Highlights of the CSE Board Meetings

The CSE Board of Directors met on October 21, 2011, at the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences offices in Washington, DC.  Highlights of the meeting follow:

Treasurer Transition:

Michael Clarke, Treasurer-elect, has assumed the office of Treasurer upon the resignation of Kevin Pirkey. 

Science Editor:

The Board discussed the plans underway to publish pending content online-only in Science Editor, and then for Science Editor to go on a publishing hiatus.  Although the situation is regrettable, it is an opportunity to revitalize the publication and have a sustainable plan for publication management. A Task Force chaired by Ken Heideman will be working over the next several months to survey CSE members to determine their needs and wants with regard to Science Editor,  and then to create a vision for the future of Science Editor and develop a plan to achieve that vision.   

Short Courses for 2012:

The Board approved a request from the Education Committee to change the short course schedule for 2012.   Due to the popularity of the half day Ethics course in 2012 and the fact that most respondents requested that the course be longer, the Ethics course will be offered for a full day on Saturday of the conference.  The planned Ethics course will be renamed, will focus on editorial office entry level staff, and will contain real examples of ethical issues and how to solve them.  In future, this course will alternate with the Journal Metrics course, which will not be offered in 2012.  Thus, the four Short Courses for 2012 will be:

  • Short Course for Manuscript Editors
  • Short Course for Publication Management
  • Short Course for Journal Editors (two day course)
  • Short Course for Ethics (title to be revised)

Certification Program and Fee Schedule

The requirements for the CSE certification program have been developed, and the Board approved the proposed $75 fee for the program.  Participants in the program must maintain their CSE membership for the duration of the 2- to-3 year program.  In addition, during their participation in the certification program, participants will be offered 20% discounts for webinars and Short Course and Annual Meeting registrations.

The CSE Board of Directors met on 3 May 2011, at the Hilton Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland.  Highlights of the meeting follow:

Organization:

Orientation was conducted for new Board members.  CSE committee chairs were confirmed as follows:

Administration:  Ken Heideman
Awards & Honors:  Diane Lang
Editorial Policy:  Kristi Overgaard
Education:  Angela Cochran
Executive:  Diane Sullenberger
Short Course:  Stacy Christiansen
Finance:  Kevin Pirkey
Membership:  Robert Sumner
Nominating:  Christine Laine
Program:  Jennifer Fleet and Philippa Benson
Local Arrangement:  Patty Baskin
Publications:  Dana Compton
Research: Mary Warner
Science Editor:  Teresa Melcher
Sponsorship:  Barbara Campaigne
Web Editor: Amanda Ferguson

Board liaisons were assigned to the various CSE committees as shown below:

Administration:  Ken Heideman
African Journal Partnership:  Diane Sullenberger
Awards & Honors:  Michael Clarke
Editorial Policy:  Kristi Overgaard
Education:  Pam Erickson
Executive:  Diane Sullenberger
Short Course:  Pam Erickson
Finance:  Kevin Pirkey
Membership:  Ken Heideman
Nominating:  Christine Laine
Program:  Diane Sullenberger
Local Arrangement:  Diane Sullenberger
Publications:  Ken Heideman
Research: Heather Goodell
Science Editor:  Christine Laine
Sponsorship:  Anna Trudgett
Web Editor: Kevin Pirkey

Heather Goodell’s election as Vice-president created a vacancy in the role of Director.  The Board appointed Kristi Overgaard to replace Heather as Director.

Publications:

The Board approved a subscription to Basecamp® for the SSF8 Subcommittee to use for communication and file sharing.

Education:

A mini-retreat at the 2012 meeting is being discussed.  The Education Committee is also investigating the possibility of developing a webinar in conjunction with COPE.

Because of visa and travel problems, only one of the three 2011 International Scholars was able to attend the CSE meeting. The Board noted that CSE policy allows for an award to be extended for one year in the event that an awardee is unable to attend due to travel visas, etc.

Membership:

The Board approved two categories of group membership in CSE:  a Level 1 group membership that would include up to 15 individual members from an organization, publication, or society; and a Level 2 group membership that would include up to 5 individual members from an organization, publication, or society.

The New Member Reception was very successful and well attended by both new members and the assigned new member liaisons.  Additional new member activities are being discussed for the 2012 Annual Meeting.

The CSE Board was enthusiastic about the idea of creating a "space" within CSE for people who work on student journals. CSE already has a highly discounted student membership rate ($45/year), but is willing to discuss a group membership for a student journal such that the membership would be for the journal rather than for individuals.

2014 Annual Meeting:

The Board approved the Marriott Rivercenter in San Antonio, Texas, as the venue for the 2014 Annual Meeting.  Dates will be May 2 – 5.

The CSE Board of Directors met on 28 February 2011, via teleconference.  Highlights of the meeting follow:

Publications:

The editor of Science Editor, Rebecca Benner,has resigned effective May 1, 2011, and the Board is in the process of selecting her successor and planning for the transition. 

The frequency of publication of Science Editor has been changed from semi-monthly to quarterly.  This change will take effect with the first issue of 2011.

Aries Systems Corporation has donated a manuscript management system to Science Editor.  CSE is very grateful to Aries for its generosity.

Development of SSF8 is proceeding.  A Project Manager, Lindsey Buscher, has been appointed to oversee the development and production of the publication.

Education:

The Board approved the development of a certification program for publication managers (including journal editors, managing editors, and others involved in managing scientific publications).  Certification requirements will include attending selected Short Courses, Annual Meeting sessions, Webinars, and a presentation at an Annual Meeting.  Additional details should be forthcoming soon from the Education Committee.

A Board subgroup is exploring the idea of re-instituting CSE Retreats.  They will be surveying members about this idea at the Annual Meeting.

2014 Annual Meeting:

Although the Board approved Chicago as the venue for the 2014 meeting at the December 2010 Board Meeting, the hotel in Chicago has informed CSE that the selected dates are no longer available.  Other Chicago hotels available on the selected dates are too expensive for CSE to consider.  Therefore, the Board has instructed Resource Center to investigate other venues for the 2014 meeting, with San Antonio being the first choice.

The CSE Board of Directors met on 14 December  2010 via teleconference.  Highlights of the meeting follow:

Publications:

The Board is moving ahead with plans for SSF8.  A Search Committee has been formed to identify a Project Manager for the publication, and a final contract will be executed with University of Chicago Press.

Annual Meetings:

The Board approved the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Canada, and the Fairmont Hotel in Chicago, Illinois, as the venues for the 2013 and 2014 CSE Annual Meetings, respectively.

Bylaws Changes:

The following bylaws changes are proposed by the Board and must be approved by membership:

  1. A new membership category of “member from a developing country” for members from countries on the HINARI list.  Dues would be discounted for these members.
  2. A change in the timing of elections.  Currently, results of elections are announced at the Annual Meeting.  The proposed change would have elections being completed no later than 60 days prior to the Annual Meeting.
  3. A change in the timeframe for members to vote on bylaws changes.  Current bylaws state that votes on bylaws changes must be returned to the Board of Directors within 60 days.  The proposed change would reduce this timeframe to 30 days.

The CSE Board of Directors met on 29 October 2010 at the American College of Physicians in Philadelphia, PA.  Highlights of the meeting follow:

Publications:

  • The Board approved plans to partner with University of Chicago Press for the publication of the 8th edition of Scientific Style and Format.
  • The Board granted permission to release the electronic version of Science Editor on the issue mail date.

Educational Activities:

  • The Board approved expansion of CSE’s educational activities in webinar format in 2011 and coming years.
  • The Board approved a Short Course on basic ethics, using the CSE White Paper on Publication Ethics as a guide, for the 2011 Short Course sessions prior to the Annual Meeting.
  • The Board approved Montreal, Canada, as the site of the 2013 CSE Annual Meeting.
  • The Board approved decreasing the length of the 2012 Annual Meeting by a half day to improve the affordability and convenience for members attending the meeting.
  • The Board agreed to explore offering CSE certificates in science editing to members who complete an array of CSE educational activities.

Membership:

  • The Board approved membership renewal for new members on the basis of anniversary date instead of calendar year.  Current memberships will continue to renew on a calendar year basis.
  • The Board approved discounting dues for members from countries on the HINARI list to $50 per year, providing Science Editor to these members in the form of a PDF file, and allowing these members to use the discount as long as their home country remains on the HINARI list. 

The CSE Board of Directors met on 23 February 2010 via conference call. Highlights of the meeting follow:

  1. It was reported that CSE’s longtime Web editor, Seth Beckerman, has decided to step down from his position. The description and directives of the Web Committee will be reviewed and potentially revised, and will be presented for approval at the May 2010 Board meeting. 
  2. Barbara Gastel, the Editor of Science Editor, will step down from her position in May 2010. The search for a new Editor of Science Editor will commence immediately.
  3. Allen Press and Aptara were recognized for their donation of printing and production services for Science Editor.
  4. The Board approved a proposal from Job Target to handle CSE’s job opportunities Web site. The new job site will be more user-friendly and offer members helpful information and tools.
  5. The Membership Committee reported on the work of 9–10 CSE members who established and are promoting CSE’s presence on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. The social media effort is being headed by Michelle Norell. 
  6. The Board voted to endorse the PRISMA statement on behalf of CSE.
  7. The Board voted to transfer the domain, http://CBE.org, to Congregation Beth El (La Jolla, California) in response to their request. (CSE subsequently received a donation from the congregation to the CSE International Scholarship Fund, in gratitude.)

The CSE Board of Directors met on 21 November 2009 at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta in Atlanta, Georgia. Highlights of the meeting follow:

  1. Board members discussed the result of the 2009 CSE Membership Survey and distilled the results into four immediate priorities: networking at the annual meeting, webinars and online opportunities for education, exploration of group membership, and a Science Editor column focused on working with international authors for whom English is a second language. 
  2. The Board voted to not increase meeting registration and exhibitor fees in 2010.
  3. Baltimore, Maryland, was approved as the site of the 2011 CSE Annual Meeting. The meeting dates will be Friday, 29 April through Tuesday, 3 May 2011. The venue will be the Hilton Baltimore Convention Center Hotel.
  4. Seattle, Washington, was chosen as the site of the 2012 CSE Annual Meeting, with dates and hotel to be confirmed.
  5. Three new policies were approved for the CSE Board: a Whistleblower policy, a Records and Retention policy, and a Conflict of Interest policy. 
  6. The CSE Education Committee received approval to pilot an educational webinar program in 2010.
  7. The Board approved the creation of a CSE group page on social networking sites (e.g., Facebook) and a social media presence.

The CSE Board of Directors met on 5 May 2009 at the Pittsburgh Hilton in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Highlights of the meeting follow:

  1. The Board voted to create a Council of Science Editors group on the LinkedIn social networking web site.
  2. A new standing Research Committee has been created to promote informed editorial decision making through facilitating sharing of research throughout CSE's avenues of communication, including its meetings, Science Editor, and the Web site. The committee will also communicate — through publication and oral presentations — the importance to journals of research on the topic of scientific publishing and the means by which journals can conduct their own research.
  3. The 2010 Program Committee co-chairs, Ken Heideman and Denis Baskin, reported that the tentative tagline for next year's annual meeting in Atlanta, GA, will be "Changing Climate of Scientific Publishing: The Heat is On." The plenary speaker will be J. Marshall Shepherd, PhD, from the University of Georgia Department of Geography. Dr. Shepherd is an Associate Professor conducting research, advising, and teaching in atmospheric sciences, climatology, water cycle processes, and urban climate systems.
  4. The Board and Committee Chairs participated in a leadership orientation at the beginning of the meeting. Committee Chairs for 2009-2010 are:
    Awards Committee: Ana Marusic
    Editorial Policy Committee: Robert Edsall
    Education Committee: Jennifer Fleet
    Finance Committee: Anna Trudgett
    Local Arrangements Subcommittee: Carissa Gilman
    Membership Committee: Tom Cross
    Nominating Committee: Diane Scott-Lichter
    Program Committee: Ken Heideman and Denis Baskin
    Publications Committee: Dana Compton
    Research Committee: Margaret Winker
    Science Editor: Barbara Gastel
    Short Courses & Workshops Subcommittee: Patricia Baskin
    Sponsorship Committee: Barbara Campaigne
    Web Committee: Seth Beckerman

The CSE Board of Directors met on 21 February 2009 at the Sheraton Reston Hotel in Reston, Virginia. Highlights of the meeting include:

  1. The Board welcomed CSE's new Executive Director, Anne Grist of Drohan Management Group.
  2. The Finance Committee reported that they have followed the new Investment Policy Statement approved by the CSE Board in November 2008. As of 31 December 2008, CSE had approximately $100,000 in short-term investments and $379,358 in long-term investments (the latter a decrease from $584,069 at the beginning of 2008). The percentages in each type of investment are consistent with the recommendations of CSE's consultant.
  3. Membership totaled 1,077 in 2008. Efforts will be made to encourage renewals in 2009.
  4. The Board continued discussions surrounding the strategic planning initiative commenced in October 2008.
  5. The work on the Global Theme Issue on Climate Change is continuing, with invitations sent to various organizations who are interested in partnering with CSE on this endeavor.
  6. The Board voted to approve a proposed CSE and WAME Joint Statement for Editors on Dual-Use Research of Concern. This joint statement will be publicized in CSE's white paper.

The CSE Board of Directors met on 20 November 2008 and 21 November 2008 via conference call. Highlights of the meeting include:

  1. The Board voted to approve a revised Investment Policy Statement proposed by the Finance Committee. The policies set forth in the statement will ensure that the Council's investments are reviewed on a quarterly basis and adjusted as needed.
  2. Board members reported on their work from the Strategic Planning Meeting of 11 October 2008 in Philadelphia, PA. This strategic planning focused on four areas of importance to the Council: Research and Communication, Membership and Marketing, Education, and Publications. During 2009, the Board will be prioritizing tasks and setting deadlines for each action item or goal identified by this strategic planning work.
  3. The 11 October 2008 Strategic Planning Meeting resulted in a new vision statement, mission statement, and slogan for the Council of Science Editors. These final statements were revealed to the Board:

    CSE Vision Statement
    CSE is a dynamic community of editorial professionals dedicated to the responsible and effective communication of science.

    CSE Mission Statement
    CSE's mission is to serve editorial professionals in the sciences by creating a supportive network for career development, providing educational opportunities, and developing resources for identifying and implementing high-quality editorial practices.

    CSE Slogan
    CSE: Education, Ethics, and Evidence for Editors (E4)

  4. The Education Committee reported that a new Short Course on Journal Metrics will be offered at the Annual Meeting on Saturday, 2 May 2009 (Pittsburgh, PA). Targeted toward managing editors, this course will review the data available to journal managers and discuss how these data may be analyzed and used effectively in journal operations.

The CSE Board of Directors met on 20 May 2008 in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Highlights of the meeting include:

  1. The Board agreed to move ahead with CSE's strategic planning initiative, and the Executive Committee will meet in Fall 2008 for further discussions.
  2. Leadership training was reestablished for CSE Directors and Committee Chairs, with a focus on educating new leaders on managing CSE's finances for committee work and special projects.
  3. The African Medical Journal Partnership Project was conceived by The Fogarty International Center (FIC) and the National Library of Medicine (NLM). The program launched in 2003 with the aim of fostering a medical journal capacity building program in Africa. The Council of Science Editors serves as the administrative body for this project. The CSE Board voted to approve the continuing relationship with the African Medical Journal Partnership Project after changes were made to improve administrative procedures.
  4. The Board was informed that the theme for the 2009 Annual Meeting will be "Show Me the Data: The Science of Publishing." The meeting — May 2-5, 2009, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania — will feature several practical sessions, with a particular focus on research.
  5. The Board voted to allocate $5,000 from the CSE reserves to fund the administrative expenses for the Global Theme Issue on Climate Change (planned for launch in May 2010).
  6. The Board voted to dispense with the 3-year cycle of rotating the annual meeting location among 3 cities, beginning in 2011.
  7. Barbara Gastel, editor of Science Editor, noted that Ken Heideman is the new Solutions Corner editor, Caroline Simpson joins Leslie Neistadt as a Publication Manager, and Bernard Appiah (a 2006 CSE International Scholar) will be an intern for the publication in 2008-2009.

The CSE Board of Directors met on 2 February 2008 in Arlington, Virginia. Highlights of the meeting include:

  1. Leadership training for CSE Committee Chairs will begin in May 2008 to enhance the institutional knowledge of those members and to support their actions on behalf of CSE’s Mission Statement.
  2. The Board was updated on the efforts of individual members of the Editorial Policy Committee, who gave several presentations on publication ethics on behalf of CSE in 2007.
  3. The Board reaffirmed the importance of the poster session at the 2008 Annual Meeting and voted to award free meeting registration in 2009 to the author of the abstract awarded first prize. All participants will receive a copy of Scientific Style and Format, 7th edition.
  4. The Board was notified that Susan Shirley has been appointed the new book review editor for Science Editor.

The CSE Board of Directors met on 15 November 2007 by conference call. Highlights of the meeting include:

  1. The Board approved an increase in membership dues of 5% for 2008.
  2. The Board was informed that over 900 articles were published in 237 journals for the 2007 Global Theme Issue on Poverty and Human Development, and approximately 300 people attended the launch event at the National Institutes of Health on 22 October 2007.
  3. The Board approved the launch of a poster session at the 2008 Annual Meeting in Vancouver, BC, Canada.
  4. The Board was updated on the status of eSeries, a new online membership renewal and meeting registration process that will provide improved member services, starting in 2008.
  5. The Board received news that Kathy Hoskins has been promoted at Drohan Management, and will no longer be the executive director of CSE. Robin Turner will take over this role.

The CSE Board of Directors met on 22 May 2007 in Austin, Texas. Highlights of the meeting include:

  1. The Board voted to price North American and International dues the same.
  2. The Board affirmed the recent creation of the CSE Task Force on AuthorAID and will be establishing procedures for working with the AuthorAID project.
  3. The Board voted to support the principles of the EQUATOR (Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research) Network (http://www.nks.nhs.uk/equator.asp), which seeks to improve health care by promoting the accurate and transparent health care research.
  4. The Board approved the concept of an online nomination form that will allow CSE members to nominate other members for CSE Awards such as Certificates of Appreciation and the Distinguished Service Award. Data collected from online nominations will be forwarded to the Awards Committee for consideration.
  5. The Board was informed that 2,029 copies of Scientific Style and Format, 7th edition, have been sold through May 7, 2007.