CODS-COMAD Ethics & Diversity Code

CODS-COMAD 2024 Welcomes and Embraces Everyone

In line with ACM’s diversity and inclusion statement, the International Joint Conference on Data Science and Management of Data (CODS COMAD) organized by the India Chapter of the ACM SIGKDD (IKDD) aim to provide a safe, respectful, inclusive, and harassment-free environment for all participants and audiences, regardless of their race, caste, class, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, disability, body type, physical appearance, religious beliefs, age, national or ethnic origin, marital status, dietary requirements, education, neurotype, and childbirth- and pregnancy-related medical conditions.

We welcome attendance and participation from historically under-represented and marginalised groups and value conference contributions by speakers, participants, and audiences from different backgrounds. We will do our best to accommodate specific needs, such as accessibility, childcare, or dietary requirements, to the extent that conference resources and local conditions and availability will allow.

Harassment is unwelcome or hostile behaviour, including speech that intimidates, creates discomfort, or interferes in an ACM SIGKDD Organization event. Harassment in any form, including but not limited to harassment based on race, caste, class, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, disability, body type, physical appearance, religious beliefs, age, national or ethnic origin, marital or familial status, dietary requirements, education, neurotype, or medical conditions, will not be tolerated. Harassment includes but is not limited to overt and/or covert acts of:

  • Verbal accusations or bullying
  • Demeaning language or degrading verbal comments
  • Deliberate intimidation, stalking, or following both in-person and online
  • Harassing photography or recording
  • Sustained disruption of talks or other events
  • Interference with a person’s participation or opportunity for participation
  • Inappropriate physical contact
  • Unwelcome sexual attention
  • Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behaviour

We expect all interactions between attendees to be respectful and constructive, including interactions during the review process, at the conference itself, and on social media.

In keeping with the ACM Anti-Harassment Policy, CODS-COMAD will implement the following:
Due internal process will be followed by the conference organizers, in all cases involving or alleging harassment. Conference participants who are deemed to have violated these standards may be sanctioned, expelled from the conference or asked not to attend future conferences or conference events, at the discretion of the conference organisers and the CODS-COMAD Steering Committee. CODS-COMAD reserves the right to reject any material that we find offensive or inappropriate and will not refund any expenses incurred.

If you believe you have been harassed or notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, you are encouraged to report the incident in confidence to either of the conference General chairs or the Diversity and Inclusion chairs.

This statement has been adapted for use by the CODS-COMAD / International Conference on Data Science and Management of Data from the ACM CompEd 2023 conference statement. Its use in this manner has been kindly approved by Prof. Venkatesh Choppella (IIIT Hyderabad) and Prof. Deepak B. Phatak (IIT Bombay), who served as Conference chairs for ACM CompEd 2023, and by Prof. Nazia Akhtar (IIIT Hyderabad) and Prof. Radhika Krishnan (IIIT Hyderabad), the DEIA chairs at that conference who drafted the previous version of the statement.