Policies

The Trust project

SciDev.Net is proud to be part of The Trust Project, a global initiative to recognise credible news outlets. It means that, along with organisations such as the BBC, Sky News, The Economist and El Pais, we have agreed to a common set of rules on transparency and editorial values. For more information, please visit The Trust Project website.

Terms of use

If you have seen an article, photograph, headline, graphic, or any other item on SciDev.Net that you would like to reproduce, please contact us. Whatever your republishing needs, we will be happy to assist.

Diversity of voices statement

SciDev.Net has diversity at its core – our primary objective is to highlight science and technology being done in the global South. Scidev.Net has contributors in around 80 countries globally, and we aim to seek out regional researchers and get comments from people on the ground, seeking comment from those whose lives are affected by scientific developments. We also ensure a balance between male and female voices in our articles.

Anonymity policy

SciDev.Net respects the need of some sources to remain anonymous to protect their safety or safeguard their jobs, and will never divulge the identity of its sources without their consent. We also allow journalists to write without a byline if their association with an article would put them in danger. In these circumstances, SciDev.Net editors are happy to pass any message on to the journalist, should anyone want to contact them.

Creative commons

SciDev.Net makes the written content of this website available for use by others under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence.

Under the terms of this licence you are permitted to:

If you wish to reproduce SciDev.Net material on another website, please make sure that:

  • You have to credit our authors
  • You have to credit SciDev.Net with a link back to the original article and where possible include our logo with a link back to the homepage
  • You can simply run the first few lines of the article and then add: “Read the full article on SciDev.Net” containing a link back to the original article
  • If you want to also take images published in a story, you will need to confirm with the original source that you are licensed to use them

Some documents and photos have been published on this site with the permission of the relevant copyright owners (who are not SciDev.Net). All rights are reserved on these documents, and permission to copy them must be requested from the copyright owners (the sources are indicated within these documents/photographs).

Guidelines on the use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) at SciDev.Net

1. When we use AI, the source material will be our own unique and exclusive content, unless we indicate otherwise.
2. AI might have been involved in checking, data-mining, summarising, translating, grammatical advice. AI output will always be checked by humans at each stage.
3. We always check with contributors (op-eds, freelancers) to be sure submissions are not generated by AI, and conduct spot checks with AI checking tools.
4. Audio visual content - we avoid using AI to produce photo-realistic content, we might use AI to produce infographics. When we use AI to generate images, we use systems which ensure the correct copyrights are paid, and always flag the use of AI to our readers.
5. Any use of AI where the source material is not based on our content will be clearly labelled and conform to our values of trustworthiness and integrity.

SciDev.Net complies with the AI policy of its parent organization CABI.

Community guidelines

Our commenting facility offers a platform for our users to discuss content, debate issues and encourage intelligent discussions on science and development. To ensure that everyone has a useful time on our site, we hope you will follow a few basic rules. These guidelines outline what we consider to be acceptable and unacceptable. We may update these guidelines from time to time, so please read them before posting.

Cookies

SciDev.Net, like most websites, use cookies to improve our services and your user experience. If you have any queries about our use of cookies or would like more information about them, please contact us.

If you want to know more about cookies generally, please visit Wikipedia or the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) website, which provides independent advice and guidance about data protection and freedom of information.

Privacy policies

SciDev.Net is committed to providing high-quality information and services about the role and impact of science and technology in the developing world. We are committed to protecting your privacy, and information will not be disclosed to third parties without your prior consent. Information we collect from users of the site will be stored securely by us on computers in the UK.

Signing-up with SciDev.Net

Signing-up with SciDev.Net means you can automatically receive our free email alerts, which feature the latest material posted on the website. You can select email options relevant to your areas of interest in English, French, Spanish or Arabic.

We encourage our readers to express their opinions, and to facilitate this we have introduced a comment box after every article on the website. We require users of this service to sign up with us to avoid misuse, and for comments to be personalised.

Another key benefit offered by registration is free access to our notices service. This lets you post relevant grants, jobs, events and other announcements. The notices are included within our weekly email alerts, and therefore reach a wide audience of relevant individuals. When signing up on the SciDev.Net website we require some personal information, including your name, profession, country and email address. We also ask some further questions in order to gain a clearer understanding of our users as a whole.

These relate to your profession and place of work.

Your personal information is password protected for security, and you can access and change your details and requirements at any time. Signing up with SciDev.Net is free and you can unsubscribe online or by emailing [email protected] with your details. We reserve the right to contact you by email from time to time about our activities, or to invite you to participate in surveys to help improve our services.

As this data is stored in the United Kingdom, you have certain rights in British law under the Data Protection Acts 1984 and 1988. In particular, you have the right to be told what personal information we hold about you on our databases. If you require further information, you should write to us at:

SciDev.Net
CABI
Nosworthy Way
Wallingford
Oxfordshire
OX10 8DE, UK

If you are concerned about how your information is used, we recommend that you review this privacy statement periodically, as SciDev.Net may update it from time to time.

If you feel that this site is not following its stated information policy, you may contact us at [email protected]. We will be sure to address your concerns.

Comments, corrections, complaints and feedback policy

For its methodology, SciDev.Net adheres to the International Federation of Journalists’ Global Charter of Ethics. It seeks to ensure that its news, feature and multimedia pieces are accurate, truthful and balanced, and that the editorial and opinion pieces it publishes discuss issues in a fair way, representing the genuine opinions of their authors.

SciDev.Net also seeks to ensure that all external material to which it links is reliable and authoritative. However, we do not take responsibility for the accuracy of such material or the views that it may contain.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you feel we have failed to meet any of the above criteria, following the procedures set out below.

If you have a comment about a particular article, please add it to the section under each article. Please take time to read our community guidelines.

If you are unhappy with how a request for a correction, or a complaint about an item on the website has been handled, please email [email protected], setting out your concerns.

The director and editor will then decide if further action is required. You will be notified of any resulting action no later than three months after your initial complaint was received.

Anti-bribery policy

Introduction and anti-bribery statement

Bribery and corruption are found in all countries. They hurt the poor disproportionately, diverting resources intended for development and humanitarian assistance and increasing the costs of basic public services. They undermine economic growth and are a barrier to poverty alleviation, fair dealings and equal treatment, and good governance. Often, bribery and corruption can aggravate conflict and insecurity.

There is a risk that corruption will prevent NGOs achieving their objectives, especially when they are working in countries where there are high levels of corruption. Suggestions that an NGO is linked to bribery in any way can be damaging to its reputation and undermine the trust and support of beneficiaries, partners, the wider public, statutory and other funding institutions and donors. Public concern about the impact of bribery and corruption is a critical issue in building broad public support for aid and development in the UK.

SciDev.Net is committed to acting, and being seen to act, in a way that is honest and transparent. It is equally committed to ensuring that those organisations it works with share and uphold the same values. The UK Bribery Act 2010 has reinforced the need for NGOs to have in place effective measures for preventing bribery. Failure to do so increases the risk of prosecution under the Act.

SciDev.Net is committed to maintaining high ethical standards and preventing bribery and corruption. It expects its partner NGOs, staff, coordinators, consultants, contributors and agents to operate a similar approach, and will monitor the policies and procedures of its partners to ensure this is the case, providing appropriate guidance and support.