AGA Institute Publications Committee
This Organizational Statement was last revised by the AGA Institute Governing Board, (5) VOTED, November 2015.
Mission
To provide advice and guidance to the Governing Board on the financial and editorial strategies of existing and proposed publications (including both print and digital distribution), on the publications needed to fulfill the goals of the Strategic Plan, and on trends and developments in scientific publishing. The committee also provides general oversight of AGA publications, including development of relevant publication policies.
Committee Functions
In carrying out its duties, the committee will:
- Develop common strategic approaches to publishing to support the Strategic Plan and organizational priorities, including business plans.
- Identify and evaluate common challenges, opportunities and innovations in publishing and recommend approaches that are efficient, and editorially and fiscally sound.
- Foster synergy and collaboration among AGA’s portfolio of print and digital publications, including news and social media, so as to avoid substantial overlap and to maximize their effectiveness.
- The medical-scientific content of AGA publications is the purview of their respective editors and is not subject to committee review or oversight unless specifically requested by the editors. Any nontrivial changes proposed by the editors involving publication design, format, content organization or procedures must be reviewd by the committee. If the committee believes that a proposed change may adversely affect the finances or reputation of the publication or AGA, or may have adverse legal consequences, this opinion along with the committee’s recommendation, shall be transmitted to the governing board for consideration.
- Review the financial performance of the publications relative to established budgets and financial parameters.
- Review the financial performance of the publications relative to established budgets and financial parameters.
- Establish, and revise as necessary, policies on ethics, fees, advertising, press embargo and conflicts of interest.
- Establish request for proposals for editors and appoint two members from the committee to sit on the editor selection committee in accordance with the established editor selection policy. (Note: these members must not have any conflicts of interest with the editor candidates or their proposed associated editors) and to review recommendations made by the selection committee.
- Review reports of the publication editorial boards to assure quality of publications, as measured by — but not limited to — impact factors for the journals, and timely and efficient review processes.
Committee Structure
The committee consists of seven members (including a chair), plus a trainee. One member shall be in private practice. The secretary/treasurer and secretary/treasurer-elect, if applicable (who shall not count against the maximum membership) serve as voting, ex officio members. The editors of Gastroenterology, Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, AGA Perspectives, GI & Hepatology News, and The New Gastroenterologist, and the editor for online journals (who shall not count against the maximum membership) shall serve as non-voting, ex officio members. A councillor from the governing board (who shall not count against the maximum membership) will be assigned as a liaison to the committee. Additional members of the governing board (who shall not count against the maximum membership) may be assigned as team members to the committee but are not intended to attend any committee meetings.
A committee member may not serve in any capacity for another organization’s or publisher’s gastroenterology/hepatology-related periodical during his/her appointment that involves manuscript selection, or editorial, financial or strategic decisions. (Serving simply as a manuscript reviewer is acceptable.) Exceptions to this policy may be made by the AGA Institute Ethics Committee on a case-by-case basis.
Meetings
The committee is authorized to hold two face-to-face meetings per year, one in September and one at Digestive Disease Week®, and teleconferences as needed.
Members
- Mel Wilcox, MD (chair)
- Andrew T. Chan, MD, MPH, AGAF (governing board liaison)
- Andres J. Yarur, MD
- Avinash G. Ketwaroo, MD
- Laurel R. Fisher, MD, AGAF
- Nadia Ameen, MBBS, AGAF
- Ajay Goel, PhD, AGAF
- Benjamin Lebwohl, MD, AGAF
- Cassandra Fritz, MD (trainee member)
- John I. Allen, MD, MBA, AGAF (ex-officio)
- Megan A. Adams, MD, JD, MSc (ex-officio)
- David Weinberg, MD, MSc, AGAF (ex-officio)
- Paul Moayyedi, MD, PhD, AGAF (ex-officio)
- Klaus Kaestner, PhD (ex-officio)
- Michael Pack, MD (ex-officio)
- Charles Kahi, MD, AGAF (ex-officio)
- Vijaya Rao, MD (ex-officio)
- Vinod K. Rustgi, MD, AGAF (ex-officio)
- Shanthi Srinivasan, MD, AGAF (ex-officio)
- Michael L. Kochman, MD, AGAF
- Vinay Chandrasekhara, MD
