https://publicpolicydesign.blog.gov.uk/blog-comment-and-moderation-guidelines/
Blog comment and moderation guidelines
Comment policy
When posting comments, please observe our site participation guidelines:
- be respectful of others who use this site
- stay on topic
- keep comments concise
- do not use language that is offensive, inflammatory or provocative (this includes, but is not limited to, swearing and obscene or vulgar comments)
- do not break the law (this includes libel, condoning illegal activity and contempt of court)
- do not use this site for party political purposes (this site is paid for with public money so it's inappropriate to engage in party-political activity)
- please do not post personal information in comments such as addresses, phone numbers, e-mail addresses or other online contact details, which may relate to you or other individuals
- do not impersonate or falsely claim to represent a person or an organisation
- do not attempt to log on using another user’s account
- do not make any commercial endorsement or promotion of any product, service or publication not relevant to the discussion
If you are aged 16 or under, please get the permission of your parent or guardian before participating. Users without this consent are not allowed to participate.
Moderation policy
Blog comments are pre-moderated to check they comply with the Public Policy Design blog participation guidelines above. If comments don’t comply they will not be published.
Here is a brief outline of how we evaluate comments.
Is this comment on topic, does it add value to the discussion and can we answer publicly? If so, post a timely response within 2 working days.
Is this person asking for information or detail relating to another government channel, for example is it a GOV.UK content query? If so, we'll pass the query on and ensure it is dealt with as quickly as possible. We will update the user on progress.
Is this comment a rant at government venting frustration or anger? If so, STOP, monitor and discuss with the Public Policy Design blog editorial team first, referring to the participation guidelines.
Editorial policy
Editorial decisions about posts published on this blog are taken by the Public Policy Design blog editorial team. The editorial team comprises representatives from the policy design community of practice from several government organisations.
The editorial team will approve all posts for publication on the blog. Where content reports the personal or professional opinion of an individual, then further publication approval is not required. Where content reports the specific work of an organisation, then the writer should seek additional approval by that organisation, if appropriate.
To be approved, posts: should be on topic (public policy design); should positively contribute to thinking on the topic; should not critique ministerial priorities, decisions or policy of the current government; should not pre-empt official policy announcements (unless this is the express intention); focus on perspective of citizens and outcomes where possible.
Posts by academics on this blog
Academics who post on this blog are subject to the same editorial policy as officials, plus they will respect all confidentiality requirements of the government teams that they write about. The views expressed in posts authored by academics are their own, and not the views of the UK’s government or its Policy Design Community.