| for Annual Meeting Presentations
1. INTRODUCTION
No printed media, technical sessions, symposia, posters, seminars,
short courses, and/or all related type forums and discussions offered
under the auspices of the International Association for Food Protection
(hereafter referred to as to Association forums) are to be used
as platforms for commercial sales or presentations by authors and/or
presenters (hereafter referred to as authors) without the expressed
permission of the staff or Executive Board. The Association enforces
this policy in order to restrict commercialism in technical manuscripts,
graphics, oral presentations, poster presentations, panel discussions,
symposia papers, and all other type submissions and presentations
(hereafter referred to as submissions and presentations), so that
scientific merit is not diluted by proprietary secrecy.
Excessive use of brand names, product names or logos, failure to
substantiate performance claims, and failure to objectively discuss
alternative methods, processes, and equipment are indicators of
sales pitches. Restricting commercialism benefits both the authors
and recipients of submissions and presentations.
This policy has been written to serve as the basis for identifying
commercialism in submissions and presentations prepared for the
Association forums.
2. TECHNICAL CONTENT OF SUBMISSIONS AND PRESENTATIONS
2.1 Original Work
The presentation of new technical information is to be encouraged.
In addition to the commercialism evaluation, all submissions and
presentations will be individually evaluated by the Program Committee
chairperson, technical reviewers selected by the Program Committee
chairperson, session convenor, and/or staff on the basis of originality
before inclusion in the program.
2.2 Substantiating Data
Submissions and presentations should present technical conclusions
derived from technical data. If products or services are described,
all reported capabilities, features or benefits, and performance
parameters must be substantiated by data or by an acceptable explanation
as to why the data are unavailable (e.g., incomplete, not collected,
etc.) and, if it will become available, when. The explanation for
unavailable data will be considered by the Program Committee chairperson
and/or technical reviewers selected by the Program Committee chairperson
in order to ascertain if the presentation is acceptable without
the data. Serious consideration should be given to withholding submissions
and presentations until the data are available as only those conclusions
that might be reasonably drawn from the data may be presented. Claims
of benefit and/or technical conclusions not supported by the presented
data are prohibited.
2.3 Trade Names
Excessive use of brand names, product names, trade names, and/or
trademarks is forbidden. A general guideline is to use proprietary
names once and thereafter to use generic descriptors or neutral
designations. Where this would make the submission or presentation
significantly more difficult to understand, the Program Committee
chairperson, technical reviewers selected by the Program Committee
chairperson, session convenor, and/or staff will judge whether the
use of trade names, etc.,
is necessary and acceptable.
2.4 "Industry Practice" Statements
It may be useful to report the extent of application of technologies,
products, or services, however, such statements should review the
extent of application of all generically similar technologies, products,
or services in the field. Specific commercial installations may
be cited to the extent that their data are discussed in the submission
or presentation.
2.5 Ranking
Although general comparisons of products and services are prohibited,
specific generic comparisons that are substantiated by the reported
data are allowed.
2.6 Proprietary Information (See also 2.2.)
Some information about products or services may be proprietary to
the author’s agency or company, or to the user and may not
be publishable. However, their scientific principles and validation
of performance parameters must be described. Conclusions and/or
comparisons may only be made on the basis of reported data.
2.7 Capabilities
Discussion of corporate capabilities or experiences are prohibited
unless they pertain to the specific presented data.
3. GRAPHICS
3.1 Purpose
Slides, photographs, videos, illustrations, art work, and any other
type visual aids appearing with the printed text in submissions
or used in presentations (hereafter referred to as graphics) should
be included only to clarify technical points. Graphics which primarily
promote a product or service will not be allowed. (See also 4.6.)
3.2 Source
Graphics should relate specifically to the technical presentation.
General graphics regularly shown in, or intended for, sales presentations
cannot be used.
3.3 Company Identification
Names or logos of agencies or companies supplying goods or services
must not be the focal point of the slide. Names or logos may be
shown on each slide so long as they are not distracting from the
overall presentation.
3.4 Copies
Graphics that are not included in the preprint may be shown during
the presentation only if they have been reviewed in advance by the
Program Committee chairperson, session convenor, and/or staff, and
have been determined to comply with this policy. Copies of these
additional graphics must be available from the author on request
by individual attendees. It is the responsibility of the session
convenor to verify that all graphics to be shown have been cleared
by Program Committee chairperson, session convenor, staff, or other
reviewers designated by the Program Committee chairperson.
4. INTERPRETATION AND ENFORCEMENT
4.1 Distribution
This policy will be sent to all authors of submissions and presentations
in the Association forums.
4.2 Assessment Process
Reviewers of submissions and presentations will accept only those
that comply with this policy. Drafts of submissions and presentations
will be reviewed for commercialism concurrently by both staff and
technical reviewers selected by the Program Committee chairperson.
All reviewer comments shall be sent to and coordinated by either
the Program Committee chairperson or the designated staff. If any
submissions are found to violate this policy, authors will be informed
and invited to resubmit their materials in revised form before the
designated deadline.
4.3 Author Awareness
In addition to receiving a printed copy of this policy, all authors
presenting in a forum will be reminded of this policy by the Program
Committee chairperson, their session convenor, or the staff, whichever
is appropriate.
4.4 Monitoring
Session convenors are responsible for ensuring that presentations
comply with this policy. If it is determined by the session convenor
that a violation or violations have occurred or are occurring, he
or she will publically request that the author immediately discontinue
any and all presentations (oral, visual, audio, etc.), and will
notify the Program Committee chairperson and staff of the action
taken.
4.5 Enforcement
While both technical reviewers, session convenors, and/or staff
may check submissions and presentations for commercialism, ultimately
it is the responsibility of the Program Committee chairperson to
enforce this policy through the session convenors and staff.
4.6 Penalties
If the author of a submission or presentation violates this policy,
the Program Committee chairperson will notify the author and the
author’s agency or company of the violation in writing. If
an additional violation or violations occur after a written warning
has been issued to an author and his agency or company, the Association
reserves the right to ban the author and the author’s agency
or company from making presentations in the Association forums for
a period of up to two (2) years following the violation or violations.
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