Companies applying for membership of STM are required to make a formal written application using the forms provided on the Association website.  All applications are reviewed by the STM Board to ensure that applicants adhere to the high professional standards of STM members. The STM Board has sole discretion over the admission of members. Members of STM have agreed to abide by this code of conduct.

Members should not indulge in any practices or activities that could bring the Association or scholarly, professional or scientific publishing into disrepute

Members should follow the STM Ethical Principles for Scholarly Publishing or equivalent statements of their own making or of other bodies such as the Committee on Publication Ethics.

The status of any peer-reviewed publication should be clear. The process and policies relating to peer review should be clearly outlined on the publication’s or the publisher’s website

Where a publication has an editorial board or other governing body, its members should be recognised experts in the field(s) that constitute the scope of the publication

Any fees or charges related to publishing services in a journal should be clearly stated and be easy to find

Members should seek to eliminate barriers to participation in research publishing, extending equitable opportunities across all stakeholders

Members should aim to support their communities in achieving diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility within their organisations

This code of Conduct is regularly reviewed and revised by the STM Board, to encourage and to ensure consistent high standards in STM publishing.

This document is also available in PDF.