FEBS NETWORK – COMMUNITY POLICY

As a FEBS Network participant you agree to our Terms of Use as well as this Community Policy:

1.  Complete your profile

Complete your profile accurately and informatively, and keep it up to date, to help the FEBS Network’s goal of fostering connections in the molecular life sciences. Information on how we use the details you provide can be found in our Privacy Policy.

2.  Ensure your contributions are constructive and relevant

The ultimate aim of the FEBS Network is to help advance progress in the molecular life sciences. Posts and discussion should share constructive insight, advice, approaches, comment or news, and/or promote connections and collaborations, that are relevant to this research area and scientists working in these fields.

3.  If you have a personal connection to a story or topic, disclose your connection or, where appropriate, do not contribute at all

4.  Don't violate someone else's privacy

You can post your own personal details and contact information (but do remember that this is a public forum), but don't post anyone else's personal details or contact information.

5.  Be yourself; please never impersonate another person

6.  Don’t sell or promote stuff

Ensure your profile and contributions are not of a promotional nature, unless you have received permission for this from the FEBS Network team. Demonstration of expertise is much more valuable than promotion of a company, product or service. If you have a product or service to sell or promote, contact us about advertising and sponsorship opportunities.

7.  Cite your sources

Attribute quotes and paraphrased comments to their proper sources.

8.  Don't infringe copyright

If you want to upload a copy of an image, text, video or any other content, make sure you have the right to reproduce them on the FEBS Network. Posting copyright material without permission may be unlawful. If you want to discuss someone else’s work, summarise it in your own words in a manner which does not infringe copyright.

The FEBS Network has endorsed the ‘Voluntary principles for article sharing on scholarly collaboration networks’ from the STM Association, presented on the How Can I Share It? website. Before sharing articles on the FEBS Network, you must ensure you have the right to do so by checking the guidelines from the article’s publisher. Additional tools to check your paper’s access and usage rights are available at http://www.howcanishareit.com.

9.  Don't post inappropriate links

You can only post links to another website if the content on that other site abides with this Policy, and if that other website allows you to post links to their website.

10.  Remember this is a public forum

With the exception of private rooms on the FEBS Network, once your contribution is online, everyone with Internet access may be able to read it. Don't forget that you are legally responsible for what you submit. Please consider how others could perceive your contribution. Please make your contribution clear to ensure that it is not misunderstood. Many different types of people may view your contribution.

11. Keep private rooms private

Private rooms are special areas of the FEBS Network open only to those invited to enter the room, such as members of a certain community group or delegates attending an event. Content published only to the room such as posts from contributors, conversations and directory lists must not be shared, copied or otherwise distributed beyond the room.

12.  Watch your language

Please be polite. Do not use swear words, profane, crude or sexual language.

13.  Don’t be libellous or abusive

You must not make or encourage contributions that are:

• Defamatory, false or misleading;
• Insulting, threatening or abusive;
• Obscene or of a sexual nature;
• Offensive, racist, sexist, homophobic or discriminatory against any religions or other groups.

14.  Report inappropriate content

Please help us maintain high standards of participation. If you consider that a profile or contribution does not comply with this Policy please report it. This facility should be used where content is in breach of our Policy, not simply because you disagree with something said.

The FEBS Network team reserves the right (although not the obligation) to take down any contribution that it feels to be unsuitable, or which is reported as being unsuitable. In such an instance, the person that made the contribution will be notified. If you are aware that contribution has been removed, you must not deliberately resubmit the same contribution. In addition, the FEBS Network team reserves the right (although not the obligation) to delete user accounts of spammers or others who do not abide by the Terms of Use and Community Guidelines.

Updated 20 May 2021