The Policy Page 2

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The France Foundation Web Site

Introduction
When the World Wide Web was introduced, the vast amount of information made available invoked concerns that Web users would perceive all data as credible ideas or proposals. While tools have been developed to monitor the quality of information, there is no “gold standard” for health care information found on the Internet. The guidelines for posting health care information continue to grow. Function, structure, and content are the main factors used to evaluate material as it appears on a Web site. Reliable methods for evaluating the impact of such material on clinical practice have not yet been developed. Therefore, assessing the quality of content on a Web site depends on the same factors used in print publications: authorship and attribution of content, funding and competing interest disclosures, and timeliness of the information presented.

Information posted on The France Foundation Web site follows specific guidelines incorporating those developed for print materials: proper identification of authors and contributors; attribution of all information sources; disclosures; financing; advertising; conflicts of interest; and dates of content posting and updating. Quality-assurance methods are also explicitly stated, particularly if editorial comments are posted. Any inclusion of advertisement or commercial sponsorship does not influence the editorial or educational content of the Web site and is easily discernible. The Privacy Policy is explicit and preserves all individual rights to privacy and confidentiality. The primary goal of these guidelines is to map out the development, maintenance, and review processes of The France Foundation Web site. Adherence to these principles facilitates the site for use by all.

Guidelines for The France Foundation Web Site

The following guidelines apply to The France Foundation Web site. These guidelines are The France Foundation’s policy for Web sites as well as for the information contained on them. They are established in a constantly evolving environment and are reviewed and revised regularly to ensure that they reflect current technology and practice.

The France Foundation Web Site Steering Committee reviews and revises the guidelines regularly. The committee seeks review and comment from individuals outside The France Foundation when expertise is required for Web-based content, advertising, privacy and confidentiality, and e-commerce.

I. Principles for Content
The France Foundation is committed to providing high-quality medical and health information through its Web site. All who access the site are provided the information, navigational assistance, and tools necessary to judge the quality, reliability, objectivity, sources, and funding of the content posted on the site.

Definition of Content
The France Foundation defines content as all material text, graphics, equations, tables, audio and video, as well as menu and directional icons, indicators, listings, bars, and indexes. The guidelines for The France Foundation Web site also address functions that support any content for which there are links, navigation, searches, or calculations.

Site Ownership
Ownership of The France Foundation Web Site, including affiliations, strategic alliances, and significant investors, is clearly indicated on the home page or through a direct link from the home page.

The France Foundation clearly notes all copyright ownership of specific content on the site and on items printed from the site.

Trademarks, service marks, or logos of The France Foundation are noted clearly on the site and on items printed from the site. The unauthorized use of any trademark, service mark, or logo is a violation of federal and state trademark laws.

Viewing the Site
The France Foundation Web site provides easy-to-find information about platform and browser requirements to achieve optimal viewing.

Viewer Access, Privacy
The France Foundation clearly indicates information regarding restrictions on access to content sections where registration is required and sections that are password protected.

Information regarding privacy is provided and easy to find. Please refer to the Privacy Policy link for more details.

Sponsorship and Other Funding
Sponsorship and funding for specific content found on The France Foundation Web site is clearly indicated and complies with our policy on Sponsorship/Other Funding listed below.

Editorial Content Quality
Unless otherwise noted, guidelines for editorial content review, posting dates, and sources are in keeping with the experience within The France Foundation and within the guidelines noted by other scientific publications and Web sites.

Review
All content posted on The France Foundation Web site is reviewed for quality, originality, accuracy, and reliability before posting. When content is clinical in nature, it is reviewed by experts not involved in the creation of the submitted work. Reviewers have the right to request a revised submission. Reviews are conducted at the level of which the content is comprised and, therefore, may include peer review requirements.

The language of the content posted to The France Foundation Web site is in keeping with the site’s primary audience, medical professionals. Content is reviewed for grammar, spelling, and composition before posting.

Those responsible for the quality of the content posted to The France Foundation Web site, other than anonymous peer reviewers, are listed on the site.

Timeliness of Editorial Content
The France Foundation clearly indicates the date on which editorial content is posted, revised, or updated. Significant revisions to materials, or addition of content due to new study data, are accompanied by instructions to discard copies of previous versions printed or downloaded. Procedures for updating and removing time-sensitive materials are periodically reviewed to ensure that the process is appropriate.

Sources of Editorial Content
Sources for specific content are clearly identified by author byline, individual name, organization, agency, institution, department, and so on.

Affiliations and relevant financial disclosures for the authors and content producer are clearly indicated.

If made available, individuals who post content in online chat rooms, discussion boards, or e-lists are instructed to disclose financial interests, commercial funding, or affiliations related to the subject posted.

Reference material used in the development of the editorial content is cited in a manner appropriate for the site’s audience.

Linking
The France Foundation reviews all links to other sites—both within and outside the site content—before posting. Through an established maintenance and monitoring program, nonfunctional links are repaired in a timely manner.

External site links to all commercial sites comply with the section on Sponsorship and Other Funding below. For external links, the viewer is shown a page announcing that he/she is leaving The France Foundation Web site. This page also provides the viewer the opportunity to go back to The France Foundation Web site.

Intersite Navigation
The France Foundation Web site does not prevent viewers from returning to a previous site, and it does not redirect viewers to a site they do not intend to visit. The France Foundation Web site does not frame other sites unless permitted to do so. All permissions are maintained while framing is active.

Downloading Files
For content that can be downloaded in a portable document file (PDF) format, The France Foundation provides easy-to-find instructions regarding how to download the PDF file and how to obtain the necessary software to do so.