These conditions should be read in conjunction with our privacy policy.

Avoiding hype

The Australian Science Media Centre Inc. ('AusSMC') requires that research findings are communicated accurately without over-stating results and misleading the public.

In this vein, we may check, edit or remove all or part of the news items, attachments, multimedia, links, profiles or any user generated content uploaded to Scimex at our sole discretion. If you ever consider that a story has been hyped, please do not hesitate to contact us, citing the specific example.

Policy on journalists

The AusSMC will only accept registrations from journalists working for recognised news outlets.

All journalists wishing to register for embargoed content will be required to complete an online registration form on our news gathering site - Scimex and must submit details which can be used to check their media credentials.

All journalists wishing to register for embargoed content must agree to adhere to our embargo policy (outlined in the Scimex terms and conditions), which outlines penalties journalists can expect to be imposed if they break embargoes.

There is an additional vetting process for freelance journalists, which involves submission of recent freelance articles published in recognised news outlets showing evidence of objective science reporting and adherence to journalistic standards.

Journalists who have potential conflicts of interest (e.g. paid employment with a research or PR organisation) are not eligible for a journalist login on Scimex. When registering with the AusSMC, journalists are confirming that that they have no ineligible dual affiliations or financial conflicts of interest that might preclude their access to embargoed, potentially market-sensitive content.

Policy on working with bloggers

Apart from registered journalists who are also bloggers, people who exclusively write blogs will not be provided with login access to the Scimex site at this time.

However, bloggers are a growing group of communicators with a significant influence on the kind of information the public receives about science. We will continue to work towards a policy that enables registration for research bloggers whose writing would benefit from embargoed access to stories. We welcome your feedback on this.

The AusSMC reserves the right of final approval over all registration applications.

Embargo policy

The AusSMC supports quality journalism and recognises that releasing new scientific research under embargo affords journalists sufficient time to ensure accurate coverage. Most embargo times published on this website are set by the journals publishing the research.

By registering with us via Scimex, journalists agree to abide by all embargoes stipulated on the site. It is the responsibility of the registered journalist to ensure the story is not published before the embargo lifts.

The AusSMC takes embargo breaches very seriously. If a media outlet breaks an embargo that we have listed, we will investigate the breach. Depending on the severity of the breach, all staff from the outlet may be denied access to Scimex, and removed from email distribution lists.

Other

Accessibility

We have taken all care to ensure our website complies with the Level AA of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 from W3C (commonly known as WCAG 2.0).

Under these guidelines, all information on our website must be accessible and usable for people of all abilities, including older people and those with visual, hearing, cognitive or motor impairments.

Disclaimer

Any views or quotes presented on this website are the opinions of the individuals named. They do not represent the views of the AusSMC or other moderators connected to the site or any other organisation unless specifically stated.

While every attempt has been made to ensure the information on this site is as accurate as possible, there is no guarantee given as to the accuracy or currency of any individual item on the site.

The AusSMC does not accept any liability for the accuracy or content of information on this website belonging to third parties, nor for the accuracy or content of any third-party website that you may access via a hyperlink from this site.

The AusSMC do not accept responsibility for any loss or damage occasioned by use of the information contained on the site nor from any access to the site.