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Originating Author Guidelines

What is “Originating Author?”

“Originating Author” is a special designation given to a Lead Editor of an Article and is indicated on the website in three ways:

By a Laurel symbol next to the Originating Author’s name on the Article page
By listing the name of the Article to a section of the Editor’s profile called “Originating Author”
By permanently putting the Editors name next to the Article’s name and date in an Originating Authors area

To be considered as the “Originating Author” of an Article, an Editor must

Create a new page -- or take an existing page with very little information on it -- and transform it into an Article of very high quality
Request Originating Author credit by checking the box at the bottom off the editing page.
Be approved as the Originating Author by Medpedia Admins (over time, as Topic Committees become filled out and functional, they will begin approving Originating Author status, instead of Medpedia Admins)

Requirements

To be approved as an Originating Author is a subjective process whose parameters will evolve over time. As of early 2009, the general approval parameters are that

The Article must include a brief introduction at the top, followed by at least 7 or more sections of content fully filled-out content with supporting images and video if appropriate
The Article must contain a minimum of four or more excellent references
The writing should be up-to-date and error-free and read like a native speaker of English
If the Article is a Plain Engish Article, it should be written at a 9th-to 11th grade reading level . If it is Clinical Article, it should be written at a , technical level of quality that it could be submitted to a high quality peer-reviewed medical journal

The quality and depth required to earn Originating Author status will increase over time as the overall quality of the Medpedia content increases.

Apply for Originating Author credit only if you are

Creating a new page or
Transforming a page with very little information on it into a comprehensive and essentially new Article
After you are convinced that you have created a complete, thorough and well-researched Article

If you want to make a substantial contribution to an Article that already exists and oversee ongoing edits to that page, you should choose to be a Lead Editor of an Article, not necessarily the Originating Author by clicking on the blue “Be a Lead Editor of this Article” link in the upper right corner of the Article.

Not all Articles will have an Originating Author. The Plain English version of a topic can have an Originating Author, and the Clinical version of a topic can have a different Originating Author.

Teams and Organizations

If you are working with a team of colleagues and want to also list them at Originating Authors, or if you want to claim Originating Author of a topic on behalf of an organization, you can do so when you submit a request to be Originating Author. When you click on the box at the bottom of the edit page, it opens up a dialogue box giving you those choices.

New Originating Authors

Over time, the standards for Original Authorship will be increasing. If in the future someone significantly overhauls and improves a page that already has an Originating Author, they can apply to become the new Originating Author. If approved, they will become the new Originating Author. This provides an incentive for you to continue to follow and improve a page over time, as well as providing a mechanism for new Editors to be recognized for their contributions should a page fall below minimum standards. Regardless, the permanent designation of Originating Author for that Article will remain on the Originating Author page and on your profile.

What are Medpedia Admins?

Admins are a combination of Medpedia, Inc employees and volunteer Editors. Eventually, it is expected that Committees and their members will be responsible for granting Original Authorship credit.

Below are more detailed requirements for creating a survey Article of very high quality broken down by page type.

Plain English Article

The Plain English Article is the page on which the general public will land when they come to the site or search for a topic. Example: Chagas Disease

The pages should:

Be written at a 9th-11th grade reading level for a lay audience
Refer to patients in the third person
Provide scientific information, not advice
Use layperson’s terms when describing symptoms, medications, conditions, etc (See the page Jargon Watch for terms to avoid and their lay equivalents)
Include at least one image (preferably at the top, above the “fold” of the page) that helps explain the topic or relays valuable information
Title: All words are capitalized and uses layperson’s terms
Include an “Introduction” section at the very top, with 3-4 sentences giving readers a quick overview/definition of the the topic
Include at least 4 excellent references (See the Help:Style Guide for details on how to create references)
Follow the appropriate subject template (See the topics below for more details)

Clinical Article

The Clinical Article is geared towards medical professionals, with more in-depth, technical information and terminology. Example: Clinical:Schizophrenia.

It should:

Be written in the third person
Provide scientific information, not advice
Use scientific terms when appropriate
Include at least one image (preferably at the top, above the “fold” of the page) that helps explain the topic or relays valuable information
Title: All words are capitalized and uses layperson’s terms
Include an “Introduction” section at the very top
Include at least 4 excellent references (See the Help:Style Guide for details on how to create references)
Follows the appropriate subject template (See specific page topics below for more details)

Diseases and Conditions

Diseases and Conditions cover any ailment caused by virus, bacteria, genetics, environment, injury, etc, describing the condition, its causes, treatments, research, history and anything else that may be helpful or pertinent. Examples: Chagas Disease, Fabry Disease, Acne, Common Cold

A “Diseases and Conditions” page: