TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR ACORN MEMBERS

Mission Statement

To develop a set of core outcome measures for universal adoption in acne clinical trials, using consensus based methods and involving relevant stakeholders across the globe.

Membership of ACORN

  1. Membership of ACORN is open to everyone with an interest in the clinical assessment of acne and its impact on the lives of patients
  2. There is no membership fee and members are free to withdraw at any time
  3. Contributions to the work of ACORN will be on a voluntary (unpaid) basis unless a member applies for, and is appointed to, a grant funded post.
  4. Whilst there is no minimum commitment, we respectfully ask members not to promise contributions which they subsequently cannot deliver on time

Participation in Activities

There are lots of different ways members can make an active contribution to ACORN’s research projects. Whether you’re an expert or novice, with lots of time to spare or very little, we value your input. Here are some ideas:

  • Identifying and locating relevant articles
  • Extracting data for systematic reviews
  • Synthesizing and analyzing data
  • Helping to develop novel methods of assessment
  • Helping to evaluate existing methods and validate new ones
  • Recruiting participants for primary data gathering exercises
  • Chairing virtual meetings and producing minutes
  • Helping to devise methods for managing and sharing large amounts of information
  • Drafting manuscripts for publication
  • Publicizing and promoting what we do locally, nationally or internationally
  • Helping us to raise funds to continue the work of ACORN

Benefits of membership and Acknowledgement of Input

When completed, it is anticipated that the core outcome measure set identified and devised by ACORN will be used in all future clinical trials of acne therapies no matter who conducts them or where they are performed. Joining ACORN is your chance to be part of this ground-breaking project.

Each year, members will be invited to attend an ACORN get together, which at the beginningmaybe held alongside the American Academy of Dermatology Annual meeting or another agreed upon venue.

Regarding manuscripts submitted for publication, we will adhere to the authorship criteria set down by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (the Vancouver group). The latest version (2001) states that “Authorship credit should be based only on:

(1) Substantial contributions to conception and design, or acquisition of data, or analysis and

interpretation of data;

(2) drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content; and

(3) final approval of the version to be published

Conditions (1), (2), and (3) must all be met”. Substantial individual contributions which do not meet these criteria will be credited in the Acknowledgments section of the relevant manuscript(s).

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