WMS Membership Values 

• Educational (continually learning and providing education and guidance to the next generation of myologists through training, mentoring, championing, coaching and leading)
• Scientific (driving scientific discoveries and innovation; making decisions based on scientific evidence rather than opinion or instinct)
• Collaborative (a multidisciplinary community drawing learning from one another and working together towards a shared goal)
• Inclusive (welcoming everyone, supporting one another, improving access for colleagues and patients)

WMS Membership Code of Conduct

The WMS is a professional scientific society. Our membership comprises scientists of any gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, nationality, religion, age, ability, appearance, status and social background from across the world. It is in our values that we provide a respectful, inclusive, and harassment-free environment for all, where they feel safe to participate in the Society’s activities without fear of disrespect for their dignity. 

The WMS also organises professional scientific meetings though its subsidiary WMS Congress Ltd, and our WMS values extend to all non-WMS members taking part in WMS Congress activities. In doing so, we are committed to creating an equitable, diverse, and inclusive environment for researchers and clinicians to learn, share ideas, and promote translational science. We would like to encourage everyone to reflect on the diversity and inclusion in their presented work and its impact on the generalisability of findings for the benefit all patients with neuromuscular disorders.

The WMS sets and upholds high standards of ethical behaviour and attitudes, and the WMS highlights the importance for members to behave with integrity and respect towards other members and delegates in Society’s activities.

The WMS Executive is committed to supporting members and delegates who challenge poor conduct and behaviours. The WMS is also committed to implementing, maintaining and monitoring procedures and guidance for appropriate reporting of unacceptable behaviour of any kind from members or delegates.

The present Code of Conduct is not a legal document or prescriptive in nature but aims to provide a framework that encourages our members to regulate their own behaviours and to engage in our activities within bounds of behaviour that are accepted and observed by others.  All members taking part in any WMS-related activity are expected to always show respect and courtesy to others. 

The Code of Conduct 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 WMS and WMS Congress activities may take place), third party related platforms, and any applicable host country agreement. The WMS complies with such policies and will report all inappropriate conduct accordingly.

Online behaviour 

WMS members will be provided with personalised credentials allowing them access to the Members-only pages. These credentials are personal and non-transferable. 

All WMS Members are expected to interact with fellow members in the same way virtually as at a physical WMS events. 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.
• When notified, the WMS will act upon any member’s activities outside WMS events that may bring the Society into disrepute.
• Live sessions during the Congress will be moderated. Delegates are expected to respect the choices of the moderator in selecting questions or comments, managing session times, etc. 

Members are encouraged to report any experience of harassment to the WMS Secretariat through our complaints procedure and form. The WMS Executive Board and Secretariat 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.

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. Harassment in any form by or towards anyone is not tolerated.

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.
• Comments and actions that aim to undermine the dignity of an individual.
• The unauthorised production and sharing of photography, unwanted recordings and personal data (including those of a personal or sexual nature) in any format, electronic or otherwise, that intends to damage the reputation or humiliate the dignity of a member or group of members. 
• Exclusion of an individual or group of individuals based on their gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, ethnicity, race, age, religion, or political affiliation.
• Sustained disruption of forums, posts, talks, sessions or other events.
• Inappropriate contact, including via electronic communications.
• Unwelcomed sexual attention.
• Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behaviours.

Social Media

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

Complaints Procedure

In case of a possible breach of the Code of Conduct, the concerned individuals are requested to follow the WMS’s complaints procedure and provide details of the issue in this form. All breaches of the Code of Conduct will be managed confidentially by independent consultants E-volveHR.

The WMS and WMS Congress organisers reserve the right to take any action as deemed necessary as a consequence of any breach of the present Code of Conduct, or to prevent a violation of the Code of Conduct. This may include reporting to host institutions; permanent removal of WMS Congress and Pre-Congress Teaching Course credentials; and filing a police report when appropriate. 

WMS Committee Membership 

Committee applications are open to all WMS members, aiming to ensure a diverse representation across the membership. These positions will be advertised through WMS networks. New members who haven’t had any previous involvement with any of the WMS Committees will be asked to include a brief statement via email from their PI (principal investigator) or an Executive Board member to support their application to be part of a committee. 

In agreeing to be part of a committee, each member must also agree to always adhere to these codes. 

Attendance and Participation at Committee Meetings 

• Members should endeavour to attend all relevant meetings and prepare for them by reading and considering any information circulated with the agenda.
• Where a member is unable to attend a scheduled meeting, they should notify the Chair or Association Manager in advance, giving at least 24 hours’ notice.
• If two consecutive meetings are missed, the member may be requested to leave the committee.
• Members are expected to actively engage and participate in the work of the committee and work as part of a team towards fulfilling the committee’s goals.
• Members must notify the Chair or Association Manager immediately if circumstances prevent ongoing participation on the committee.
• Members are required to maintain continuous membership of the WMS whilst serving on a committee.

Collective Responsibility 

• Members should accept collective responsibility for decisions taken which enable the committee to meet its objectives. Members are expected to contribute to discussion and debate freely to enable sound decisions to be made. 
• Contributions to the committee should be based on scientific evidence and professional or personal experience (where appropriate) and not personal opinion.
• Members are encouraged to engage in open and safe communication, however, if appropriate, they should feel comfortable to propose that certain topics of discussion remain confidential between those Committee members in attendance.
• Members should, at all times, remain advocates of the WMS and represent themselves as individual members of the Society rather than the organisation they are affiliated to. Please refer to Membership FAQs for further information on promotion of individual membership within the WMS.

For the WMS Congress Code of Conduct, please visit the Congress website.

Updated 10.10.2024