The Community Assembly of the British Isles (CABI) are delighted to announce that comments have been enabled on our 'Book Insights' blog articles to encourage our members and international friends to recommend books to read, and to welcome open and constructive discussion around subjects that are most important to us.

The decision to publish comments remains at our discretion and submitted comments will be regulated for general tone, courtesy and relevancy. Please note that any views expressed by commentators belong to themselves alone and are not necessarily endorsed by CABI.

Comment moderation means that comments will not be published straight away as they will be checked first by the editor (and/or appointed moderators) with a commitment to publish comments within 24 hours.

This is not about censoring your views. The aim is to ensure that comments relate to the particular subject being discussed and not to use this process to suppress legitimate, reasoned discussion.

We will normally approve comments for publication as long as the following participation guidelines have been observed:

• be respectful of others using and visiting 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 be unlawful (this includes being libellous, condoning unlawful activity, being personal or disrespectful)
• do not use this site for political purposes or to repeat/promote political narrative
• do not post personal information in comments such as addresses, phone numbers, email addresses or other online contact details, which may relate to you or other individuals
• do not impersonate or falsely claim to represent a person, cause, business or organisation
• 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 ask for permission from your parent or guardian before participating as without this consent you will not be allowed to participate.

Thank you for your cooperation and contribution to the debate.

Last updated on 29 September 2022.

The following Code of Conduct has been adapted from a Blogger and Content Creator’s Code of Ethics.

This was originally published 14 August 2009 at mor10.com to outline the ethical guidelines any and all content creators should go by when publishing material of any sort for public consumption. It is closely based on the Code of Ethics for the Norwegian Press published by the Norwegian Press Association.

1. VOICE YOUR OPINION

It is your right to voice your opinion. Freedom of Speech, Information, Publication and Expression are basic elements of a free society and we are keen to hear what you have to say. It is our obligation to support and protect these rights at all times.

2. USE CRITICAL THINKING

Being curious about everything, including ourselves, is an essential part of the creation of free knowledge and discussion. It is our collective obligation to shed critical light on what goes on in society as well as on how well content creators, writers and authors present these events in a rational and constructive way.

3. HONOUR THE TRUTH

It is our collective duty to shine a light on injustices or neglect perpetrated on individuals and groups as long as this is done with sensitivity and a clear understanding of all elements that account for the bigger picture. Telling the truth at all times is a prerequisite for sharing knowledge and comes with tremendous responsibility. Words and images can be powerful weapons that should be used with the utmost care. When publishing content, present the facts as they are, even if you disagree with them.

5. DECLARE OWNERSHIP

Present your opinion as your opinion. Your opinion and interpretation of events is important and should be shared but must never be confused with hard facts or data. When voicing your own or someone else’s opinion or interpretation, always state it as such. Never present opinion, interpretation or conjecture as fact.

6. STATE ALLEGIANCES

Our aim is to always stay independent with any relations in terms of donations, affiliations and other partnerships clearly stated. In the same way, by stating any facts of allegiance your opinions gain informational value that would otherwise be lost in suspicion of bias.

7. ACKNOWLEDGE SOURCES

Always clearly acknowledge your sources (including links to source information) to ensure transparency unless doing so may put the source in harms way. In ensuring transparency you lend credibility to your own content as well as provide others to further pursue the facts of the matter. Always check your source’s credibility and seek independent verification of these facts if necessary. If none can be found, state so clearly.

9. CREDIT ORIGINATORS

Always give credit where credit is due and provide proper attribution when using, quoting or basing your content on the work of others. In other words present quotes as quotes, link to original articles, give photo and illustration credit to the original creator and so on.

10. QUOTE ACCURATELY

Always preserve the intended meaning of a given statement. When quoting or paraphrasing a statement always ensure that the intended meaning is communicated. Never edit or change a statement in such a way that the intended meaning is changed.

11. CORRECT MISTAKES

Always admit and correct mistakes immediately. Announce that you have done so to ensure that those who base their opinions and other content creation on the incorrect information have a chance to make corrections as well. It is your duty to uphold the truth and present fact even if that means admitting you were wrong.

12. JOIN THE DEBATE

Give others a chance to respond in order to create an open discussion where each side has the opportunity to voice their opinion. Always provide an opportunity for your opponent to present the case of the opposing side.

Thank you for your cooperation and contribution to the debate.

Last updated on 29 September 2022.