Field Code of Conduct

© Allen Pope, Neelu Singh, Elizabeth Erickson, Ribanna Dittrich

Introduction

The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) has developed a sample code of conduct and bill of rights that can be modified for your field site

• These documents are not intended to be legally binding. Rather, behavioural expectations and consequences of behaviours are identified 
• All participants should read document together and foster discussion over behavioural expectations
• A code of conduct committee should be appointed to enforce the code of conduct
• Multiple reporting avenues should be identified for disclosing harassment or discrimination
• The document is intended to be a living document and should be periodically reviewed and revised 
• Evidence shows that enforcement of consequences for unacceptable behaviour is essential for the Code of Conduct to be taken seriously 

Context and Motivation

Fieldwork is an important component of social and physical polar science disciplines. It is frequently the reason why people join the polar research community, often required for academic degrees, and can result in impactful scientific outcomes regarding papers and grants.  Preparation for polar fieldwork is extensive and includes a project proposal, ethics approval, acquiring grants, organizing travel and accommodation at remote field sites, along with occupational health and safety requirements.

Consideration of interpersonal relationships is often neglected in this planning process. The Survey of Academic Field Experiences (SAFE) showed a majority of respondents (64%) had personally experienced sexual harassment, overwhelmingly students, postdocs, or employees. Only 22% of respondents worked at a site with sexual harassment policy and reporting mechanisms in place, and majority of those who had reported assault were not satisfied with the outcome (Figure 1; Clancy et al., 2014). 

    Figure 1: Visual representation of respondents to the survey, their experiences, and who were aware of, made use of, and were satisfied by mechanisms to
    report unwanted physical contact. Clancy et al., 2014.

Evidence shows that polar field experiences are no different. A survey of the Australian Antarctic Program saw 63% of participants had experienced sexual harassment, with many not reporting due to fear of retaliation and repercussion (Nash et al., 2019). Sexual misconduct is not the only form of abusive behaviour in field settings, which can also manifest as bullying and harassment. Discrimination and harassment impacts those with minoritized identities of gender, sexuality, and/or ethnicity at a disproportionate rate (Seag et al., 2019). 

A culture that enables discrimination leads to these outcomes - polar researchers must work to build an inclusive community that retains and supports all individuals. A Code of Conduct for fieldwork can address and eradicate harassing and discriminatory practices, where guidelines for behaviour expectations at the field site are outlined and agreed upon by all field research participants.

Two template documents are provided, which can be modified by individual field teams. The Bill of Rights outlines a set of liberties afforded to all team members throughout the course of the field campaign. The APECS code of conduct contains effective mechanisms (as defined by ADVANCEGeo), which are:

• Identification and definition of appropriate and inappropriate behaviour
• Details on reporting and investigative procedures
• Inclusion of protection against retaliation
• Built in mechanism for evaluation and revision

• Template Code of Conduct

  This code of conduct outlines the expected and unacceptable behavior for participating in the _____ field team. By signing below, you agree to the following code of conduct and accept the expressed consequences for violating them. This may include the termination from the project and review by the code of conduct committee. 

  This code of conduct should be reviewed by the code of conduct committee and each team member and read out loud as a group. To participate in science activities in a remote setting (hereby termed “fieldwork”), each team member should sign the document and have access to the signed copy through the length of the field season. This document should be amended to the needs and goals of the field team. 
  

  Expected Behavior
  By signing this document and participating in the _____ field team, you agree to adhere to the following expected behaviors. These expectations are designed to promote professionalism within the group to ensure a positive group experience and to facilitate the formation of a community dynamic where we respect and support each other. 

  
  Team Interactions

  • Be accepting of diverse viewpoints and allow all team members to express their opinions openly without judgment, if viewpoints are not discriminatory. Scrutinize ideas not individuals. 
  • Respect and be considerate of others without prioritizing some knowledges, such as western science, over others, such as local and Indigenous knowledge
  • Allow all team members to partake in decision making and do not exclude others from meetings.
  • Be honest and accountable. If you violate any forms of misconduct or fail to meet expectations in some way, be open with the team members, admit fault, and strive to do better.
  • Avoid knowingly making false or misleading statement(s) (or engaging in activities) that could be or be viewed as offensive or defamatory to a team member, group, or organization. 
  • Be able to recognize and avoid machismo (overly aggressive or chauvinistic actions).  Avoid promoting a culture where “roughing it” is seen as a rite of passage.  
  • Ask for help when you need it and respect those who ask for help. Recognize that people have different strengths and some disabilities are invisible. 

  
  Recognizing the Context of the Work

  • Be aware of, and address your positionality, power, privileges, and values. This includes recognizing the colonial histories, cultural biases, and structural marginalization that may have led to your position within the field team. 
  • Respect the landscape where you are staying including the land, water, plants, and animals that live there. Recognize that you are a guest and reduce your impact by following “Leave No Trace” principles. This includes making your best effort to leave the landscape how you originally found it. 
  • Respect the culture and community of the people that live on this land. Make efforts to learn the culture and value the knowledge that the residents hold from their deep-rooted experience with this environment. This includes respecting Indigenous and traditional knowledge holders and explicitly asking permission to take photographs of people and use their stories, ideas, and information. Make efforts to share data with the community and build relationships for future collaborations. 

  
  Respecting Personal Boundaries

  • Believe victims of misconduct through all stages of the reporting process, take seriously the impact of that misconduct, and respect their anonymity through the reporting process if they desire.  
  • Ask permission to take photos or record team members in any way, and only post photos or video on public platforms if consent has been given
  • Follow the rules laid out by the station manager including respecting the property and facilities.
  • Respect the safety of others. 

  
  

  Unacceptable Behavior

  • Misconduct that will result in termination of fieldwork includes:
    • Physical or verbal abuse, harassment, or assault
    • Intimidation or bullying 
    • Coercion/Manipulation
    • Threats (including but not limited to threats of violence, professional discreditation, unwarranted decreases in responsibilities, and public embarrassment.)
    • Gender, race-based, age-based, ability-based, or sexual harassment
    • Sexual misconduct including the inappropriate use of nudity and/or sexual images in a public space.
    • The use of hate speech directed at a minority group including comments about a person’s gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion, or national origin.
    • Behavior that endangers the mental or physical health and safety of oneself or others
    • Stalking
    • Tampering with the proceedings of a misconduct report, including actions to inhibit, discredit, stop, or falsify the investigation of a misconduct case
    • Retaliation against a person or group reporting code of conduct violations
      
      
  • Misconduct that will result in review by the code of conduct committee and possible termination from fieldwork includes:
    • Acting as a bystander and not reporting misconduct
    • The use of illicit drugs or excessive use of alcohol during field operations or while in town
    • Furnishing alcoholic beverages to any person under the legal age in the locality or distribution of illicit drugs
    • Dangerous driving
    • Disregard for the personal property of others
    • Loud and obnoxious behavior
    • Disregard for quiet hours
    • Repeatedly disregarding responsibilities
    • Use of social or mainstream media to target team members in a way that could harm their privacy and/or reputation
    • Deliberately mis-characterizing a person's gender identity, including through the use of a name or pronoun that the person has rejected
      
      
  • All team members have the responsibility to report all instances of unacceptable conduct as defined above to the appropriate party and see that the issue is reported to the outside contact personnel. All instances of misconduct require reporting no matter the severity. 
    
    
  • Team members should follow an “Ask Once” policy when it comes to consensual sexual advances or “asking someone out” during field activities. An “Ask Once” policy ensures that all team members can only “ask out” an individual once. Asking out includes flirting, expressing interest, and/or making advances towards an individual. If at any point that individual states that they are not interested, brushes off the advance, or does not reciprocate in a positive way, the team member must not continue to ask out the individual. If the team member continues to pursue the individual, it is considered harassment. 

  
  

  What to Do if You Have Experienced Inappropriate Behavior
  
  Each situation is unique. You are entitled to the following (not exhaustive):

  • Talk to anyone about your experience
  • Change your mind about talking to anyone about your experience at any time
  • Report to any of the reporting options listed below
  • Bring someone with you to provide support during reporting or any resulting discussions
  • To seek reasonable accommodations to ensure the success of your work
  • To seek medical assistance

  
  

  Reporting an Incident

  Multiple reporting avenues are available to individuals at _______. Below is a list of individuals who you can confidentially disclose an incident you observed or experiences. This list includes individuals who can maintain communications throughout the field season and includes individuals in the field, at the home institution, and at the relevant research station. Code of conduct committee members, who are responsible for enforcement of the code of conduct, are identified by an asterisk (*). This list includes people of multiple genders.

  •  Primary outside contact: _____, Affiliation: ________, Contact information: __________
  •  Institutional contact: _________, Affiliation: __________, Contact information: _________
  •  Outside medical contact: Dr. ______, Affiliation: __________, Contact information: _______
  • *Team safety lead: _______, Affiliation: ________, Contact information: _________
  • *Chair of code of conduct committee: _______, Affiliation: ________, Contact information: _________
  • *Code of conduct committee member: _______, Affiliation: ________, Contact information: _________
  •  *Code of conduct committee member: _________, Affiliation: __________, Contact information: _______

  
  

  Response to Reporting Code of Conduct Violation(s)

  Concerns and reports will be addressed promptly by the code of conduct committee. First, the committee will ensure that immediate safety concerns have been addressed. Secondly, committee members will recuse themselves if there are strong conflicts of interest that would bias their decisions. A meeting amongst committee members will be arranged as soon as it is practical where neither the alleged harasser or target is present. Before or after the meeting, committee members will find more information about the incident, including but not limited to interviewing the alleged harasser (if safe) or interviewing witnesses. The committee will choose a response that best protects the community from future harm. This may include:

  • Termination from fieldwork 
  • Remove responsibilities, privilege, or access
  • Temporary ban from team spaces
  • Permanent ban from team spaces
  • Recommendations for firing or demotion 

  
  Adverse action against a person or group as a result of a report will not be tolerated, and are subject to the consequences as outlined above. 
  

  I have read and understand the expected and unacceptable behavior for participating in the ____________ field team.

  Signature: 
  
  

  Date:

   

• Template Bill of Rights

  The list below designates a set of liberties afforded to all team members throughout the course of the field campaign. By signing below, you are acknowledging these rights and agree to take no action to impede or hamper the listed rights for any and all team members. 

  
  

  • Right to respect, dignity, and professionalism
    • All team members have the right to not experience or bear witness to misconduct from other team members as defined by the Code of Conduct. Any accusations of misconduct must be taken seriously and acted upon swiftly. 
      
      
  • Right to privacy
    • All team members have the right to a private space (i.e. a team member’s room or tent). Each team member must respect the privacy of team member’s space and not enter it without their permission nor disturb a team member in their room/tent unnecessarily. If private accommodation is not possible, all participants must be comfortable with the arrangements.
    • All team members have the right to privacy when using the bathroom. In some field situations the use of indoor bathrooms is not possible and care must be taken to respect the privacy of team members outdoors. See this document for further information on using the bathroom in the field: ToiletsAndFieldTrips.pdf 
      
      
  • Right to communicate
    • All team members have the right to receive training in the use of satellite phones or other satellite communication devices. 
    • All team members have the right to use a satellite phone or outside communication device during the field campaign and access to such devices should not be infringed.
    • All team members have ownership of any physical communication such as text message records and are not obliged to share such records with any other team member. Outside communication is confidential and private. 
      
      
  • Right to anonymity 
    • Any team member that submits a report of harassment or Code of Conduct violation has the right to maintain anonymity throughout the reporting process if they choose. The team member’s identity shall not be revealed to the accused or reporting agency without their consent. However, anonymity may not be guaranteed within formal university reporting systems.
      
      
  • Right to rest
    • All team members have the right to a rest day if they are physically or mentally exhausted as long as doing so does not infringe on the safety or wellbeing of other team members. A team member taking a rest day does not preclude other team members from continuing to work.
      
      
  • Right to safety
    • All team members shall have access to and training for safety equipment
    • Al team members have the right to refuse or pause work if they have not been adequately trained or if equipment is not provided 
    • All team members shall be provided visible proof of credentials and affiliation if requested 
      
      
  • Right to data access
    • All team members shall have access to data which they collect for future publications unless explicitly agreed upon before the data was collected. Such data should be made easily available to all team members, for example through an online repository. 
    • Any team member that independently collects data for their own project during a field campaign shall be consulted before those data are shared with other team members not associated with or participating in that project. 
    • All publications that result from data collected by a team member or local knowledge holders who are engaged in a project should include that team member as a co-author or an acknowledged party in such publications. All team members associated with data collection should be notified of the data usage before submitting the publication. 

• Definitions

  Bullying – Abusive conduct involving threatening, humiliating, or intimidating behavior directed at one or more people by one or more perpetrators that interferes with ability to work and is intended to cause physical or psychological harm.

  Coercion – The use of threats or one’s positionality or power to persuade someone to do something.

  Harassment – Defined as any unwelcome verbal or physical conduct based on race, color, religion, sex (includes sexual harassment and discrimination based on pregnancy), disability, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, and protected genetic information that is so objectively offensive as to alter the conditions of the individual’s employment. Harassment unreasonably interferes with an employee’s performance and can create an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment. 

  Retaliation – Adverse employment, academic or other actions against anyone reporting a violation of this code.

  Sexual Harassment – Includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when the conduct is made as a condition of employment and when the conduct creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment. 

  Stalking – Defined as repeatedly following, harassing, threatening, or intimidating including by telephone, mail, electronic communication, or social media.

References:

ADVANCEGeo. Codes of Conduct, https://serc.carleton.edu/advancegeo/resources/codes_conduct.html

Aurora and Gardiner, 2018, How to Respond to Code of Conduct Reports. Access: https://mailchi.mp/frameshiftconsulting.com/cocbook  

Clancy, K. B., Nelson, R. G., Rutherford, J. N., & Hinde, K. (2014). Survey of academic field experiences (SAFE): Trainees report harassment and assault.
PloS one, 9(7), e102172.

Nash, M., Nielsen, H. E., Shaw, J., King, M., Lea, M. A., & Bax, N. (2019). “Antarctica just has this hero factor…”: Gendered barriers to Australian Antarctic research and remote fieldwork.
PloS one, 14(1).

Seag, M., Badhe, R., & Choudhry, I. (2019). Intersectionality and international polar research. Polar Record, 1-5.

Miesel, J. (2018). Bullying and Harassment in the Workplace: Resources for Targets and their Allies. ESA Early Career Section blog. Access: https://www.esa.org/earlycareer/2018/04/18/bullying-and-harassment-in-the-workplace-resources-for-targets-and-their-allies/