Behind the Scenes - News

• Gender-neutral language. “His or her”, “he or she” and similar phrases are replaced by “their”, “that person” or the title of the office. Why: the 2022 text addressed every person as male or female; the new wording matches the commitment to inclusion in Art. XV.
• “ISBNPA” instead of “the Corporation”. The text now uses one name for the society. Art. I states that “ISBNPA” and “Corporation” refer to the same legal entity, and “Corporation” is kept where the law uses that word (tax status, indemnification). Why: two names for one body invited the reading that they were different.
• “AGM”. The Annual General Meeting is abbreviated after it is first defined. Why: shorter and easier to read.
• Typing errors in the 2022 text are corrected (for example “ISBPNA”, “lawfuzl”, “substance and working”).

• Adds: “In these By-laws, the terms ISBNPA and Corporation refer to the same legal entity.” Why: supports the use of “ISBNPA” throughout without any doubt about the legal entity.

• The two overlapping dissemination purposes are merged into one, which names “scientific meetings, scientific journals and other publications published or sponsored by the ISBNPA”. Why: gives express authority for the new journal and removes duplication. (Main change 6.)
• Information to public and private bodies becomes “independent, evidence-based scientific information”. Why: makes clear that ISBNPA’s input to funders and policy bodies is scientific and free of conflicts of interest.
• New purpose: “Support the participation and development of early career researchers and of researchers from low- and middle-income countries.” Why: this is already part of ISBNPA’s mission and was missing from its stated purposes.
• “The professions designated in Title VIII of the Education Law” becomes “any other licensed profession”. Why: Title VIII is a New York statute. ISBNPA is incorporated in Texas, so the reference did not apply.
• The reference to the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 is corrected to 1986, as in the rest of the article.

• §2 Student Members: the definition now covers students and people within 12 months of their doctorate, extended by any period of career interruption. Student Members may vote and hold the EC seat reserved for the Student Representative (the 2022 text said “one officer position”). Why: see main change 5.
• §2 Early Career Researcher Members: people who completed their doctorate not more than five years earlier, not counting periods of career interruption. ECR Members may vote and hold the EC seat reserved for the ECR Representative. Why: the 2022 wording (“the equivalent to full five years”) was unclear, and Members with career breaks were disadvantaged. The kinds of interruption that count will be set in the Membership Committee’s Terms of Reference.
• §3 Determination of membership: the EC’s discretion to accept or reject applications is now “subject to the non-discrimination provisions of these By-laws”. The sentence about applying through the website is removed. Why: the EC’s discretion should not sit unqualified next to a non-discrimination commitment; the application route is an operational detail.
• §5 Suspension and expulsion (new): a Member may be suspended or expelled for cause, which includes breach of the By-laws or a code of conduct, presenting ISBNPA membership as a professional credential, misrepresentation in a membership application, and scientific or professional misconduct. Proceedings may be started by the Membership Committee or by a written complaint from any Member to the Secretary. A decision needs a two-thirds vote of the EC, after at least 30 days’ written notice to the Member and a chance to respond and be heard. Why: the 2022 By-laws had no procedure. Members now know the grounds and are guaranteed a fair process.

• §1: the AGM may be held in person, by electronic means, or both. Why: AGMs have been held online since the COVID-19 pandemic, but the By-laws did not expressly allow it.
• §2: notice of a Members’ meeting may be given up to 60 days ahead (was 50). Why: the EC must set the AGM date at least 60 days ahead, so a 50-day limit on notice meant the notice could not go out on the day the date was set.
• §4: if the President is absent, the President-Elect presides, then the Secretary. Why: the Past-President is no longer an officer.
• §5: every Member in good standing present at a meeting has one vote (the 2022 text said “Regular” Member). Why: matches Art. III, which gives the vote to all three membership classes.
• §6: voting by “fax” becomes voting by “online survey”. Why: reflects how ISBNPA votes today.

• §1: “certificate of incorporation” becomes “certificate of formation”, the term used in Texas law. The sub-paragraph on the fiscal year is removed. Why: the fiscal year has its own article (Art. XI).
• §2 Eligibility: Members entitled to vote, in good standing and aged 18 or over may serve on the EC. Any such Member may stand for a Member-at-Large seat, in addition to the reserved Student and ECR seats. Why: see main change 5.
• §3 Composition: “nominations committee” becomes “Nominations Committee”. The sentence on “gender balance” becomes a commitment to diversity: the committee welcomes nominations of candidates of all genders, ethnicities, religions, career stages and backgrounds, including from under-represented regions and communities. Why: “balance” implied a binary; the EC asked for wording on diversity. The regional representation and stratified-vote rules are unchanged.
• §4 Election: the ballot goes out “not less than” 120 days before the AGM (was exactly 120 days). Returning ballots by fax is removed. Why: a fixed day-count could not always be met; a minimum gives the Nominations Committee a workable calendar.
• §5 Succession: the two-term limit does not apply to the President and President-Elect. Why: the presidency has its own single-term rule in Art. VI §3.
• §6 Removal: the Members may remove an EC member for cause by a two-thirds vote at the AGM or at a special meeting of the Members; “cause” has the meaning given in Art. III §5. Why: the 2022 text referred to an undefined “business meeting” and did not define “cause”.
• §7 Vacancies: if the list of previous nominees is used up, the EC may choose from all Members entitled to vote (was Regular Members). Why: consistent with §2.
• §8 EC meetings: the EC meets as a full committee at least four times a year, including once before the AGM. Regional sessions held to accommodate time zones can act for the EC only if a quorum is present. Why: the 2022 text referred to an “Annual Meeting” of the EC, which does not exist and was confused with the scientific meeting. The new text describes how the EC actually works.
• §9 Notice of EC meetings: by email or other electronic means chosen by the EC member (post, telephone and personal delivery are removed). Why: matches practice.
• §10 Quorum: more than half of the EC members in office, and never fewer than three. Why: “a majority of the entire Executive Committee” was unclear, because the By-laws set a maximum size, not a fixed number. The new rule follows Texas law and works when seats are vacant.
• §11 Action by the EC: attendance “by video conference, telephone or similar means” counts as presence (was “conference telephone”). Why: EC meetings are held by video.
• §12 Governance and delegation of authority (new). See main change 4.

• §1: the officers are the President, President-Elect, Secretary and Treasurer. The Past-President is no longer an officer. Why: see main change 1.
• §2 Eligibility: officers and the Treasurer-Elect must be Regular Members in good standing, aged 25 or over. Why: see main change 5.
• §3 Terms: President two years; President-Elect one year, becoming President automatically; no Member may serve more than one term as President. Secretary and Treasurer three years each, up to two consecutive terms. Treasurer elections are held in the incumbent’s second year, with a one-year Treasurer-Elect if a new person is elected. The outdated phrase “beginning in the election of 2014” is removed. Why: see main changes 1 and 2.
• §4 Election: elections cover the President-Elect, Secretary, and Treasurer or Treasurer-Elect. The Treasurer and Treasurer-Elect must be able to hold signing authority on the US bank accounts (replaces the US citizenship rule). Why: see main change 2.
• §5 Removal: an officer may be removed for cause by a two-thirds vote of the Members present at the AGM or a special meeting. Why: the 2022 text gave no voting threshold and did not define “cause”.
• §6 Vacancies: rewritten with one paragraph for each office. It fills three gaps: a vacant presidency when there is no President-Elect, succession by the Treasurer-Elect, and the signing-authority rule when the EC fills a Treasurer vacancy. A President-Elect chosen by the EC to fill a vacancy does not become President automatically; the Members elect the next President. Why: the 2022 text was hard to follow and did not cover these cases.
• §7 President and President-Elect: the President is the “chief elected officer” (was “chief executive officer”), chairs the EC and the Members’ meetings, and oversees the execution of EC policy through the Executive Director. The President-Elect has a separate paragraph: assists the President, substitutes when needed and carries out duties assigned by the EC. If there is no President-Elect, the Secretary substitutes. Why: see main change 3.
• §8 Secretary: the substitution rule moves to §7. Why: it was stated twice.
• §9 Treasurer: the Treasurer presents a statement of accounts at each full EC meeting (was “at the Annual Meeting of the EC”). Why: gives the EC quarterly financial oversight, in line with the four full meetings in Art. V §8.
• §10 Fellows: the President-Elect is added to the list of officer roles; “annual meeting” becomes “scientific meeting”; “Nominating Committee” becomes “Nominations Committee”. Why: consistency with the rest of the text.
• §11 Past-President: the EC may give a former President the honorary title of Past-President, with no seat, vote or duties. Why: see main change 1.

• §1 Appointment: the EC may appoint an Executive Director under a written agreement. The ED is a salaried position, not an officer, and serves at the pleasure of the EC.
• §2 Reporting and attendance: the ED reports to the EC, attends its meetings without a vote and without counting for the quorum, and withdraws from any discussion of their own appointment, pay, evaluation or removal.
• §3 Powers and duties: the ED manages day-to-day administration and operations, makes sure EC decisions are implemented, and directs staff. Financial operations remain under the direction of the Treasurer and the EC. The EC adopts a written description of the ED’s duties.
• §4 Vacancy: the EC takes over the administration and may name an interim.
• §5 Removal: by a majority of the EC members in office, in line with the ED’s written agreement.
• Why: see main change 3.

• §1: committee appointments must take geographic diversity into account. The sentences on the registered office in Texas move to Art. X, where they belong.
• §2 Nominations Committee: renamed throughout (was “Nominating”/“Nomination” Committee). The committee receives the list of voting Members from the Treasurer at least 130 days before the AGM (was 90 days), and the list covers all Members entitled to vote (was Regular Members). A Member endorsed for nomination is placed on the ballot only after confirming in writing that they are willing to serve. Why: in the 2022 text, the slate was due 130 days before the AGM, but the member list arrived only 90 days before, which made the timetable impossible. The written confirmation avoids putting people on the ballot who do not wish to stand.
• §3 Standing committees: adds that the standing committees and their Terms of Reference are those adopted by the EC and published on the ISBNPA website. Why: listing the committees in the By-laws would require a Members’ vote every time a committee is created or closed.
• §§4–8: headings now say “Committee” (for example “Committee Quorum”) so they are not confused with the EC rules in Art. V.
• §7 Committee quorum: more than half of the committee members in office, and never fewer than three (was “one-half”). Why: half is not a majority; consistent with the EC rule.

• Wording only: “the Corporation” becomes “the ISBNPA”. No change of substance.

• Wording only, plus the registered-office sentences moved here from the Committees article. No change of substance.

• No change.

• Gender-neutral wording; broken cross-references (for example “paragraph 10.01(a)”) are corrected to the right sections; repeated words are removed. No change of substance.

• The heading “Notice by Mail or Telegram” becomes “Notice by Mail or Email”, matching the text below it. Gender-neutral wording.

• §1 Commitment: ISBNPA protects the personal data of Members, scientific meeting participants, staff and others, and complies with the data protection laws that apply to it.
• §2 Accountability: the EC designates a data protection lead (the Executive Director, unless the EC decides otherwise), who oversees compliance and reports any serious data breach to the EC.
• §3 Data Protection Policy: the EC adopts and publishes a policy covering, among other things, the legal basis for processing, retention, individual rights, security, third-party processors, international transfers, breaches, and the use of AI recording, transcription and note-taking tools in ISBNPA meetings.
• §4 Review: the policy is reviewed at least once a year and can be updated without amending the By-laws.
• Why: ISBNPA holds personal data on members and meeting participants from many countries, and the 2022 By-laws said nothing about it. The By-laws set the principles; the detailed rules sit in a policy the EC can keep up to date as the law changes.

• §1: no discrimination on the basis of race, colour, religion, national origin, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability or any other characteristic protected by law, in membership, eligibility for office, committee appointments or any other ISBNPA activity.
• §2: ISBNPA will strive for diverse representation across gender, region, career stage and other dimensions, while welcoming all Members on the basis of merit and interest. This is a statement of values and does not create quotas.
• Why: writes ISBNPA’s existing commitment to an inclusive community into its founding rules.

• §4 Number and majority: adds that “a majority means more than one-half of the persons specified”. Why: “majority” was used in at least six different ways and never defined.
• Corporate seal: the section is deleted and the later sections renumbered. Why: ISBNPA does not use a seal.

• A proposal to amend may come from a majority of the EC or from at least 10% of the Members entitled to vote (was Regular Members). An amendment passes with a 60% majority of the Members entitled to vote who cast a ballot (was “Regular Members who vote”). Why: the 2022 text gave Student and ECR Members the vote in Art. III but left them out here. The new text applies the same voting rights to every vote.

Page prepared by the ISBNPA Executive Office on behalf of the Executive Committee. Last updated 28 October 2026.