2021-04-21 OMA Agenda - Board of Trustees

Recommendation #20. JOMA should prioritize diversity in its Editorial construct. Rationale: Elsevier posts the Gender Diversity distribution of the Editors on the home website of each of its journals. It is possible Elsevier may soon include race distribution as well. Currently, the “Benchmark Gender Diversity distribution across Cardiology portfolio Editors is 20% women, 80% men, and 1% non-binary or gender diverse.” It is reasonable to make special outreach to diverse members when inviting both Associate Editors and Editorial Board. Recommendation #21. JOMA should ensure its copyrighted material is protected. Rationale: It is preferred the experience with Elsevier be a mutually beneficial one. However, after expiration of the terms of the Elsevier agreement, circumstances may arise where it may be advantageous for OMA to consider other publishers. In such case, any contractual agreement should acknowledge that OMA owns the exclusive copyrights to content related to its current and future Obesity Algorithm content (even if it is no longer characterized in this way). The current content of the OMA Adult and Pediatric Obesity Algorithms are copyrighted and owned by OMA. When this content is transcribed and subsequently edited, it should be clearly agreed upon from the beginning that any initial content or revised content will have copyright owned by OMA. Thus, if OMA were to change publishers in the future, revised Obesity Algorithm content whose copyright is owned by OMA could be seamlessly transferred to a new publisher. Such an arrangement may seem to already be understood. However, any final contractual agreement with Elsevier should be reviewed by OMA directors and possibly OMA legal counsel to ensure OMA copyrights are protected. Similarly, the contract should be reviewed with the intent to protect OMA interests upon potential exit from any agreement with Elsevier – both before and after the stated agreed terms of a contract. Recommendation #22. OMA should engage an independent selection committee to choose JOMA Editor in Chief and Executive Editor. Rationale: Once recommendations are made by this working group, and once the OMA BOT decides on which recommendations to accept, then an independent committee should proceed with assessing potential candidates for Editor in Chief and Executive Editor.

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