CHORUS is a service run by CHOR, Inc., an independent nonprofit membership organization. CHOR, Inc. was incorporated in Delaware in October 2013, and was granted 501(c)(3) status by the US Internal Revenue Service, retroactive to that date.

CHORUS’ mission is to support and promote open access to and continued availability of publications reporting on funded research by leveraging new and existing digital technologies that are used by the publishing and scholarly communications community.  Our objectives are consistent with our nonprofit status.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

CHORUS is governed by a Board of Directors (the “Board”) that is composed of 12 to 18 persons, the majority of whom must represent US 501(c)(3) or foreign nonprofit entities. Board candidates will be proposed by either a Nominating Committee or a group of members.

MEMBERS

The Board determines and amends the rights, duties, privileges and requirements of membership, and sets annual membership fees and other special fees and assessments. CHORUS has two classes of members:  Publisher Members, who have voting rights and whose representatives may be elected to serve on the Board, and Affiliate Members, who have voting rights and whose representatives may also be elected to serve on the Board.

  • Publisher Members. Any entity actively engaged in the business of publishing original scholarly materials and/or professional materials can join CHORUS as a Publisher Member if it meets the terms and conditions of membership, signs a Publisher Membership agreement and pays dues, and is approved by the Board or the Executive Director (as empowered by the Board). The Publisher Members exercise their voting rights through a representative whom they designate.
  • Affiliate Members. Any entity participating in scholarly communications other than publishing can join CHORUS as an Affiliate Member if it meets the terms and conditions of membership, signs an affiliate membership agreement and pays dues, and is approved by the Board or the Executive Director (as empowered by the Board).
  • Members may be terminated by the Executive Director, for failure to pay dues, or by the Board, for failure to comply with the terms of the membership agreement.

Members exercise influence over CHORUS policy and governance through election of directors and by serving on the Board.  Members are not otherwise directly involved in setting strategy, membership terms or fees, or other operational decisions (except as required by law for major transactions such as a merger), but can influence those decisions through participating in Working Groups and Advisory Committees.   Other stakeholders in the scholarly communications community can also influence the operation of CHORUS by participating in Working Groups and Advisory Committees, as approved by the Board.

BOARD COMMITTEES

The Board is authorized to create Board Committees (e.g. Executive Committee, Audit Committee). The Board has appointed a Nominating and Governance Committee to develop and recommend a slate of prospective candidates for consideration by the Board and election by the membership of the organization and advise the board on matters of governance. Those interested in participating in the Nominating and Governance Committee or otherwise volunteering with CHORUS, please contact us.

WORKING GROUPS/ADVISORY COMMITTEES

CHORUS currently has the following Working Groups:  Technical Working Group and Communications Working Group. They actively advise the Board and the Executive Director on policy and operations. CHORUS is also in the process of creating additional advisory groups.  Those interested in participating in CHORUS Working Groups, Advisory Committees or otherwise volunteering with CHORUS, please contact us.

Learn more about the CHORUS Team on the Our Team page.