and beneficent application of science and will call to the attention of the public or the appropriate authorities misuses of microbiology or of information derived from microbiology. ASM members are obligated to discourage any use of microbiology contrary to the welfare of humankind, including the use of microbes as biological weapons. Bioterrorism violates the fundamental principles expressed in the Code of Ethics of the Society and is abhorrent to the ASM and its members."

As described in the Council Policy Committee resolution, the ASM recognizes that there are valid concerns regarding the presentation of scientific information that could be put to inappropriate use. Members of the ASM Meetings Board will evaluate the rare abstract that might raise such issues during the review process. In order that the Meetings Board, in its administration of all ASM meetings, is in compliance with the policy statement, the following procedures have been implemented:

• Abstract Review Procedures
  1. Abstract reviewers for each of ASM’s meetings or conferences will alert the Chair of the Program Committee for that meeting if, in their judgement, the abstract under review describes misuses of microbiology or of information derived from microbiology.
  2. If in the view of the Chair in consultation with the Chair of the Meetings Board, the abstract is believed to contain sensitive material, the Chair of the Program Committee will contact the submitting author(s) for clarification. The Chair of the Program Committee and the Chair of the Meetings Board together may render a decision or, at their discretion, consult the entire Meetings Board to determine whether to resume the review process or to decline the abstract and return it to the author.
     
     
• Poster Review Procedure
  1. If a sensitive abstract is accepted following discussion with the author(s), the abstract will be flagged for review of the presentation during the meeting. The author may additionally be requested to submit a copy of a poster presentation a week prior to the meeting for review by the Committee Chair.
  2. The abstract submission does not provide a full description of information presented at the meeting. For this reason, poster sessions will be monitored on an ongoing basis as part of the responsibility of Program Committee members. If a presentation is found to contain sensitive information, the presenter will be notified immediately by the Chair of the Committee, and after the meeting, a written communication restating the policy violation is sent to the presenter.