PEDAGREE Membership
Membership of PEDAGREE is open to anyone in Australia or New Zealand, from any discipline who has research interests in the fields of paediatric gastroenterology, hepatology or nutrition.
There is no membership fee.
Upon submitting an Application for Membership to the Membership Secretary (as a representative of the Executive), membership will be confirmed and valid for two years.
The Executive will maintain a list of members. At the end of each two-year period, members will be asked to confirm their membership for a further term.
Members can be involved in and contribute to research projects conducted through PEDAGREE. Members can submit a proposal for a research study to the Executive with a view to the project being conducted within the network.
Members will expect to receive regular communications from the Executive. This might include study updates, provision of information about courses (e.g. GCP) and opportunities for professional development. Members will also receive invitations to attend Network meetings, including (but not limited to) an annual event where a report detailing events conducted within the Network over that year is presented.
Guidelines for authorship
PEDAGREE is a research network linking people with research interests in gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition in children and adolescents across Australasia.
Authors should fulfil standard and accepted criteria for authorship definition inclusion as detailed in the following:
Defining the Role of Authors and Contributors
The key considerations are:
- Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis or interpretation of data for the work, AND
- Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; AND
- Final approval of the version to be published; AND
- Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved
Typically, the first author will be the person responsible for the first draft of the manuscript. The lead investigator for a specific project will usually be listed as senior author. The senior author will also be the corresponding author. Shared roles (e.g. shared first author, or shared senior author) will be used as appropriate. Other investigators included in the specific project would be listed between first author(s) and senior author(s) in alphabetical order, unless a specific project warrants a variation in the order.
Authorship (inclusion, order and roles) for an individual project should be considered and outlined in the initial project proposal document. Subsequent additions or variations in the authorship plan should be agreed upon within the project team and the Study Steering Group during the course of the study and finalised prior to the initial drafting of the manuscript arising. Disagreement during this time should be referred to the Executive.
When the number of investigators involved in the study exceeds the specific journal guidelines for the number of authors, the project team (and Study Steering Group) should reach a suitable agreement for authorship. This may mean, for instance, that only one individual from each study site is listed. If the total number of listed authors is restricted, the list of named authors should be followed by the term “on behalf of PEDAGREE”. All contributors to the project should then be listed in the appropriate section in the manuscript (for example, the Acknowledgement section).
Ethical Behaviours among PEDAGREE Members and Investigators
The “intellectual property” of a project conducted through PEDAGREE belongs primarily to the principal investigator(s) and secondarily to the participating investigators.
Once an investigator has agreed to participate in a particular PEDAGREE study, the investigator should not undertake any conflicting study that could interfere with their capacity to perform the PEDAGREE study. Further, individual investigators (and sites) will not be permitted to present/publish site-specific results that otherwise compete with the overall study reports.
Any concern about inappropriate behaviour within the context of the network should be referred to the Executive for resolution. This process will be conducted with strict confidentiality. Following investigation into the concern, which will include sourcing relevant written testimony, the Executive will reach a conclusion and advise the parties accordingly. Possible outcomes of this review process may include a written warning, suspension or loss of membership.
Any member can appeal such a decision. Appeals will be managed by the establishment of an Appeals Committee, which will comprise three non-Executive members and be chaired a member of the Executive.
PEDAGREE Research projects
Research projects conducted through the network will focus on aspects of paediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition.
Research projects will typically be expected to involve at least four sites working together.
Projects would usually align with existing or recent endeavours.
Projects should be outlined on the two-page study proposal form. The proposal will then be submitted to the Executive for endorsement. Upon submission, project proposals will be reviewed by the members of the Executive. Proposals will be added to the agenda of the next available meeting of the Executive and distributed by email as a meeting agenda item. The Executive would review this proposal with regards criteria of suitability, alignment and scientific merit. Upon approval/endorsement, an outline of the study will then be circulated within the network, and additional sites may be recruited/join at that stage. During these stages all project documents are to be considered confidential.
Study proposal form (DOCX)
Contingent upon a project being conducted within the network, all projects are required to have a Study Steering Group (SSG). The SSG will include the key investigators involved in the study, at least one member of the Executive, and others as required/appropriate (including individuals outside the network). The SSG will be expected to meet at appropriate intervals and to minute meetings. The SSG will be expected to provide quarterly updates to the Executive. Any disagreement within the SSG should be referred to the Executive.
The Lead Investigator(s) and the SSG should assume responsibility for undertaking processes such as review of the project by the relevant ethics committee, assistance to sites for site-specific authorisation and ongoing maintenance of ethics committee requirements (including amendments and annual reports as required). Initial agreement about Authorship should be discussed and updated as required within the SSG. The SSG should also prepare an initial publication plan to be sorted within SSG: this plan should encompass an outline of potential publications arising from the work (e.g. Protocol, Primary outcomes, Secondary/Subsequent outcomes), the potential relevant journals, a timeline for the work, an outline of responsibilities and consideration of potential conference presentations. Although this Plan may evolve over the course of the study, it can be used as a guide and a point for discussion within the SSG.
Prior to commencement of a Network study, the SSG should establish rules of interaction between all involved investigators: these should include topics such as agreement about the publication plan, the undertaking of future supplementary studies, access to study data and the subsequent use of clinical material collected during the study.
PEDAGREE must be acknowledged in all academic presentations/publications.
PEDAGREE Executive
The Executive will provide leadership, governance and oversight roles for the Network. The Executive will consist of a broad representation of Paediatric GI centres across Australasia.
The Executive will comprise between 8 and 12 members. Positions will be held for 2 year terms, with the option to be re-appointed for a further term. Named positions on the Executive will include a Chair, a Membership Secretary and a Secretary.
The Executive will meet monthly. Meetings will be preceded by circulation of an agenda (at least one week prior) and followed by circulation of minutes detailing the meeting (within the week after the meeting).
The Executive will circulate communications and updates to Members as appropriate. An annual report of activities conducted within the preceding year will be circulated and presented at a suitable forum. The Executive may convene further joint meetings or support other communications.
The Executive will convene additional meetings (such as an Appeals committee) from time to time as required, and will support Network projects and activities (such as inclusion in SSG). The Executive will also act on behalf of the Network in communications with external parties (e.g. Industry) and in activities such as funding submissions.
- Andrew Day, University of Otago Christchurch/Christchurch Hospital, Christchurch, NZ
- Helen Evans, Starship Child Health/University of Auckland, Auckland, NZ
- Amin Roberts, Starship Child Health/University of Auckland, Auckland, NZ
- Jason Yap, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
- Shaun Ho, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
- Chee Y (Keith) Ooi, UNSW/Sydney Children's Hospital, Sydney, Australia
- Usha Krishnan, UNSW/Sydney Children's Hospital, Sydney, Australia
- Shoma Dutt, Children's Hospital at Westmead/University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Kunal Thacker, Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, Australia
- Nikhil Thapar, Queensland Children's Hospital/University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- Ajay Sharma, Joondalup Health Campus, Perth, Australia
Contact details
Chair and general enquiries
Professor Andrew Day
Paediatrics, University of Otago, Christchurch
Division of Health Sciences
Email andrew.day@otago.ac.nz
Membership
Dr Amin Roberts
Email amin.roberts@adhb.govt.nz