APC Writer's Wiki - User contributions [en]

Style guide

2019-02-19T21:04:01Z

Lori:

Editorial policy

2019-02-19T20:56:29Z

Lori:

[[File:style.jpg|thumb|200px]]

The APC editorial policy establishes the focus, values, and language and other standards that APC follows to produce and publish information. We are featuring here the English version, but it is also available in [https://www.apc.org/es/pol%C3%ADtica-editorial Spanish] and [https://www.apc.org/fr/politique-%C3%A9ditoriale French].

<h4><b>Overview</b></h4>

<p>In general terms, information produced by APC:</p>

<p><strong>1.</strong> Has information and communication technologies (ICTs) for social justice and/or sustainable development as its primary focus or interest.</p>

<p><strong>2.</strong> Is consistent with our values and/or [https://www.apc.org/en/pubs/about-apc/apc-internet-rights-charter APC’s Internet Rights Charter].</p>

<p><strong>3.</strong>Is gender-sensitive and inclusive, and has a feminist perspective, framed within the [https://www.apc.org/en/pubs/feminist-principles-internet-version-20" Feminist Principles of the Internet].</p>

<p><strong>4.</strong> Is written in plain language in order to demystify technology, when it is directed to a general audience. If jargon or technical terms are used, they should be explained clearly when necessary, since we expect some of our readers to be non-specialists.</p>

<p><strong>5.</strong> Uses:</p>

<ul>
<li>
<p>British English of the “-ise” and “-mme” variant.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Latin-American Spanish.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Standard French without regionalisms. ICT neologisms are mostly taken up from the Grand Dictionnaire, which is put out (and made available online) by the Office québécois de la langue française.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Brazilian Portuguese, except when texts are aimed specifically at an African audience, in which case European Portuguese is used.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>In all languages, APC uses standard terms and avoids colloquial and regional terms when the text is directed to a general audience.</p>
</li>
</ul>

<p><strong>6.</strong> Adheres to the highest possible standards of production (is proofread, sources used are adequately referenced, etc.).</p>

<p><strong>7. </strong>Includes all necessary acknowledgements. We believe in the importance of properly crediting authors and referencing their work.</p>

<p><strong>8. </strong>The content published on the APC website does not necessarily represent the views of all APC members and/or staff. Unless stated otherwise in the authorship information, as in the case of co-signed statements, the views are initially of APC's editorial team.</p>

<p><strong>9.</strong> Unless otherwise stated, content on the APC website is licensed [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)]. Permission is granted to republish APC materials provided there is a clear acknowledgement of APC included. With online republishers, APC requests that they include an abstract and link to the original publication on the APC site.</p>

<p>Some of these considerations go beyond content, but as an organisation that encourages contributions from people who have no professional training as writers, APC has decided to be explicit regarding its expectations for any type of published content.</p>

<h4> </h4>

<h4>APC language policy</h4>

<p>APC.org is a multilingual site. Content is produced in three of the official UN languages: English, Spanish and French. Even though APC's members are spread all over the world and speak more than 20 different languages, these three languages are the ones that most APC members and readers speak or are able to understand.</p>

<p>APC is an international network, and in order to be a network, we need a common language for communications. The language most members are able to communicate in, even if it is their second or third language, is English. This is why many of APC's globally focused written statements, publications, and other types of content are produced in English. When dealing with regionally focused content, APC provides translations of the original content in English, or produces the original content in Spanish (for readers in Latin America and/or Spain) or French (for Francophone communities in Europe, Africa, Canada and/or elsewhere).</p>

<p>On occasion, for example, in the case of projects that involve partners in countries where none of these three languages is widely spoken, and depending on the targeted audiences, APC produces publications in other languages, such as Arabic or Portuguese.</p>

<p>APC values linguistic diversity and encourages its members and readers to translate APC materials into their local languages. APC encourages members who feel unable to contribute in English to write in another language, with a clear request for a volunteer to provide an informal translation. APC consults its multilingual members to find out what makes a piece of written English difficult or easy to understand.</p>

<h4>APC language guidelines</h4>

<p>These language guidelines apply for anyone who writes for APC and are a crucial tool for APC’s translators, editors and writers.</p>

<h5><em>1. APC house style guides</em></h5>

<p>These guidelines must be followed when writing and editing for APC.</p>

<ul>
<li>
<p> [https://www.apc.org/en/node/35310 English]</p>
</li>
<li>
<p> [https://www.apc.org/sites/default/files/APCstyleguide-Spanish.pdf Spanish, in pdf format]</p>
</li>
<li>
<p> [https://www.apc.org/sites/default/files/APCstyleguide-French_2017.pdf French, in pdf format]</p>
</li>
<li>
<p> [https://www.apc.org/sites/default/files/APCstyleguide-Portuguese_2017.pdf Portuguese, in pdf format]</p>
</li>
</ul>

<h5><b>2. APC reference guide</b></h5>

<p>A thorough list of reference types and how to use them in APC materials, in particular in publications. Available [https://www.apc.org/sites/default/files/APC_Reference_Guide_v_2.0_2017.pdf here].</p>

<h5>3. Writing for a multilingual audience</h5>

<p>Some tips for native and near-native English language writers. Available [https://www.apc.org/sites/default/files/Writing_in_English_for_a_multilingual_audience.pdf here].</p>

<h4> </h4>

<h4>Our channels</h4>

<p>Our key messaging is outlined in APC's communications strategy, which identifies six priorities to promote: access, rights, a feminist internet, governance, use and development, and the APC community.</p>

<h5><em>APC.org</em></h5>

<p>Our flagship site, APC.org is where all of our resources, news, updates, information about our work and publications are featured.</p>

<h5><em>APCNews</em></h5>

<p>APCNews (APCNoticias in Spanish and APCNouvelles in French) is APC's bi-monthly news service on internet for social justice and sustainable development. APCNews includes member and organisational news articles. Its target audiences are APC staff, members and partners, civil society organisations, human rights defenders and organisations, technologists, social justice activists, alternative media journalists, policy advocates, government regulators and ministries, and private sector policy specialists.</p>

<h5><em>InsideAPC</em></h5>

<p>This is an internal newsletter crafted by APC staff and sent out to organisational and individual members three times a year, collecting updates on professional, political and personal stories from staff and members during a specific timeframe.</p>

<h5><em>GenderIT.org</em></h5>

<p>GenderIT.org is a project of APC's Women's Rights Programme, and is a think tank <em>of </em>and <em>for </em>women's rights, sexual rights and internet rights activists, academics, journalists, and advocates from a range of disciplines and contexts. Visit the GenderIT.org site [http://www.genderit.org/ here].</p>

<h5><em>Take Back the Tech!</em></h5>

<p>This platform is the online home of APC's ongoing campaign TBTT, whose biggest annual campaign takes place during the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (25 November-10 December). Visit the TBTT site [http://www.takebackthetech.net/ here].</p>

<h5><em>GISWatch</em></h5>

<p>The site where we host a collaborative community committed to building an open, inclusive and sustainable information society. The site also offers access to the Global Information Society Watch reports published annually since 2007. Visit the GISWatch site [http://www.giswatch.org/ here].</p>

<h5><em>Publications</em></h5>

<p>The publications section in APC.org is an active and comprehensive repository of the research reports, policy briefs and issue papers, presentations, statements and positions, infographics, toolkits, guides, and other relevant publications produced by APC and its members and partners. Some are made available in hardcopy and online, others only online. Visit our publications section [https://www.apc.org/en/publications here].</p>

<h5><em>APC Talk</em></h5>

<p>The APC Talk section on APC.org (formerly Blog section) is one of its most dynamic in content production, and also one of the sections that our audiences find most valuable as food for thought and a source of information in terms of what the ICT community is up to. Columns like David Souter’s <em>Inside the Information Society</em> have been valuable content additions that provide useful insights. We welcome contributions for this section from members, partners and the expanded APC community on relevant topics related to ICTs. Check out our APC Talk section [https://www.apc.org/en/blog here].</p>

<h5><em>Social media</em></h5>

<p>APC is active on Facebook and Twitter as another way of reaching out to our audiences. We have one account on Facebook ([https://www.facebook.com/APCNews APCNews]) and three Twitter accounts in English ([https://twitter.com/APC_News @APC_News]), Spanish ([https://twitter.com/APCNoticias @APCNoticias]) and French ([https://twitter.com/APCNouvelles @APCNouvelles]). Depending on the strategy adopted, some of our projects have their own social media accounts. This is the case for GenderIT.org [https://twitter.com/GenderITorg?lang=en @genderITorg] in English and [https://twitter.com/genderites?lang=en @genderitES] in Spanish) and Take Back the Tech! [https://twitter.com/takebackthetech?lang=en in English] and [https://twitter.com/DominemoslasTIC?lang=en in Spanish], or Africa-related initiatives [https://twitter.com/AfricaNetRights?lang=en @africanetrights]. We use Twitter to share teasers of our work, engage in discussions on relevant issues, and amplify the voices of our members and partners. </span>APC has a crowdsourced [https://www.flickr.com/groups/23268147@N00/ Flickr group] where users can send photos, as well as an [https://www.flickr.com/photos/138045256@N05/albums APC account] that allows more room for sharing images of key events.</p>

<h4><font color="#000000"><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </font></font></h4>

<h4>Procedures and author guidelines</h4>

<ul>
<li>
<p>Editorial decisions to publish or not to publish an article are a decision of APC staff and specifically the APC communications team, on the basis of its relevance for our community, the quality of the piece, and overall, its adherence to the requirements as established in this editorial policy.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>You can submit complete works, but also outlines or pitches that the APC communications team can later expand on.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>All submissions will be proofread and/or edited for accuracy, clarity, quality and length. APC does not guarantee that authors will review their work after proofreading and prior to publication, due to time constraints inherent in the production process, although it is generally possible and desirable.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Include any applicable charts, pictures, graphics and images with your submission.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>All authors of blog posts are encouraged to send a short biography consisting of their name, affiliation and any other relevant information to be added publicly at the end of the piece.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>All authors who contribute to APC.org are encouraged to promote their contributions once they are published, on their own websites, through social media platforms, through emails to colleagues and peers, etc.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>The columnists who write for APC.org are carefully selected for their expertise and writing style, and their views on issues do not necessarily represent the views of APC and its network.</p>
</li>
</ul>

<h4>Contact</h4>

<p>If you are interested in writing, editing or translating for APC.org, please contact the APC communications manager, Flavia Fascendini (flavia@apc.org). If you have any comments or suggestions in terms of our editorial policy, write to communications@apc.org.</p>

Editorial policy

2019-02-19T20:52:34Z

Lori:

[[File:style.jpg|thumb|200px]]

The APC editorial policy establishes the focus, values, and language and other standards that APC follows to produce and publish information. We are featuring here the English version, but it is also available in [https://www.apc.org/es/pol%C3%ADtica-editorial Spanish] and [https://www.apc.org/fr/politique-%C3%A9ditoriale French].

<h4><b>Overview</b></h4>

<p>In general terms, information produced by APC:</p>

<p><strong>1.</strong> Has information and communication technologies (ICTs) for social justice and/or sustainable development as its primary focus or interest.</p>

<p><strong>2.</strong> Is consistent with our values and/or [https://www.apc.org/en/pubs/about-apc/apc-internet-rights-charter APC’s Internet Rights Charter].</p>

<p><strong>3.</strong>Is gender-sensitive and inclusive, and has a feminist perspective, framed within the [https://www.apc.org/en/pubs/feminist-principles-internet-version-20" Feminist Principles of the Internet].</p>

<p><strong>4.</strong> Is written in plain language in order to demystify technology, when it is directed to a general audience. If jargon or technical terms are used, they should be explained clearly when necessary, since we expect some of our readers to be non-specialists.</p>

<p><strong>5.</strong> Uses:</p>

<ul>
<li>
<p>British English of the “-ise” and “-mme” variant.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Latin-American Spanish.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Standard French without regionalisms. ICT neologisms are mostly taken up from the Grand Dictionnaire, which is put out (and made available online) by the Office québécois de la langue française.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Brazilian Portuguese, except when texts are aimed specifically at an African audience, in which case European Portuguese is used.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>In all languages, APC uses standard terms and avoids colloquial and regional terms when the text is directed to a general audience.</p>
</li>
</ul>

<p><strong>6.</strong> Adheres to the highest possible standards of production (is proofread, sources used are adequately referenced, etc.).</p>

<p><strong>7. </strong>Includes all necessary acknowledgements. We believe in the importance of properly crediting authors and referencing their work.</p>

<p><strong>8. </strong>The content published on the APC website does not necessarily represent the views of all APC members and/or staff. Unless stated otherwise in the authorship information, as in the case of co-signed statements, the views are initially of APC's editorial team.</p>

<p><strong>9.</strong> Unless otherwise stated, content on the APC website is licensed [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)]. Permission is granted to republish APC materials provided there is a clear acknowledgement of APC included. With online republishers, APC requests that they include an abstract and link to the original publication on the APC site.</p>

<p>Some of these considerations go beyond content, but as an organisation that encourages contributions from people who have no professional training as writers, APC has decided to be explicit regarding its expectations for any type of published content.</p>

<h4> </h4>

<h4>APC language policy</h4>

<p>APC.org is a multilingual site. Content is produced in three of the official UN languages: English, Spanish and French. Even though APC's members are spread all over the world and speak more than 20 different languages, these three languages are the ones that most APC members and readers speak or are able to understand.</p>

<p>APC is an international network, and in order to be a network, we need a common language for communications. The language most members are able to communicate in, even if it is their second or third language, is English. This is why many of APC's globally focused written statements, publications, and other types of content are produced in English. When dealing with regionally focused content, APC provides translations of the original content in English, or produces the original content in Spanish (for readers in Latin America and/or Spain) or French (for Francophone communities in Europe, Africa, Canada and/or elsewhere).</p>

<p>On occasion, for example, in the case of projects that involve partners in countries where none of these three languages is widely spoken, and depending on the targeted audiences, APC produces publications in other languages, such as Arabic or Portuguese.</p>

<p>APC values linguistic diversity and encourages its members and readers to translate APC materials into their local languages. APC encourages members who feel unable to contribute in English to write in another language, with a clear request for a volunteer to provide an informal translation. APC consults its multilingual members to find out what makes a piece of written English difficult or easy to understand.</p>

<h4>APC language guidelines</h4>

<p>These language guidelines apply for anyone who writes for APC and are a crucial tool for APC’s translators, editors and writers.</p>

<h5><em>1. APC house style guides</em></h5>

<p>These guidelines must be followed when writing and editing for APC.</p>

<ul>
<li>
<p> [https://www.apc.org/en/node/35310 English]</p>
</li>
<li>
<p> [https://www.apc.org/sites/default/files/APCstyleguide-Spanish.pdf Spanish, in pdf format]</p>
</li>
<li>
<p> [https://www.apc.org/sites/default/files/APCstyleguide-French_2017.pdf French, in pdf format]</p>
</li>
<li>
<p> [https://www.apc.org/sites/default/files/APCstyleguide-Portuguese_2017.pdf Portuguese, in pdf format]</p>
</li>
</ul>

<h5><b>2. APC reference guide</b></h5>

<p>A thorough list of reference types and how to use them in APC materials, in particular in publications. Available [href="/sites/default/files/APC_Reference_Guide_v_2.0_2017.pdf here].</p>

<h5>3. Writing for a multilingual audience</h5>

<p>Some tips for native and near-native English language writers. Available [href="/sites/default/files/Writing_in_English_for_a_multilingual_audience.pdf here].</p>

<h4> </h4>

<h4>Our channels</h4>

<p>Our key messaging is outlined in APC's communications strategy, which identifies six priorities to promote: access, rights, a feminist internet, governance, use and development, and the APC community.</p>

<h5><em>APC.org</em></h5>

<p>Our flagship site, APC.org is where all of our resources, news, updates, information about our work and publications are featured.</p>

<h5><em>APCNews</em></h5>

<p>APCNews (APCNoticias in Spanish and APCNouvelles in French) is APC's bi-monthly news service on internet for social justice and sustainable development. APCNews includes member and organisational news articles. Its target audiences are APC staff, members and partners, civil society organisations, human rights defenders and organisations, technologists, social justice activists, alternative media journalists, policy advocates, government regulators and ministries, and private sector policy specialists.</p>

<h5><em>InsideAPC</em></h5>

<p>This is an internal newsletter crafted by APC staff and sent out to organisational and individual members three times a year, collecting updates on professional, political and personal stories from staff and members during a specific timeframe.</p>

<h5><em>GenderIT.org</em></h5>

<p>GenderIT.org is a project of APC's Women's Rights Programme, and is a think tank <em>of </em>and <em>for </em>women's rights, sexual rights and internet rights activists, academics, journalists, and advocates from a range of disciplines and contexts. Visit the GenderIT.org site [http://www.genderit.org/ here].</p>

<h5><em>Take Back the Tech!</em></h5>

<p>This platform is the online home of APC's ongoing campaign TBTT, whose biggest annual campaign takes place during the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (25 November-10 December). Visit the TBTT site [http://www.takebackthetech.net/ here].</p>

<h5><em>GISWatch</em></h5>

<p>The site where we host a collaborative community committed to building an open, inclusive and sustainable information society. The site also offers access to the Global Information Society Watch reports published annually since 2007. Visit the GISWatch site [http://www.giswatch.org/ here].</p>

<h5><em>Publications</em></h5>

<p>The publications section in APC.org is an active and comprehensive repository of the research reports, policy briefs and issue papers, presentations, statements and positions, infographics, toolkits, guides, and other relevant publications produced by APC and its members and partners. Some are made available in hardcopy and online, others only online. Visit our publications section [https://www.apc.org/en/publications here].</p>

<h5><em>APC Talk</em></h5>

<p>The APC Talk section on APC.org (formerly Blog section) is one of its most dynamic in content production, and also one of the sections that our audiences find most valuable as food for thought and a source of information in terms of what the ICT community is up to. Columns like David Souter’s <em>Inside the Information Society</em> have been valuable content additions that provide useful insights. We welcome contributions for this section from members, partners and the expanded APC community on relevant topics related to ICTs. Check out our APC Talk section [https://www.apc.org/en/blog here].</p>

<h5><em>Social media</em></h5>

<p>APC is active on Facebook and Twitter as another way of reaching out to our audiences. We have one account on Facebook ([https://www.facebook.com/APCNews APCNews]) and three Twitter accounts in English ([https://twitter.com/APC_News @APC_News]), Spanish ([https://twitter.com/APCNoticias @APCNoticias]) and French ([https://twitter.com/APCNouvelles @APCNouvelles]). Depending on the strategy adopted, some of our projects have their own social media accounts. This is the case for GenderIT.org [https://twitter.com/GenderITorg?lang=en @genderITorg] in English and [https://twitter.com/genderites?lang=en @genderitES] in Spanish) and Take Back the Tech! [https://twitter.com/takebackthetech?lang=en in English] and [https://twitter.com/DominemoslasTIC?lang=en in Spanish], or Africa-related initiatives [https://twitter.com/AfricaNetRights?lang=en @africanetrights]. We use Twitter to share teasers of our work, engage in discussions on relevant issues, and amplify the voices of our members and partners. </span>APC has a crowdsourced [https://www.flickr.com/groups/23268147@N00/ Flickr group] where users can send photos, as well as an [https://www.flickr.com/photos/138045256@N05/albums APC account] that allows more room for sharing images of key events.</p>

<h4><font color="#000000"><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"> </font></font></h4>

<h4>Procedures and author guidelines</h4>

<ul>
<li>
<p>Editorial decisions to publish or not to publish an article are a decision of APC staff and specifically the APC communications team, on the basis of its relevance for our community, the quality of the piece, and overall, its adherence to the requirements as established in this editorial policy.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>You can submit complete works, but also outlines or pitches that the APC communications team can later expand on.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>All submissions will be proofread and/or edited for accuracy, clarity, quality and length. APC does not guarantee that authors will review their work after proofreading and prior to publication, due to time constraints inherent in the production process, although it is generally possible and desirable.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Include any applicable charts, pictures, graphics and images with your submission.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>All authors of blog posts are encouraged to send a short biography consisting of their name, affiliation and any other relevant information to be added publicly at the end of the piece.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>All authors who contribute to APC.org are encouraged to promote their contributions once they are published, on their own websites, through social media platforms, through emails to colleagues and peers, etc.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>The columnists who write for APC.org are carefully selected for their expertise and writing style, and their views on issues do not necessarily represent the views of APC and its network.</p>
</li>
</ul>

<h4>Contact</h4>

<p>If you are interested in writing, editing or translating for APC.org, please contact the APC communications manager, Flavia Fascendini (flavia@apc.org). If you have any comments or suggestions in terms of our editorial policy, write to communications@apc.org.</p>

Meetings and notes

2016-05-24T21:30:51Z

Lori:

[[File:notes.jpg|thumb|200px]]

Our editorial team meets every other week, directly preceding the release of our bimonthly newsletter. We use Skype to meet for approximately 90 minutes, during which time we identify pieces to be urgently published and translated before the newsletter as well as longer-term planning of future editions.

We do not take team-wide notes during our meeting, though we all are assigned tasks and are individually responsible for our follow-up. We do collaboratively edit a [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AoCa9MmTQS5vcDV0THJsdDlEdTJDM1IyazhKdkpnVVE spreadsheet], which tracks and records the composition of our newsletters.

We track news from APC members' sites using Bloglines and sometimes republish that content.

We actively seek submissions from our pool of writers on any of our [http://writers.wiki.apc.org/index.php/Our_ideas topics of coverage]. Pitches can be made at any time.

How to deal with vulnerable interviewees

2016-05-24T21:29:10Z

Lori:

[[File:aid.jpg|thumb|200px]]
== '''Introduction''' ==

This guide contains resources and important considerations to be put in place when conducting interviews, particularly with survivors of violence and sexual harassment.

At GenderIT.org, our priorities include giving space to voices from the global South and to the voices of marginalised communities, including victims of violence and sexual harassment. This means an awareness of both our own power and the power of others – including ways in which our actions can enhance or detract from the power of the person whose voice is being heard.

This also means an awareness of the vulnerabilities of those who have experienced sexual or other violence or harassment – giving them the power to decide how anonymous they wish to be, for example, allowing them to choose how to refer to themselves (as a survivor, as a victim, etc.), giving them ample space and time to tell, write or edit their story, and time for them to be happy about how it will be shared (if it is to be shared).

== '''Overview''' ==

A key resource here is the [http://blog.witness.org/2013/08/new-how-to-guide-for-interviewing-survivors-of-sexual-and-gender-based-violence/ Witness guide] to interviewing survivors of sexual assault. Violence survivors include those in positions of power and authority and if you are speaking to them about their experience of violence, particularly sexual violence or assault, it is still important to follow these principles.

Another important document is the [http://www.who.int/gender/documents/violence/who_fch_gwh_01.1/en/ WHO guide] on research on domestic violence available in English, French and Spanish.

== '''WHO Guiding Principles for Domestic Violence Research''' ==

a. The safety of respondents and the research team is paramount, and should guide all project decisions.

b. Prevalence studies need to be methodologically sound and to build upon current research experience about how to minimise the under-reporting of violence.

c. Protecting confidentiality is essential to ensure both women’s safety and data quality.

d. All research team members should be carefully selected and receive specialised training and ongoing support.

e. The study design must include actions aimed at reducing any possible distress caused to the participants by the research.

f. Fieldworkers should be trained to refer women requesting assistance to available local services and sources of support. Where few resources exist, it may be necessary for the study to create short-term support mechanisms.

g. Researchers and donors have an ethical obligation to help ensure that their findings are properly interpreted and used to advance policy and intervention development.

h. Violence questions should only be incorporated into surveys designed for other purposes when ethical and methodological requirements can be met.

'''Drawing from these principles''', Rima Athar, in ''Research design for “From impunity to justice: Exploring corporate and legal remedies for technology-related violence against women” research'' (APC, November 2013), drew up '''these guidelines''':

== '''Obtaining informed consent''' ==

* Interviewees are treated as human beings with agency, capable of determining and deciding what is best for them, and not mere subjects or as means to extract data.
* With respect to their self-determination, a) the nature of the interview, b) any risks and benefits which might result from their participation, c) their rights to refuse to participate or to end their participation without penalty, and d) the means by which they can contact the writer shall be first explained to potential interviewees in language they understand.
* It is imperative to stress that consent is voluntary, and as such can be withdrawn at any time prior to publication. Writers must ensure the possibility for interviewees to withdraw their consent (at minimum by providing a way to contact the writer).
* Only those who express willingness shall be interviewed.

== '''Providing support''' ==

Interviewees stand to face positive as well as negative effects from their involvement/participation. The writer shall ensure that interviewees not only benefit from the publication of the interview but also from the actual conduct of the interview itself. A good interviewer pays careful attention to the interaction with interviewees as this is critical in remaining aware of potential hierarchies and associated power dynamics that may arise.

== '''During the interview''' ==

Use sensitive and appropriate methods. The writer shall be in close collaboration with the interviewee and is enjoined not just to have an instrumental but genuine relationship with them, recognising that there is no "detachment" from the interviewee’s problems. Treating all people as human beings will entail a degree of emotional involvement and create a bond between the interviewer and respondent that can potentially empower both, without creating or fostering dependence.

It entails listening to the interviewee with sensitivity. Those who have experienced violation and trauma may react poorly to questions around their experiences, and the writer should be able to recognise this and provide an appropriate response.

During the course of the interview, the interviewer should introduce any section enquiring about violence carefully, forewarning the respondent about the nature of the questions and giving her the opportunity to either stop the interview, or not to answer these questions.

Collaboration means also that the interviewer is willing to self-disclose - to share her/his experience if the interviewee requests.

At all times refrain from any conduct or statement that has the effect or impact of blaming the woman for the violence she has experienced.

== '''Boundaries''' ==

Writers shall take steps to address other needs of the interviewee such as counselling, psycho-social and emotional support through referrals to local and culturally appropriate resources. However, be explicit about limitations and do not make promises that cannot be fulfilled. Interviewers should not take on a role as counsellor.

Interviewers should be open to assisting the respondent if asked, within the limits of these protocols, but should not tell her what to do or to take on the personal burden of trying to “save her”.

Variations in individual and cultural understandings of what constitutes violence against women (including rape, marital rape, assault, harassment, etc.) are to be expected. The writer’s role in working with victims/survivors of violence (as well as all other interviewees) is to bring out their own understanding of the violence they experienced (or witnessed or participated in), through questions and sharing of perspectives that provide room for conversation around different views, rather than trying to stick with a pre-determined definition/understanding of what constitutes violence, rape, harassment, assault, etc.

== '''Providing referrals to social support services''' ==

Prior to conducting the interview, research potential providers of support, which may include existing health, legal and social services and educational resources in the community, and less formal providers of support (including community representatives, religious leaders, traditional healers and women’s organisations).

A list of such resources should be made available to the interviewee, but only provided if and when asked for. Such a list should be framed as resources for “women’s heath” broadly, to minimise risks to interviewees that may result from possessing such a list.

== '''Ensuring confidentiality''' ==

All involved, from the interviewer to the editor, have the duty to assure the women that their identities will be protected, if this has been agreed upon.

Confidentiality means that participants cannot be identified by others, so any identifying information (such as location, etc.) is to be stripped from all materials pertaining to the interview, including photographs and recordings. Interviewees shall determine what kind of information and details to share, no matter how crucial the women’s revelations.

== '''Location of interview''' ==

Interviews cost the interviewee time and energy. Therefore, they should be carried out in settings that are most convenient for them.

Logistics planning should include consideration of respondent safety.

Interviews should be conducted in complete privacy. In cases where privacy cannot be ensured, interviews should be rescheduled or relocated.

== '''Recording the interview''' ==

Audio recordings should be made for in-depth interviews with survivors of violence.

The permission of the respondents should be sought before taping. The name of the respondent should not be included in the audio recording at any stage.

Respondents should be informed of who will have access to the tapes and for how long they will be kept.

1. In this case, only the interviewer (and transcriber, if different from the interviewer) will have access to the audio recording.

2. The audio recordings should be kept in an encrypted file (1) on an external hard drive, in a locked cabinet, with limited access.

3. The audio recording should be destroyed after publication.

Extreme caution must be taken to securely transport raw data from locations of interviews to places where data isprocessed. That applies to all recoding media. Encryption software must be used during all data storage to ensure security of the data. (2)

== '''Transcribing the interviews''' ==

The importance of recording and transcribing the interviews is to ensure that women’s experiences and perspectives are shared in their own words. Relying on the interviewers’ notes/memories may be insufficient to ensure quality of data and its analysis.

Transcribing the interviews also enables the respondents the option of reviewing the information they have provided if they wish, and choosing which information they consent to share.

Particular care should be taken to ensure that no one community or individual can be identified.

== '''Checklist''' ==

* Think before you upload your story to the internet and if your security or the security of others could be compromised by others seeing it or not.

* If you or the interviewee don't want your face shown, or your voice clearly recognisable, you can use tools to help guarantee anonymity (Audacity has tools for audio, ObscuraCam for video).

* Never use an image of a person without that person's permission, regardless of who owns the image.

''(1) Use encryption software (VeraCrypt) to ensure security of the file.''

''(2) VeraCrypt is a recommended free/libre open source application that can be used for encrypting data on your computers and portable devices.''

How to deal with vulnerable interviewees

2016-05-18T00:59:03Z

Lori:

[[File:aid.jpg|thumb|200px]]
== '''Introduction''' ==

This guide contains resources and important considerations to be put in place when conducting interviews, particularly with survivors of violence and sexual harassment.

At GenderIT.org, our priorities include giving space to voices from the global South and to the voices of marginalised communities, including victims of violence and sexual harassment. This means an awareness of both our own power and the power of others – including ways in which our actions can enhance or detract from the power of the person whose voice is being heard.

This also means an awareness of the vulnerabilities of those who have experienced sexual or other violence or harassment – giving them the power to decide how anonymous they wish to be, for example, allowing them to choose how to refer to themselves (as a survivor, as a victim, etc.), giving them ample space and time to tell, write or edit their story, and time for them to be happy about how it will be shared (if it is to be shared).

== '''Overview''' ==

A key resource here is the [http://blog.witness.org/2013/08/new-how-to-guide-for-interviewing-survivors-of-sexual-and-gender-based-violence/ Witness guide] to interviewing survivors of sexual assault. Violence survivors include those in positions of power and authority and if you are speaking to them about their experience of violence, particularly sexual violence or assault, it is still important to follow these principles.

Another important document is the [http://www.who.int/gender/documents/violence/who_fch_gwh_01.1/en/ WHO guide] on research on domestic violence available in English, French and Spanish.

== '''WHO Guiding Principles for Domestic Violence Research''' ==

a. The safety of respondents and the research team is paramount, and should guide all project decisions.

b. Prevalence studies need to be methodologically sound and to build upon current research experience about how to minimise the under-reporting of violence.

c. Protecting confidentiality is essential to ensure both women’s safety and data quality.

d. All research team members should be carefully selected and receive specialised training and ongoing support.

e. The study design must include actions aimed at reducing any possible distress caused to the participants by the research.

f. Fieldworkers should be trained to refer women requesting assistance to available local services and sources of support. Where few resources exist, it may be necessary for the study to create short-term support mechanisms.

g. Researchers and donors have an ethical obligation to help ensure that their findings are properly interpreted and used to advance policy and intervention development.

h. Violence questions should only be incorporated into surveys designed for other purposes when ethical and methodological requirements can be met.

'''Drawing from these principles''', Rima Athar, in ''Research design for “From impunity to justice: Exploring corporate and legal remedies for technology-related violence against women” research'' (APC, November 2013), drew up '''these guidelines''':

== '''Obtaining informed consent''' ==

* Interviewees are treated as human beings with agency, capable of determining and deciding what is best for them, and not mere subjects or as means to extract data.
* With respect to their self-determination, a) the nature of the interview, b) any risks and benefits which might result from their participation, c) their rights to refuse to participate or to end their participation without penalty, and d) the means by which they can contact the writer shall be first explained to potential interviewees in language they understand.
* It is imperative to stress that consent is voluntary, and as such can be withdrawn at any time prior to publication. Writers must ensure the possibility for interviewees to withdraw their consent (at minimum by providing a way to contact the writer).
* Only those who express willingness shall be interviewed.

== '''Providing support''' ==

Interviewees stand to face positive as well as negative effects from their involvement/participation. The writer shall ensure that interviewees not only benefit from the publication of the interview but also from the actual conduct of the interview itself. A good interviewer pays careful attention to the interaction with interviewees as this is critical in remaining aware of potential hierarchies and associated power dynamics that may arise.

== '''During the interview''' ==

Use sensitive and appropriate methods. The writer shall be in close collaboration with the interviewee and is enjoined not just to have an instrumental but genuine relationship with them, recognising that there is no "detachment" from the interviewee’s problems. Treating all people as human beings will entail a degree of emotional involvement and create a bond between the interviewer and respondent that can potentially empower both, without creating or fostering dependence.

It entails listening to the interviewee with sensitivity. Those who have experienced violation and trauma may react poorly to questions around their experiences, and the writer should be able to recognise this and provide an appropriate response.

During the course of the interview, the interviewer should introduce any section enquiring about violence carefully, forewarning the respondent about the nature of the questions and giving her the opportunity to either stop the interview, or not to answer these questions.

Collaboration means also that the interviewer is willing to self-disclose - to share her/his experience if the interviewee requests.

At all times refrain from any conduct or statement that has the effect or impact of blaming the woman for the violence she has experienced.

== '''Boundaries''' ==

Writers shall take steps to address other needs of the interviewee such as counselling, psycho-social and emotional support through referrals to local and culturally appropriate resources. However, be explicit about limitations and do not make promises that cannot be fulfilled. Interviewers should not take on a role as counsellor.

Interviewers should be open to assisting the respondent if asked, within the limits of these protocols, but should not tell her what to do or to take on the personal burden of trying to “save her”.

Variations in individual and cultural understandings of what constitutes violence against women (including rape, marital rape, assault, harassment, etc.) are to be expected. The writer’s role in working with victims/survivors of violence (as well as all other interviewees) is to bring out their own understanding of the violence they experienced (or witnessed or participated in), through questions and sharing of perspectives that provide room for conversation around different views, rather than trying to stick with a pre-determined definition/understanding of what constitutes violence, rape, harassment, assault, etc.

== '''Providing referrals to social support services''' ==

Prior to conducting the interview, research potential providers of support, which may include existing health, legal and social services and educational resources in the community, and less formal providers of support (including community representatives, religious leaders, traditional healers and women’s organisations).

A list of such resources should be made available to the interviewee, but only provided if and when asked for. Such a list should be framed as resources for “women’s heath” broadly, to minimise risks to interviewees that may result from possessing such a list.

== '''Ensuring confidentiality''' ==

All involved, from the interviewer to the editor, have the duty to assure the women that their identities will be protected, if this has been agreed upon.

Confidentiality means that participants cannot be identified by others, so any identifying information (such as location, etc.) is to be stripped from all materials pertaining to the interview, including photographs and recordings. Interviewees shall determine what kind of information and details to share, no matter how crucial the women’s revelations.

== '''Location of interview''' ==

Interviews cost the interviewee time and energy. Therefore, they should be carried out in settings that are most convenient for them.

Logistics planning should include consideration of respondent safety.

Interviews should be conducted in complete privacy. In cases where privacy cannot be ensured, interviews should be rescheduled or relocated.

== '''Recording the interview''' ==

Audio recordings should be made for in-depth interviews with survivors of violence.

The permission of the respondents should be sought before taping. The name of the respondent should not be included in the audio recording at any stage.

Respondents should be informed of who will have access to the tapes and for how long they will be kept.

1. In this case, only the interviewer (and transcriber, if different from the interviewer) will have access to the audio recording.

2. The audio recordings should be kept in an encrypted file (1) on an external hard drive, in a locked cabinet, with limited access.

3. The audio recording should be destroyed after publication.

Extreme caution must be taken to securely transport raw data from locations of interviews to places where data isprocessed. That applies to all recoding media. Encryption software must be used during all data storage to ensure security of the data. (2)

== '''Transcribing the interviews''' ==

The importance of recording and transcribing the interviews is to ensure that women’s experiences and perspectives are shared in their own words. Relying on the interviewers’ notes/memories may be insufficient to ensure quality of data and its analysis.

Transcribing the interviews also enables the respondents the option of reviewing the information they have provided if they wish, and choosing which information they consent to share.

Particular care should be taken to ensure that no one community or individual can be identified.

== '''Checklist''' ==

* Think before you upload your story to the internet and if your security or the security of others could be compromised by others seeing it or not.

* If you or the interviewee don't want your face shown, or your voice clearly recognisable, you can use tools to help guarantee anonymity (Audacity has tools for audio, ObscuraCam for video).

* Never use an image of a person without that person's permission, regardless of who owns the image.

''(1) Use encryption software (Truecrypt) to ensure security of the file.''

''(2) Truecrypt is a recommended free open source application that can be used for encrypting data on your computers and portable devices.''

How to deal with vulnerable interviewees

2016-05-18T00:57:16Z

Lori:

[[File:aid.jpg|thumb|200px]]
== '''Introduction''' ==

This guide contains resources and important considerations to be put in place when conducting interviews, particularly with survivors of violence and sexual harassment.

At GenderIT.org, our priorities include giving space to voices from the global South and to the voices of marginalised communities, including victims of violence and sexual harassment. This means an awareness of both our own power and the power of others – including ways in which our actions can enhance or detract from the power of the person whose voice is being heard.

This also means an awareness of the vulnerabilities of those who have experienced sexual or other violence or harassment – giving them the power to decide how anonymous they wish to be, for example, allowing them to choose how to refer to themselves (as a survivor, as a victim, etc.), giving them ample space and time to tell, write or edit their story, and time for them to be happy about how it will be shared (if it is to be shared).

== '''Overview''' ==

A key resource here is the [http://blog.witness.org/2013/08/new-how-to-guide-for-interviewing-survivors-of-sexual-and-gender-based-violence/ Witness guide] to interviewing survivors of sexual assault. Violence survivors include those in positions of power and authority and if you are speaking to them about their experience of violence, particularly sexual violence or assault, it is still important to follow these principles.

Another important document is the [http://www.who.int/gender/documents/violence/who_fch_gwh_01.1/en/ WHO guide] on research on domestic violence available in English, French and Spanish.

== '''WHO Guiding Principles for Domestic Violence Research''' ==

a. The safety of respondents and the research team is paramount, and should guide all project decisions.

b. Prevalence studies need to be methodologically sound and to build upon current research experience about how to minimise the under-reporting of violence.

c. Protecting confidentiality is essential to ensure both women’s safety and data quality.

d. All research team members should be carefully selected and receive specialised training and ongoing support.

e. The study design must include actions aimed at reducing any possible distress caused to the participants by the research.

f. Fieldworkers should be trained to refer women requesting assistance to available local services and sources of support. Where few resources exist, it may be necessary for the study to create short-term support mechanisms.

g. Researchers and donors have an ethical obligation to help ensure that their findings are properly interpreted and used to advance policy and intervention development.

h. Violence questions should only be incorporated into surveys designed for other purposes when ethical and methodological requirements can be met.

'''Drawing from these principles''', Rima Athar, in ''Research design for “From impunity to justice: Exploring corporate and legal remedies for technology-related violence against women” research'' (APC, November 2013), drew up '''these guidelines''':

== '''Obtaining informed consent''' ==

* Interviewees are treated as human beings with agency, capable of determining and deciding what is best for them, and not mere subjects or as means to extract data.
* With respect to their self-determination, a) the nature of the interview, b) any risks and benefits which might result from their participation, c) their rights to refuse to participate or to end their participation without penalty, and d) the means by which they can contact the writer shall be first explained to potential interviewees in language they understand.
* It is imperative to stress that consent is voluntary, and as such can be withdrawn at any time prior to publication. Writers must ensure the possibility for interviewees to withdraw their consent (at minimum by providing a way to contact the writer).
* Only those who express willingness shall be interviewed.

'''Providing support'''

Interviewees stand to face positive as well as negative effects from their involvement/participation. The writer shall ensure that interviewees not only benefit from the publication of the interview but also from the actual conduct of the interview itself. A good interviewer pays careful attention to the interaction with interviewees as this is critical in remaining aware of potential hierarchies and associated power dynamics that may arise.

== '''During the interview''' ==

Use sensitive and appropriate methods. The writer shall be in close collaboration with the interviewee and is enjoined not just to have an instrumental but genuine relationship with them, recognising that there is no "detachment" from the interviewee’s problems. Treating all people as human beings will entail a degree of emotional involvement and create a bond between the interviewer and respondent that can potentially empower both, without creating or fostering dependence.

It entails listening to the interviewee with sensitivity. Those who have experienced violation and trauma may react poorly to questions around their experiences, and the writer should be able to recognise this and provide an appropriate response.

During the course of the interview, the interviewer should introduce any section enquiring about violence carefully, forewarning the respondent about the nature of the questions and giving her the opportunity to either stop the interview, or not to answer these questions.

Collaboration means also that the interviewer is willing to self-disclose - to share her/his experience if the interviewee requests.

At all times refrain from any conduct or statement that has the effect or impact of blaming the woman for the violence she has experienced.

== '''Boundaries''' ==

Writers shall take steps to address other needs of the interviewee such as counselling, psycho-social and emotional support through referrals to local and culturally appropriate resources. However, be explicit about limitations and do not make promises that cannot be fulfilled. Interviewers should not take on a role as counsellor.

Interviewers should be open to assisting the respondent if asked, within the limits of these protocols, but should not tell her what to do or to take on the personal burden of trying to “save her”.

Variations in individual and cultural understandings of what constitutes violence against women (including rape, marital rape, assault, harassment, etc.) are to be expected. The writer’s role in working with victims/survivors of violence (as well as all other interviewees) is to bring out their own understanding of the violence they experienced (or witnessed or participated in), through questions and sharing of perspectives that provide room for conversation around different views, rather than trying to stick with a pre-determined definition/understanding of what constitutes violence, rape, harassment, assault, etc.

== '''Providing referrals to social support services''' ==

Prior to conducting the interview, research potential providers of support, which may include existing health, legal and social services and educational resources in the community, and less formal providers of support (including community representatives, religious leaders, traditional healers and women’s organisations).

A list of such resources should be made available to the interviewee, but only provided if and when asked for. Such a list should be framed as resources for “women’s heath” broadly, to minimise risks to interviewees that may result from possessing such a list.

== '''Ensuring confidentiality''' ==

All involved, from the interviewer to the editor, have the duty to assure the women that their identities will be protected, if this has been agreed upon.

Confidentiality means that participants cannot be identified by others, so any identifying information (such as location, etc.) is to be stripped from all materials pertaining to the interview, including photographs and recordings. Interviewees shall determine what kind of information and details to share, no matter how crucial the women’s revelations.

== '''Location of interview''' ==

Interviews cost the interviewee time and energy. Therefore, they should be carried out in settings that are most convenient for them.

Logistics planning should include consideration of respondent safety.

Interviews should be conducted in complete privacy. In cases where privacy cannot be ensured, interviews should be rescheduled or relocated.

== '''Recording the interview''' ==

Audio recordings should be made for in-depth interviews with survivors of violence.

The permission of the respondents should be sought before taping. The name of the respondent should not be included in the audio recording at any stage.

Respondents should be informed of who will have access to the tapes and for how long they will be kept.

1. In this case, only the interviewer (and transcriber, if different from the interviewer) will have access to the audio recording.

2. The audio recordings should be kept in an encrypted file (1) on an external hard drive, in a locked cabinet, with limited access.

3. The audio recording should be destroyed after publication.

Extreme caution must be taken to securely transport raw data from locations of interviews to places where data isprocessed. That applies to all recoding media. Encryption software must be used during all data storage to ensure security of the data. (2)

== '''Transcribing the interviews''' ==

The importance of recording and transcribing the interviews is to ensure that women’s experiences and perspectives are shared in their own words. Relying on the interviewers’ notes/memories may be insufficient to ensure quality of data and its analysis.

Transcribing the interviews also enables the respondents the option of reviewing the information they have provided if they wish, and choosing which information they consent to share.

Particular care should be taken to ensure that no one community or individual can be identified.

== '''Checklist''' ==

* Think before you upload your story to the internet and if your security or the security of others could be compromised by others seeing it or not.

* If you or the interviewee don't want your face shown, or your voice clearly recognisable, you can use tools to help guarantee anonymity (Audacity has tools for audio, ObscuraCam for video).

* Never use an image of a person without that person's permission, regardless of who owns the image.

''(1) Use encryption software (Truecrypt) to ensure security of the file.''

''(2) Truecrypt is a recommended free open source application that can be used for encrypting data on your computers and portable devices.''

How to deal with vulnerable interviewees

2016-05-18T00:55:13Z

Lori:

[[File:aid.jpg|thumb|200px]]
== '''Introduction''' ==

This guide contains resources and important considerations to be put in place when conducting interviews, particularly with survivors of violence and sexual harassment.

At GenderIT.org, our priorities include giving space to voices from the global South and to the voices of marginalised communities, including victims of violence and sexual harassment. This means an awareness of both our own power and the power of others – including ways in which our actions can enhance or detract from the power of the person whose voice is being heard.

This also means an awareness of the vulnerabilities of those who have experienced sexual or other violence or harassment – giving them the power to decide how anonymous they wish to be, for example, allowing them to choose how to refer to themselves (as a survivor, as a victim, etc.), giving them ample space and time to tell, write or edit their story, and time for them to be happy about how it will be shared (if it is to be shared).

== '''Overview''' ==

A key resource here is the [http://blog.witness.org/2013/08/new-how-to-guide-for-interviewing-survivors-of-sexual-and-gender-based-violence/ Witness guide] to interviewing survivors of sexual assault. Violence survivors include those in positions of power and authority and if you are speaking to them about their experience of violence, particularly sexual violence or assault, it is still important to follow these principles.

Another important document is the [http://www.who.int/gender/documents/violence/who_fch_gwh_01.1/en/ WHO guide] on research on domestic violence available in English, French and Spanish.

== '''WHO Guiding Principles for Domestic Violence Research''' ==

a. The safety of respondents and the research team is paramount, and should guide all project decisions.

b. Prevalence studies need to be methodologically sound and to build upon current research experience about how to minimise the under-reporting of violence.

c. Protecting confidentiality is essential to ensure both women’s safety and data quality.

d. All research team members should be carefully selected and receive specialised training and ongoing support.

e. The study design must include actions aimed at reducing any possible distress caused to the participants by the research.

f. Fieldworkers should be trained to refer women requesting assistance to available local services and sources of support. Where few resources exist, it may be necessary for the study to create short-term support mechanisms.

g. Researchers and donors have an ethical obligation to help ensure that their findings are properly interpreted and used to advance policy and intervention development.

h. Violence questions should only be incorporated into surveys designed for other purposes when ethical and methodological requirements can be met.

'''Drawing from these principles''', Rima Athar, in ''Research design for “From impunity to justice: Exploring corporate and legal remedies for technology-related violence against women” research'' (APC, November 2013), drew up '''these guidelines''':

== '''Obtaining informed consent''' ==

* Interviewees are treated as human beings with agency, capable of determining and deciding what is best for them, and not mere subjects or as means to extract data.
* With respect to their self-determination, a) the nature of the interview, b) any risks and benefits which might result from their participation, c) their rights to refuse to participate or to end their participation without penalty, and d) the means by which they can contact the writer shall be first explained to potential interviewees in language they understand.
* It is imperative to stress that consent is voluntary, and as such can be withdrawn at any time prior to publication. Writers must ensure the possibility for interviewees to withdraw their consent (at minimum by providing a way to contact the writer).
* Only those who express willingness shall be interviewed.

'''Providing support'''

Interviewees stand to face positive as well as negative effects from their involvement/participation. The writer shall ensure that interviewees not only benefit from the publication of the interview but also from the actual conduct of the interview itself. A good interviewer pays careful attention to the interaction with interviewees as this is critical in remaining aware of potential hierarchies and associated power dynamics that may arise.

== '''During the interview''' ==

Use sensitive and appropriate methods. The writer shall be in close collaboration with the interviewee and is enjoined not just to have an instrumental but genuine relationship with them, recognising that there is no "detachment" from the interviewee’s problems. Treating all people as human beings will entail a degree of emotional involvement and create a bond between the interviewer and respondent that can potentially empower both, without creating or fostering dependence.

It entails listening to the interviewee with sensitivity. Those who have experienced violation and trauma may react poorly to questions around their experiences, and the writer should be able to recognise this and provide an appropriate response.

During the course of the interview, the interviewer should introduce any section enquiring about violence carefully, forewarning the respondent about the nature of the questions and giving her the opportunity to either stop the interview, or not to answer these questions.

Collaboration means also that the interviewer is willing to self-disclose - to share her/his experience if the interviewee requests.

At all times refrain from any conduct or statement that has the effect or impact of blaming the woman for the violence she has experienced.

== '''Boundaries''' ==

Writers shall take steps to address other needs of the interviewee such as counselling, psycho-social and emotional support through referrals to local and culturally appropriate resources. However, be explicit about limitations and do not make promises that cannot be fulfilled. Interviewers should not take on a role as counsellor.

Interviewers should be open to assisting the respondent if asked, within the limits of these protocols, but should not tell her what to do or to take on the personal burden of trying to “save her”.

Variations in individual and cultural understandings of what constitutes violence against women (including rape, marital rape, assault, harassment, etc.) are to be expected. The writer’s role in working with victims/survivors of violence (as well as all other interviewees) is to bring out their own understanding of the violence they experienced (or witnessed or participated in), through questions and sharing of perspectives that provide room for conversation around different views, rather than trying to stick with a pre-determined definition/understanding of what constitutes violence, rape, harassment, assault, etc.

== '''Providing referrals to social support services''' ==

Prior to conducting the interview, research potential providers of support, which may include existing health, legal and social services and educational resources in the community, and less formal providers of support (including community representatives, religious leaders, traditional healers and women’s organisations).

A list of such resources should be made available to the interviewee, but only provided if and when asked for. Such a list should be framed as resources for “women’s heath” broadly, to minimise risks to interviewees that may result from possessing such a list.

== '''Ensuring confidentiality''' ==

All involved, from the interviewer to the editor, have the duty to assure the women that their identities will be protected, if this has been agreed upon.

Confidentiality means that participants cannot be identified by others, so any identifying information (such as location, etc.) is to be stripped from all materials pertaining to the interview, including photographs and recordings. Interviewees shall determine what kind of information and details to share, no matter how crucial the women’s revelations.

'''Location of interview'''

Interviews cost the interviewee time and energy. Therefore, they should be carried out in settings that are most convenient for them.

Logistics planning should include consideration of respondent safety.

Interviews should be conducted in complete privacy. In cases where privacy cannot be ensured, interviews should be rescheduled or relocated.

== '''Recording the interview''' ==

Audio recordings should be made for in-depth interviews with survivors of violence.

The permission of the respondents should be sought before taping. The name of the respondent should not be included in the audio recording at any stage.

Respondents should be informed of who will have access to the tapes and for how long they will be kept.

1. In this case, only the interviewer (and transcriber, if different from the interviewer) will have access to the audio recording.

2. The audio recordings should be kept in an encrypted file (1) on an external hard drive, in a locked cabinet, with limited access.

3. The audio recording should be destroyed after publication.

Extreme caution must be taken to securely transport raw data from locations of interviews to places where data isprocessed. That applies to all recoding media. Encryption software must be used during all data storage to ensure security of the data. (2)

== '''Transcribing the interviews''' ==

The importance of recording and transcribing the interviews is to ensure that women’s experiences and perspectives are shared in their own words. Relying on the interviewers’ notes/memories may be insufficient to ensure quality of data and its analysis.

Transcribing the interviews also enables the respondents the option of reviewing the information they have provided if they wish, and choosing which information they consent to share.

Particular care should be taken to ensure that no one community or individual can be identified.

== '''Checklist''' ==

* Think before you upload your story to the internet and if your security or the security of others could be compromised by others seeing it or not.

* If you or the interviewee don't want your face shown, or your voice clearly recognisable, you can use tools to help guarantee anonymity (Audacity has tools for audio, ObscuraCam for video).

* Never use an image of a person without that person's permission, regardless of who owns the image.

''(1) Use encryption software (Truecrypt) to ensure security of the file.''

''(2) Truecrypt is a recommended free open source application that can be used for encrypting data on your computers and portable devices.''

How to work with video

2016-05-18T00:24:01Z

Lori:

[[File:video.jpg|thumb|200px]]
== '''Introduction''' ==

Telling stories is as old as humanity. We hear stories from the moment we're born, and tell them almost as we learn to speak. Stories shape who we are and how we see the world, which is why it is important for feminists to use them to inspire and lead, not just offline, but online as well.

Video and animation can be powerful tools for bringing these stories to others, and both are often used as techniques for digital storytelling.

The priorities for both video and digital storytelling are to prioritise the voice of the story-teller or interviewee; be conscious of power dynamics and to tell great feminist stories.

== '''Overview of digital storytelling''' ==

For those just getting started [http://electronicportfolios.com/digistory/howto.html here] is a resource that offers a range of links to software and guides on how to do digital storytelling. Another good guide on methodology is by the [http://storycenter.org StoryCenter].

One of the advantages of digital storytelling is that the person is telling their own story in their own voice, selecting images to represent their story. It is not someone else telling their story. Generally, insist on the "I" in the story - don't tell a story about someone else. Our approach has been mainly using the voice of the storyteller and then adding in still images.

== '''Overview of video production''' ==

Video can bring an immediacy to advocacy that plain text lacks, and can be used to demonstrate points in innovative ways, beyond the scope of radio.

[http://www.tomsguide.com/us/how-to-shoot-great-video,review-1826.html Tom's Guide] for some easy to follow advice on shooting video.

Click [http://blog.witness.org/category/video-for-change/how-to-toolkits/ here] to find out more about video for activism.

== '''Overview of animation''' ==

Animation has some advantages over video, though it may be more time-consuming. Translation can be done relatively seamlessly, and if you are offering the animation for edit, a new soundtrack could be overlaid with comparative ease. Also it is easier to protect anonymity, and sometimes to tackle thorny but important issues through animation. (An example of this is [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-5mdt9YN6I My Body Belongs To Me].)

== '''Technical tools''' ==

While the best free and open source videos run on Linux ([http://openshot.org/ OpenShot] for example), [http://avidemux.sourceforge.net/download.html Avidemux] is available for both Mac and Windows as well. While not as user friendly as the Linux alternatives, it appears to be the best for all platforms.

For digital storytelling, [http://www.virtualdub.org/ Virtualdub] can be used on Windows.

A lot of the resources on digital storytelling are aimed at teachers, which means that they aren't always as useful for communities as they incorporate a very different power structure (a teacher telling students what to do), with very different motivation. However, some animation tools that were developed for teachers might be useful. I've used [http://www.kudlian.net/products/icananimate/ I Can Animate], which we found intuitive and flexible, if you want to do a proper 'stop-go' animation. If not, there are some story-board style tools, such as animoto.com, which allows you to choose how much control you want over the animation.

== '''Methods''' ==

If you are shooting either visuals or audio, particularly if conducting interviews, it is important to bear in mind power relations. Ensure that as much as possible is done to make sure that the person whose story is being told, for example, feels ownership over their story at all parts of the process. This may range from allowing them to help edit material, or to teaching them how to take the video themselves. At events, seek out women's and feminist voices.

From the beginning be aware of both power and security, particularly when interviewing survivors of gender-based violence or sexual assault. This excellent [http://blog.witness.org/2013/08/new-how-to-guide-for-interviewing-survivors-of-sexual-and-gender-based-violence/ blog post] helps address most of the issues,

Lastly, though it is important through every aspect of video production, bear in mind security.

* Think before you upload your story to the internet and if your security could be compromised by others seeing it or not.
* If you don't want your face shown, you can use tools to blur or pixelate faces.
* Never use an image of a person without the explicit permission of that individual.
* If you use images and/or music from the internet, make sure they are licensed under an appropriate copy-free licence (such as CopyLeft or Creative Commons).

== '''Checklist''' ==

1. Play your video once through, to check for clarity and sharpness of images.

2. If your sources are anonymous, check that there is no identifying material throughout the video.

3. If you are doing animation or using videos, have sources been treated with respect?

4. Do you have permissions for images of all people shown in the video?

5. Are all images and/or music licensed under an appropriate copy-free licence?

6. Is the title for your video compelling? Does it capture the essence of the video?

How to work with images

2016-05-18T00:22:45Z

Lori:

[[File:photo.jpg|thumb|200px]]
== '''Introduction''' ==

Photographs can illuminate a story, but also present risks for information they may inadvertently provide about the location and identities of those in the photographs. This guide addresses these questions of safety, security and ensuring anonymity.

== '''Overview''' ==

If you're looking for a fairly simple how-to for digital photography, have a look at [http://photo.net/equipment/digital/basics/ this]. It includes information on choosing a camera, as well as guiding readers through the vocabulary of a digital camera.

A really beautiful online guide to portrait photography is available [https://archive.org/details/The_Perfect_Portrait_Guide_How_to_Photograph_People here]. This is really practical for taking one-on-one shots, less practical in the chaotic atmosphere of a conference.

Perhaps more practical tips for the type of photographs you might be taking if you go to a conference or event can be found [https://photography.tutsplus.com/categories/photojournalism here].

== '''Technical tools''' ==

Obviously, you'll need a camera. The quality of most point-and-shoot cameras is usually sufficient for the website.

However, you may need to change the quality or otherwise edit your photo. An [http://www.gimp.org/ open source alternative] to Photoshop is available, which has tutorials on the same site.

If you're taking photos with your phone, make sure you use the [https://guardianproject.info/apps/obscuracam/ ObscuraCam app] to protect the identity of those whose pictures you take. This free app removes location and other identifying material from the photos.

== '''Methods''' ==

Aside from the technical tips covered above, as always make sure that you respect people's privacy. At conferences, ensure that those in photographs are happy with the image being made public – in many conferences people may wear some form of identification to show that they don't want their photographs taken. It is vital that this is respected. If you aren't sure, or don't get to ask, don't upload the shot – or anonymise their picture (see the link to ObscuraCam above).

If you have done an interview and the interviewee wants to remain anonymous, you could take photos of hands, a silhouette or other means that protect their identity. Check out the resources at gbv.witness.org for ideas and suggestions.

== '''Checklist''' ==

1. Before going out, make sure you have spare batteries and a notepad (and a camera!).

2. Get the permission of everyone you photograph to use their pictures. Explain the context of the site and if possible, the context of the story.

3. Before taking the shot, check the lighting, and check that everything is to scale (see [http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/force-perspective-photos/ HongKiat]).

4. If the photo is taken with a smart device, make sure you strip identifying data from the shot.

5. Make sure that the image in in the right format before uploading.

== '''Technical tips for using the picture in GenderIT.org''' ==

1. Please make sure the file size does not exceed 25 MB. If this is the case, you can easily reduce the size by using an [http://www.webresizer.com/resizer/ online tool]. You can also crop the photo if you need to.

2. Allowed file extensions are ''png gif jpg jpeg''

3. On the HOW to upload them, please refer to the technical guide about how to upload content in GenderIT.org.

How to work with images

2016-05-18T00:21:21Z

Lori:

[[File:photo.jpg|thumb|200px]]
== '''Introduction''' ==

Photographs can illuminate a story, but also present risks for information they may inadvertently provide about the location and identities of those in the photographs. This guide addresses these questions of safety, security and ensuring anonymity.

== '''Overview''' ==

If you're looking for a fairly simple how-to for digital photography, have a look at [http://photo.net/equipment/digital/basics/ this]. It includes information on choosing a camera, as well as guiding readers through the vocabulary of a digital camera.

A really beautiful online guide to portrait photography is available [https://archive.org/details/The_Perfect_Portrait_Guide_How_to_Photograph_People here]. This is really practical for taking one-on-one shots, less practical in the chaotic atmosphere of a conference.

Perhaps more practical tips for the type of photographs you might be taking if you go to a conference or event can be found [https://photography.tutsplus.com/categories/photojournalism here]

== '''Technical tools''' ==

Obviously, you'll need a camera. The quality of most point-and-shoot cameras is usually sufficient for the website.

However, you may need to change the quality or otherwise edit your photo. An [http://www.gimp.org/ open source alternative] to Photoshop is available, which has tutorials on the same site.

If you're taking photos with your phone, make sure you use the [https://guardianproject.info/apps/obscuracam/ ObscuraCam app] to protect the identity of those whose pictures you take. This free app removes location and other identifying material from the photos.

== '''Methods''' ==

Aside from the technical tips covered above, as always make sure that you respect people's privacy. At conferences, ensure that those in photographs are happy with the image being made public – in many conferences people may wear some form of identification to show that they don't want their photographs taken. It is vital that this is respected. If you aren't sure, or don't get to ask, don't upload the shot – or anonymise their picture (see the link to ObscuraCam above).

If you have done an interview and the interviewee wants to remain anonymous, you could take photos of hands, a silhouette or other means that protect their identity. Check out the resources at gbv.witness.org for ideas and suggestions.

== '''Checklist''' ==

1. Before going out, make sure you have spare batteries and a notepad (and a camera!).

2. Get the permission of everyone you photograph to use their pictures. Explain the context of the site and if possible, the context of the story.

3. Before taking the shot, check the lighting, and check that everything is to scale (see [http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/force-perspective-photos/ HongKiat]).

4. If the photo is taken with a smart device, make sure you strip identifying data from the shot.

5. Make sure that the image in in the right format before uploading.

== '''Technical tips for using the picture in GenderIT.org''' ==

1. Please make sure the file size does not exceed 25 MB. If this is the case, you can easily reduce the size by using an [http://www.webresizer.com/resizer/ online tool]. You can also crop the photo if you need to.

2. Allowed file extensions are ''png gif jpg jpeg''

3. On the HOW to upload them, please refer to the technical guide about how to upload content in GenderIT.org.

How to work with video

2016-05-18T00:10:23Z

Lori:

[[File:video.jpg|thumb|200px]]
== '''Introduction''' ==

Telling stories is as old as humanity. We hear stories from the moment we're born, and tell them almost as we learn to speak. Stories shape who we are and how we see the world, which is why it is important for feminists to use them to inspire and lead, not just offline, but online as well.

Video and animation can be powerful tools for bringing these stories to others, and both are often used as techniques for digital storytelling.

The priorities for both video and digital storytelling are to prioritise the voice of the story-teller or interviewee; be conscious of power dynamics and to tell great feminist stories.

== '''Overview of digital storytelling''' ==

For those just getting started [http://electronicportfolios.com/digistory/howto.html here] is a resource that offers a range of links to software and guides on how to do digital storytelling. Another good guide on methodology is by the [http://storycenter.org StoryCenter].

One of the advantages of digital storytelling is that the person is telling their own story in their own voice, selecting images to represent their story. It is not someone else telling their story. Generally, insist on the "I" in the story - don't tell a story about someone else. Our approach has been mainly using the voice of the storyteller and then adding in still images.

== '''Overview of video production''' ==

Video can bring an immediacy to advocacy that plain text lacks, and can be used to demonstrate points in innovative ways, beyond the scope of radio.

[http://www.tomsguide.com/us/how-to-shoot-great-video,review-1826.html Tom's Guide] for some easy to follow advice on shooting video.

Click [http://blog.witness.org/category/video-for-change/how-to-toolkits/ here] to find out more about video for activism.

== '''Overview of animation''' ==

Animation has some advantages over video, though it may be more time-consuming. Translation can be done relatively seamlessly, and if you are offering the animation for edit, a new soundtrack could be overlaid with comparative ease. Also it is easier to protect anonymity, and sometimes to tackle thorny but important issues through animation. (An example of this is [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-5mdt9YN6I My Body Belongs To Me].)

== '''Technical tools''' ==

While the best free and open source videos run on Linux ([http://openshot.org/ OpenShot] for example), [http://avidemux.sourceforge.net/download.html Avidemux] is available for both Mac and Windows as well. While not as user friendly as the Linux alternatives, it appears to be the best for all platforms.

For digital storytelling, [http://www.virtualdub.org/ Virtualdub] can be used on Windows.

A lot of the resources on digital storytelling are aimed at teachers, which means that they aren't always as useful for communities as they incorporate a very different power structure (a teacher telling students what to do), with very different motivation. However, some animation tools that were developed for teachers might be useful. I've used [http://www.kudlian.net/products/icananimate/ I Can Animate], which we found intuitive and flexible, if you want to do a proper 'stop-go' animation. If not, there are some story-board style tools, such as animoto.com, which allows you to choose how much control you want over the animation.

== '''Methods''' ==

If you are shooting either visuals or audio, particularly if conducting interviews, it is important to bear in mind power relations. Ensure that as much as possible is done to make sure that the person whose story is being told, for example, feels ownership over their story at all parts of the process. This may range from allowing them to help edit material, or to teaching them how to take the video themselves. At events, seek out women's and feminist voices.

From the beginning be aware of both power and security, particularly when interviewing survivors of gender-based violence or sexual assault. This excellent [http://blog.witness.org/2013/08/new-how-to-guide-for-interviewing-survivors-of-sexual-and-gender-based-violence/ blog post] helps address most of the issues,

Lastly, though it is important through every aspect of video production, bear in mind security.

* Think before you upload your story to the internet and if your security could be compromised by others seeing it or not.
* If you don't want your face shown, you can use tools to blur or pixelate faces.
* Never use an image of a person without the explicit permission of that individual
* If you use images and/or music from the internet, make sure they are licensed under an appropriate copy-free licence (such as CopyLeft or Creative Commons).

== '''Checklist''' ==

1. Play your video once through, to check for clarity and sharpness of images.

2. If your sources are anonymous, check that there is no identifying material throughout the video.

3. If you are doing animation or using videos, have sources been treated with respect?

4. Do you have permissions for images of all people shown in the video?

5. Are all images and/or music licensed under an appropriate copy-free licence?

6. Is the title for your video compelling? Does it capture the essence of the video?

How to work with audio

2016-05-17T23:53:59Z

Lori:

[[File:audio.jpg|thumb|200px]]
== '''Introduction''' ==

The aim of this guide is to provide information and resources that will provide a road-map for those new to the medium of audio, while also providing quick links and reference for those with some experience who want a refresher on particular topics or questions.

Voice can be an immensely warm media, bringing stories into your office, living room or car. It's also a great medium for feminists.

== '''Overview''' ==

UNESCO publishes a guide on how to do community radio. While the first section deals with setting up a station, the second section is on how to make programmes. It is available [http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/resources/publications-and-communication-materials/publications/full-list/how-to-do-community-radio-a-primer-for-community-radio-operators/ online].

The first thing is to make great sound recordings. You can fix audio that has some mistakes, but it's much easier to make sure that the recording is as "clean" as possible. A simple guide that covers most of the important points can be found [http://www.soundportraits.org/education/how_to_record/ here] but keep in mind the points below about power and respect.

== '''Technical tools''' ==

If you plan on doing a lot of audio, download an audio editor – [http://sourceforge.net/projects/audacity/?source=directory Audacity] is one of the most popular free, open-source sound editors out there, and it can do most of what can be done by far more costly software packages. A fairly simple to follow tutorial is available [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrPGMjZORCM here] – but there are loads of videos to help guide you through any issues you may have. The Audacity community is also quite active, so post any problems you face and you're bound to get some help.

With Audacity, you can record sound from Skype, but the quality can be too poor for broadcast, if you're hoping that stations will pick up the story. It is fine for the website. You can also use it to record conversations using any mic plugged into your computer, including the internal mic.

== '''Methods''' ==

One of the reasons GenderIT.org encourages contributors to make audio is because the airwaves, including both mainstream and community radio, are still dominated by male voices, issues and concerns. Feminist audio is different from malestream audio in that:

1) It privileges female voices, to address existing power imbalances.

2) It is always conscious of the power involved in any interview or discussion. Generally, if you are interviewing somebody, you hold more power than they do. It is your responsibility to ensure that their voice is heard in a way that is empowering for them. This means you allow them time to feel comfortable, to review what they have said, to restart or redo what they have said. Obviously there are exceptions – politicians and other prominent personalities may have more power than the interviewer. But, as a general rule, check whether these are voices that need to be heard on GenderIT.org. Do they have other ways of reaching a wide audience? If so, maybe we need to be looking for someone else.

Follow these guidelines, bearing in mind what is written in the GenderIT.org code of ethics and the manifesto, and you'll be producing radio-worthy audio in no time.

== '''Other resources''' ==

1. Transom.org – a radio specialists' guide to tools and tips for using sound editing software, including Audacity.

2. [http://audacity.sourceforge.net/community/users The Audacity user community]

3. The [http://www.amarc.org/?q=node/2084 AMARC Gender Policy] is a useful document that looks at the issue of power and women's voices.

== '''Checklist''' ==

1. Listen back to the audio recording. Sometimes strange things creep in without you noticing!

2. Are all sound effects and/or music licensed under an appropriate copy-free licence?

3. Make sure you can spell all names that are mentioned, for tagging online, and to make sure that any transcript is accurate.

How to work with audio

2016-05-17T23:45:38Z

Lori:

[[File:audio.jpg|thumb|200px]]
== '''Introduction''' ==

The aim of this guide is to provide information and resources that will provide a road-map for those new to the medium of audio, while also providing quick links and reference for those with some experience who want a refresher on particular topics or questions.

Voice can be an immensely warm media, bringing stories into your office, living room or car. It's also a great medium for feminists.

== '''Overview''' ==

UNESCO publishes a guide on how to do community radio. While the first section deals with setting up a station, the second section is on how to make programmes. It is available [http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/resources/publications-and-communication-materials/publications/full-list/how-to-do-community-radio-a-primer-for-community-radio-operators/ online].

The first thing is to make great sound recordings. You can fix audio that has some mistakes, but it's much easier to make sure that the recording is as "clean" as possible. A simple guide that covers most of the important points can be found [http://www.soundportraits.org/education/how_to_record/ here] but keep in mind the points below about power and respect.

== '''Technical tools''' ==

If you plan on doing a lot of audio, download an audio editor – [http://sourceforge.net/projects/audacity/?source=directory Audacity] is one of the most popular free, open-source sound editors out there, and it can do most of what can be done by far more costly software packages. A fairly simple to follow tutorial is available [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrPGMjZORCM here] – but there are loads of videos to help guide you through any issues you may have. The Audacity community is also quite active, so post any problems you face and you're bound to get some help.

With Audacity, you can record sound from Skype, but the quality can be too poor for broadcast, if you're hoping that stations will pick up the story. It is fine for the website. You can also use it to record conversations using any mic plugged into your computer, including the internal mic.

== '''Methods''' ==

One of the reasons GenderIT.org encourages contributors to make audio is because the airwaves, including both mainstream and community radio, are still dominated by male voices, issues and concerns. Feminist audio is different from malestream audio in that:

1) It privileges female voices, to address existing power imbalances.

2) It is always conscious of the power involved in any interview or discussion. Generally, if you are interviewing somebody, you hold more power than they do. It is your responsibility to ensure that their voice is heard in a way that is empowering for them. This means you allow them time to feel comfortable, to review what they have said, to restart or redo what they have said. Obviously there are exceptions – politicians and other prominent personalities may have more power than the interviewer. But, as a general rule, check whether these are voices that need to be heard on GenderIT.org. Do they have other ways of reaching a wide audience? If so, maybe we need to be looking for someone else.

Follow these guidelines, bearing in mind what is written in the GenderIT.org code of ethics and the manifesto, and you'll be producing radio-worthy audio in no time.

== '''Other resources''' ==

1. Transom.org – a radio specialists' guide to tools and tips for using sound editing software, including Audacity.

2. [http://audacity.sourceforge.net/community/users The Audacity user community]

3. The [http://www.amarc.org/index.php?p=Gender_Policy_entrance_page AMARC Gender Policy] is a useful document that looks at the issue of power and women's voices.

== '''Checklist''' ==

1. Listen back to the audio recording. Sometimes strange things creep in without you noticing!

2. Are all sound effects and/or music licensed under an appropriate copy-free licence?

3. Make sure you can spell all names that are mentioned, for tagging online, and to make sure that any transcript is accurate.

Editorial policy

2016-05-17T22:47:58Z

Lori:

[[File:style.jpg|thumb|200px]]
APCNews editorial policy establishes the focus of interest, values, language, and other standards that information produced by the APC must follow. We are featuring here the English version, but it is also available in [http://www.apc.org/politica-editorial Spanish], [http://www.apc.org/politique-editoriale French] and [http://www.apc.org/politica-editorial-da-APC Portuguese].

'''Information produced by APC:'''

* Has information and communications technology (ICT) for social justice and/or sustainable development as its primary focus of interest.

* Is consistent with our values and/or [https://www.apc.org/en/node/5677/ APC’s Internet Rights Charter].

* Is gender-sensitive.

* Is written in plain language and demystifies technology. No jargon allowed unless terms are explained clearly. We expect our readers to be non-specialists.

* Uses:
** British English of the “-ise” and “-mme” variant.
** Latin-American Spanish.
** Standard French (French language without regionalisms). ICT neologisms are mostly taken up from the Grand Dictionnaire, which is put out (and made available online) by the Office québécois de la langue française.
** Brazilian Portuguese, except when texts are aimed at a specifically African audience, in which case European Portuguese is used.
** In all languages, APC uses “neutral” terms whenever possible and avoids colloquial and regional terms. APC has produced a set of guidelines for native English speakers who want to make their writing accessible to non-native readers.

* Adheres to the highest possible standards of production (is proofread, adequately referenced, etc.).

* Includes all necessary acknowledgements.

* Is shareable unless otherwise stated. Permission is granted to republish APC publications provided there is a clear acknowledgement of APC included. With online republishers, we prefer that they include an abstract and link to the complete material on the APC site. We always request that a link to our original publication is included.

* Includes a mechanism to provide feedback whenever appropriate.

Some of these areas go beyond content, but in an organisation where we encourage contributions from writers who have no professional training, we have decided to be explicit regarding our expectations for publications.

Editorial policy

2016-05-17T22:46:07Z

Lori:

[[File:style.jpg|thumb|200px]]
APCNews editorial policy establishes the focus of interest, values, language, and other standards that information produced by the APC must follow. We are featuring here the English version, but it is also available in [http://www.apc.org/politica-editorial Spanish], [http://www.apc.org/politique-editoriale French] and [http://www.apc.org/politica-editorial-da-APC Portuguese].

'''Information produced by APC:'''

* Has information and communications technology (ICT) for social justice and/or sustainable development as its primary focus of interest.

* Is consistent with our values and/or [https://www.apc.org/en/node/5677/ APC’s Internet Rights Charter].

* Is gender-sensitive.

* Is written in plain language and demystifies technology. No jargon allowed unless terms are explained clearly. We expect our readers to be non-specialists.

* Uses:

** British English of the “-ise” and “-mme” variant.

** Latin-American Spanish.

** Standard French (French language without regionalisms). ICT neologisms are mostly taken up from the Grand Dictionnaire, which is put out (and made available online) by the Office québécois de la langue française.

** Brazilian Portuguese, except when texts are aimed at a specifically African audience, in which case European Portuguese is used.

** In all languages, APC uses “neutral” terms whenever possible and avoids colloquial and regional terms. APC has produced a set of guidelines for native English speakers who want to make their writing accessible to non-native readers.

* Adheres to the highest possible standards of production (is proofread, adequately referenced, etc.).

* Includes all necessary acknowledgements.

* Is shareable unless otherwise stated. Permission is granted to republish APC publications provided there is a clear acknowledgement of APC included. With online republishers, we prefer that they include an abstract and link to the complete material on the APC site. We always request that a link to our original publication is included.

* Includes a mechanism to provide feedback whenever appropriate.

Some of these areas go beyond content, but in an organisation where we encourage contributions from writers who have no professional training, we have decided to be explicit regarding our expectations for publications.

Editorial policy

2016-05-17T22:43:37Z

Lori:

[[File:style.jpg|thumb|200px]]
APCNews editorial policy establishes the focus of interest, values, language, and other standards that information produced by the APC must follow. We are featuring here the English version, but it is also available in [http://www.apc.org/politica-editorial Spanish], [http://www.apc.org/politique-editoriale French] and [http://www.apc.org/politica-editorial-da-APC Portuguese].

'''Information produced by APC:'''

* Has information and communications technology (ICT) for social justice and/or sustainable development as its primary focus of interest.

* Is consistent with our values and/or [https://www.apc.org/en/node/5677/ APC’s Internet Rights Charter].

* Is gender-sensitive.

* Is written in plain language and demystifies technology. No jargon allowed unless terms are explained clearly. We expect our readers to be non-specialists.

* Uses:

- British English of the “-ise” and “-mme” variant.

Latin-American Spanish.

* Standard French (French language without regionalisms). ICT neologisms are mostly taken up from the Grand Dictionnaire, which is put out (and made available online) by the Office québécois de la langue française.

* Brazilian Portuguese, except when texts are aimed at a specifically African audience, in which case European Portuguese is used.

* In all languages, APC uses “neutral” terms whenever possible and avoids colloquial and regional terms. APC has produced a set of guidelines for native English speakers who want to make their writing accessible to non-native readers.

* Adheres to the highest possible standards of production (is proofread, adequately referenced, etc.).

* Includes all necessary acknowledgements.

* Is shareable unless otherwise stated. Permission is granted to republish APC publications provided there is a clear acknowledgement of APC included. With online republishers, we prefer that they include an abstract and link to the complete material on the APC site. We always request that a link to our original publication is included.

* Includes a mechanism to provide feedback whenever appropriate.

Some of these areas go beyond content, but in an organisation where we encourage contributions from writers who have no professional training, we have decided to be explicit regarding our expectations for publications.

Editorial policy

2016-05-17T22:43:01Z

Lori:

[[File:style.jpg|thumb|200px]]
APCNews editorial policy establishes the focus of interest, values, language, and other standards that information produced by the APC must follow. We are featuring here the English version, but it is also available in [http://www.apc.org/politica-editorial Spanish], [http://www.apc.org/politique-editoriale French] and [http://www.apc.org/politica-editorial-da-APC Portuguese].

'''Information produced by APC:'''

* Has information and communications technology (ICT) for social justice and/or sustainable development as its primary focus of interest.

* Is consistent with our values and/or [https://www.apc.org/en/node/5677/ APC’s Internet Rights Charter].

* Is gender-sensitive.

* Is written in plain language and demystifies technology. No jargon allowed unless terms are explained clearly. We expect our readers to be non-specialists.

* Uses:

- British English of the “-ise” and “-mme” variant.

Latin-American Spanish.

* Standard French (French language without regionalisms). ICT neologisms are mostly taken up from the Grand Dictionnaire, which is put out (and made available online) by the Office québécois de la langue française.

* Brazilian Portuguese, except when texts are aimed at a specifically African audience, in which case European Portuguese is used.

* In all languages, APC uses “neutral” terms whenever possible and avoids colloquial and regional terms. APC has produced a set of guidelines for native English speakers who want to make their writing accessible to non-native readers.

* Adheres to the highest possible standards of production (is proofread, adequately referenced, etc.).

* Includes all necessary acknowledgements.

* Is shareable unless otherwise stated. Permission is granted to republish APC publications provided there is a clear acknowledgement of APC included. With online republishers, we prefer that they include an abstract and link to the complete material on the APC site. We always request that a link to our original publication is included.

* Includes a mechanism to provide feedback whenever appropriate.

Some of these areas go beyond content, but in an organisation where we encourage contributions from writers who have no professional training, we have decided to be explicit regarding our expectations for publications.

Editorial policy

2016-05-17T22:42:16Z

Lori:

[[File:style.jpg|thumb|200px]]
APCNews editorial policy establishes the focus of interest, values, language, and other standards that information produced by the APC must follow. We are featuring here the English version, but it is also available in [http://www.apc.org/politica-editorial Spanish], [http://www.apc.org/politique-editoriale French] and [http://www.apc.org/politica-editorial-da-APC Portuguese].

'''Information produced by APC:'''

* Has information and communications technology (ICT) for social justice and/or sustainable development as its primary focus of interest.

* Is consistent with our values and/or [https://www.apc.org/en/node/5677/ APC’s Internet Rights Charter].

* Is gender-sensitive.

* Is written in plain language and demystifies technology. No jargon allowed unless terms are explained clearly. We expect our readers to be non-specialists.

* Uses:

- British English of the “-ise” and “-mme” variant.

- Latin-American Spanish.

* Standard French (French language without regionalisms). ICT neologisms are mostly taken up from the Grand Dictionnaire, which is put out (and made available online) by the Office québécois de la langue française.

* Brazilian Portuguese, except when texts are aimed at a specifically African audience, in which case European Portuguese is used.

* In all languages, APC uses “neutral” terms whenever possible and avoids colloquial and regional terms. APC has produced a set of guidelines for native English speakers who want to make their writing accessible to non-native readers.

* Adheres to the highest possible standards of production (is proofread, adequately referenced, etc.).

* Includes all necessary acknowledgements.

* Is shareable unless otherwise stated. Permission is granted to republish APC publications provided there is a clear acknowledgement of APC included. With online republishers, we prefer that they include an abstract and link to the complete material on the APC site. We always request that a link to our original publication is included.

* Includes a mechanism to provide feedback whenever appropriate.

Some of these areas go beyond content, but in an organisation where we encourage contributions from writers who have no professional training, we have decided to be explicit regarding our expectations for publications.

Editorial policy

2016-05-17T22:41:31Z

Lori:

[[File:style.jpg|thumb|200px]]
APCNews editorial policy establishes the focus of interest, values, language, and other standards that information produced by the APC must follow. We are featuring here the English version, but it is also available in [http://www.apc.org/politica-editorial Spanish], [http://www.apc.org/politique-editoriale French] and [http://www.apc.org/politica-editorial-da-APC Portuguese].

'''Information produced by APC:'''

* Has information and communications technology (ICT) for social justice and/or sustainable development as its primary focus of interest.

* Is consistent with our values and/or [https://www.apc.org/en/node/5677/ APC’s Internet Rights Charter].

* Is gender-sensitive.

* Is written in plain language and demystifies technology. No jargon allowed unless terms are explained clearly. We expect our readers to be non-specialists.

* Uses:

* British English of the “-ise” and “-mme” variant.

* Latin-American Spanish.

* Standard French (French language without regionalisms). ICT neologisms are mostly taken up from the Grand Dictionnaire, which is put out (and made available online) by the Office québécois de la langue française.

* Brazilian Portuguese, except when texts are aimed at a specifically African audience, in which case European Portuguese is used.

* In all languages, APC uses “neutral” terms whenever possible and avoids colloquial and regional terms. APC has produced a set of guidelines for native English speakers who want to make their writing accessible to non-native readers.

* Adheres to the highest possible standards of production (is proofread, adequately referenced, etc.).

* Includes all necessary acknowledgements.

* Is shareable unless otherwise stated. Permission is granted to republish APC publications provided there is a clear acknowledgement of APC included. With online republishers, we prefer that they include an abstract and link to the complete material on the APC site. We always request that a link to our original publication is included.

* Includes a mechanism to provide feedback whenever appropriate.

Some of these areas go beyond content, but in an organisation where we encourage contributions from writers who have no professional training, we have decided to be explicit regarding our expectations for publications.

Editorial policy

2016-05-17T22:40:40Z

Lori:

[[File:style.jpg|thumb|200px]]
APCNews editorial policy establishes the focus of interest, values, language, and other standards that information produced by the APC must follow. We are featuring here the English version, but it is also available in [http://www.apc.org/politica-editorial Spanish], [http://www.apc.org/politique-editoriale French] and [http://www.apc.org/politica-editorial-da-APC Portuguese].

'''Information produced by APC:'''

* Has information and communications technology (ICT) for social justice and/or sustainable development as its primary focus of interest.

* Is consistent with our values and/or [https://www.apc.org/en/node/5677/ APC’s Internet Rights Charter].

* Is gender-sensitive.

* Is written in plain language and demystifies technology. No jargon allowed unless terms are explained clearly. We expect our readers to be non-specialists.

* Uses:

* British English of the “-ise” and “-mme” variant.

* Latin-American Spanish.

* Standard French (French language without regionalisms). ICT neologisms are mostly taken up from the Grand Dictionnaire, which is put out (and made available online) by the Office québécois de la langue française.

* Brazilian Portuguese, except when texts are aimed at a specifically African audience, in which case European Portuguese is used.

* In all languages, APC uses “neutral” terms whenever possible and avoids colloquial and regional terms. APC has produced a set of guidelines for native English speakers who want to make their writing accessible to non-native readers.

* Adheres to the highest possible standards of production (is proofread, adequately referenced, etc.).

* Includes all necessary acknowledgements.

* Is shareable unless otherwise stated. Permission is granted to republish APC publications provided there is a clear acknowledgement of APC included. With online republishers, we prefer that they include an abstract and link to the complete material on the APC site. We always request that a link to our original publication is included.

* Includes a mechanism to provide feedback whenever appropriate.

Some of these areas go beyond content, but in an organisation where we encourage contributions from writers who have no professional training, we have decided to be explicit regarding our expectations for publications.

Editorial policy

2016-05-17T22:39:41Z

Lori:

[[File:style.jpg|thumb|200px]]
APCNews editorial policy establishes the focus of interest, values, language, and other standards that information produced by the APC must follow. We are featuring here the English version, but it is also available in [http://www.apc.org/politica-editorial Spanish], [http://www.apc.org/politique-editoriale French] and [http://www.apc.org/politica-editorial-da-APC Portuguese].

'''Information produced by APC:'''

* Has information and communications technology (ICT) for social justice and/or sustainable development as its primary focus of interest.

* Is consistent with our values and/or [https://www.apc.org/en/node/5677/ APC’s Internet Rights Charter].

* Is gender-sensitive.

* Is written in plain language and demystifies technology. No jargon allowed unless terms are explained clearly. We expect our readers to be non-specialists.

* Uses:

** British English of the “-ise” and “-mme” variant.

** Latin-American Spanish.

** Standard French (French language without regionalisms). ICT neologisms are mostly taken up from the Grand Dictionnaire, which is put out (and made available online) by the Office québécois de la langue française.

** Brazilian Portuguese, except when texts are aimed at a specifically African audience, in which case European Portuguese is used.

** In all languages, APC uses “neutral” terms whenever possible and avoids colloquial and regional terms. APC has produced a set of guidelines for native English speakers who want to make their writing accessible to non-native readers.

* Adheres to the highest possible standards of production (is proofread, adequately referenced, etc.).

* Includes all necessary acknowledgements.

* Is shareable unless otherwise stated. Permission is granted to republish APC publications provided there is a clear acknowledgement of APC included. With online republishers, we prefer that they include an abstract and link to the complete material on the APC site. We always request that a link to our original publication is included.

* Includes a mechanism to provide feedback whenever appropriate.

Some of these areas go beyond content, but in an organisation where we encourage contributions from writers who have no professional training, we have decided to be explicit regarding our expectations for publications.

Style guide

2016-05-17T22:20:03Z

Lori:

[[File:style.jpg|thumb|200px]]
== '''An overview''' ==

'''Clear, simple writing''' should be the goal of all contributors. Contributors need to keep in mind our large audience, that it is international, and that the majority of our readers are not native speakers of English. When writing it is important to ask, can my reader understand this? Use clear, simple language, making sure that you do not use phrases that might not make sense when directly translated. Examples include phrases such as "keeping your hand in", "putting a lid on it" or "having a clear head".

'''Never write gender blind''', and try to use as few references as possible to gender blind material. It rarely matters what a women wears, what her age or marital status is, or her sexual orientation. These are only relevant if they are important for a point being made. Read an alternative paragraph/sentence aloud, just to see if it makes sense without that material.

Always refer to people by '''their pronoun and gender of choice'''. Do not refer to any "alternative" (such as "born a woman") unless it is relevant to the point being made.

Refer to people in a way that empowers and strengthens – survivors of sexual abuse, people living with HIV/ AIDS. '''People are not defined by trauma, disease, disability or gender.'''

GenderIT.org strives to write in a style that is less formal, but '''avoid contractions''' (e.g. don’t, I’ll, isn’t) because they are often not used in other languages and might confuse non-native English speakers.

'''Do not capitalise technological terms''' because that makes them seem Far More Important and Impenetrable than they really are. So words like '''internet, information society, free/libre and open source software, gender or civil society''' should be not capitalised unless they are within proper nouns (e.g. name of programme “Gender Equality and Information Society National Plan”).

[http://www.apc.org/en/glossary/6 '''Refer to the glossary section'''] of APC.org if you are unsure how to use a technical term or phrase. If you are using a technical term or phrase that is not there, please highlight it for the editorial team to consider adding it.

Before you start writing, make sure you are familiar with the [http://www.apc.org/en/system/files/APC_style_guide_2.0.pdf '''APC style guidelines'''], which deal with house style in terms of grammar and capitalisation, also available below.

In particular:

* Do not capitalise every single word in the titles and subtitles of the article.

* All acronyms must be spelled out in full when they are first mentioned in the article (remember that our primary audience are women’s organisations who are not focussed on ICTs, and who do not need to be familiar with commonly used acronyms in the field of ICTs).

* If you are citing material that is available online, always provide a link to the original source as a matter of courtesy and good internet conduct.

* Make sure you always have permission to republish any article(s) and/or photo(s) on the website from the original author/source (with the exception of writings that are sourced as APC, including APC programmes such as APC WRP or APC CIPP).

* Keep a record of the permission provided, and forward it to the Spanish or English language editors for documentation.

* You can quote 1-2 paragraphs of an article in your writing without needing prior author’s permission. Again provide a link to the original article as a matter of courtesy and good internet conduct.

* If you republish original articles written exclusively for APCNews or GenderIT.org, you must mention these as a source. Please inform the editorial team of external sites about this condition. Please refer to the [APC Editorial Policy] for more information.

* Consistently cite all resources and sources that you use in your writing.

* For interviews, please include in your submission this information about the interviewees:

** Full name
** Where s/he is based
** Where s/he is attached to professionally
** Her/his expertise in the field that is the focus of your article.

== '''Final checklist''' ==

* '''Always run a spell check!''' Make sure that you have used international or UK English throughout your contribution.

* Have you referenced in footnotes? Don't! '''Make sure all references are at the end of the document''', and referred to in square brackets: [1].

* APCNews, including GenderIT.org, uses an adapted version of the American Psychological Association (APA) style of referencing. Please refer to the [http://www.apc.org/en/system/files/APC_ReferenceGuide_2-0.pdf APC reference guide].

== '''Some examples of referencing''' ==

'''Book'''

Author, A. (year). ''Title of Work''. Location: Publisher. URL (if the publication is available online)

Gurumurthy, A. (2004). ''Gender and ICTs: Overview Report''. Brighton: BRIDGE. www.bridge.ids.ac.uk/go/bridge-publications/cutting-edge-packs/gender-and-icts/gender-and-icts&id=52909&type=Document&langid=1

'''Journal article'''

Author, A. (Year). Title of article. ''Title of Periodical, volume number''(issue number), pages (if available). URL (if online)

Coleman, S. (2005). The lonely citizen: Indirect representation in an age of networks. ''Political Communication, 22''(2), 197-214.

Salas, M. (2010). Internet, power and politics: Gender and ICTs in the movement against CAFTA. ''The Journal of Community Informatics, 6''(1). ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/530/468

'''Newspaper article'''

Author, A. (Year, date month published). Article title. ''Newspaper Title''. URL

Chemaly, S., Friedman, J., & Bates, L. (2013, 21 May). An Open Letter to Facebook. ''Huffington Post''. www.huffingtonpost.com/soraya-chemaly/an-open-letter-to-faceboo_1_b_3307394.html

'''Web page'''

If you are citing information about an organisation, programme, campaign, etc. from a website, you can simply provide the URL.

www.takebackthetech.net/page/about-campaign

== '''And now, the full APC style guide!''' ==

'''Heads up! [http://www.apc.org/en/system/files/APC_style_guide_2.0.pdf You can download the full APC style guide in pdf format]'''

Please take into account the following recommendations when writing and editing for APC. For easier reference you will find them in alphabetical order. Cross-referencing has been included when deemed necessary.

'''''1. Abbreviations, initials and acronyms'''''

''Abbreviations''

No full stops for “Dr David Samuels” or “Andrea Smith MP”.

Full stops for “e.g.” and “i.e.”.

''Initials''

Full stops for “J. A. Peterson”.

''Acronyms''

As a general rule, try to minimise the use of acronyms that do not add to the reader’s understanding of the text.

Spell out the name in full the first time it appears and provide the abbreviation in brackets: “International Telecommunication Union (ITU)”. After that, you can use the abbreviation only.

Well-known acronyms which are recognised internationally do not require explanation. Examples include: EU, US, UN, UNESCO, UNICEF, HIV/AIDS.

Abbreviations that are “word-like” do not usually require the definite article, such as UNESCO.

Others do, such as “the EU”. One important exception is APC, which generally appears without “the”.

No full stops for APC, UNESCO, ITU, etc.

Use of acronyms and organisation names in translation

When there is an official translation of the organisation name/acronym, there is no need to translate it yourself. Use the official version. Example: [EN] World Health Organization (WHO) > [ES] Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS).

When dealing with an organisation that is only known in a region or country, translate its name, keep the acronym in the original language, and include the entire name in the original language too. The original language acronym goes first in the parentheses, so it will be easier for the reader to remember. Example: “National Women's Institute (INAMU - Instituto Nacional de la Mujer)”.

'''''2. Bullets and lists''''' [2]

Use dots or small bullets. There must be parallelism in the construction of the lists. All items in the list must begin with a capital letter. If the bullet points are full sentences or long phrases (25 words or longer), use full stops after each. If the bullet points are short (less than 25 words) and are not full sentences, do not use full stops except for the last item.

'''''3. Capitalisation'''''

''Shortening commonly used terms''

In general, the shortened form of a phrase is capitalised but the full phrase itself should not be capitalised, e.g. “information and communications technology (ICT)” but never “Information and Communications Technology (ICT)” unless it is part of a title. Other common examples include internet service provider (ISP) and free/libre and open source software (FLOSS). Note the unusual acronym for voice over internet protocol (VoIP) and distributed denial of services (DDoS), which each have a lower case “o” in the middle.

''Words beginning with a single letter and a hyphen (usually e-something)''

When these words appear at the beginning of a sentence or in a title, capitalise the “e” rather than the first letter after the hyphen, i.e. “E-government” rather than “e-Government”.

''Job titles''

Job titles should be given in lower case except when used as titles, e.g. “Anriette Esterhuysen, executive director of APC, said ...” but “APC Executive Director Anriette Esterhuysen announces new programme.”

''State, government, ministers and ministries''

Do not capitalise “state” or “government” except in titles or proper nouns. Minister is capitalised when it is used as a title (e.g., Communications Minister Jane Doe) but otherwise not, e.g. “The minister of communications is responsible for these decisions, although the minister of education is usually consulted.” Ministry is capitalised when referring to a specific ministry (almost always the case). Where it is a general article it is not capitalised, for example, when referring to the number of countries that have a ministry of communications.

''Titles and subtitles of publications''

See the separate entry below.

'''''4. Commas'''''

Use the minimum number that permits an unambiguous reading. In “Eventually the law was passed” a comma is unnecessary after “eventually”.

“However” at the beginning of a sentence takes a comma when it is used to mean “nevertheless”.

However, it does not take a comma when used in phrases such as “However long it takes”.

Do not put a comma before “and” or “or” in a series of three or more short items, e.g. “economic,
cultural and social” rather than “economic, cultural, and social”.

'''''5. Compound words'''''

In cases where a compound word has not been universally accepted as a single word and various versions are used, e.g. policy makers, policy-makers, policymakers, use the version with two separate words – in this case, policy makers. The same rule applies to terms including the word “cyber”: cyberspace, but cyber crime, cyber security, etc.

'''''6. Contractions'''''

APC strives to write in a style that is less formal, but contractions (e.g. don’t, I’ll, isn’t) should generally be avoided because they are not used frequently in other languages and might confuse non-native English speakers.

'''''7. Currency'''''

An approximate equivalent should be given in US dollars whenever a different currency amount is given. If the currency fluctuates a lot, give the date of the exchange rate. The format for US dollars is USD (not US$, or U$S or $). When citing another local currency give the dollar equivalent in brackets, e.g. EUR 1,000 (USD 1,118).

'''''8. Dashes'''''

Use a short dash (–), also known as an en-dash or n-dash, with a space on each side. Note the difference between a short dash (–), a long dash (—) and a hyphen (-). In LibreOffice and OpenOffice, you can achieve the en-dash by typing a space, then two consecutive hyphens and then another space. [3]

'''''9. Dates'''''

Days: “1 July 1989” (not July 1, 1989, nor 1st, 15th or 23rd). Decades: “throughout the 1960s and 1970s” (not the 60s and 70s). Centuries: “the 19th century” (no capitals).

'''''10. Emphasis (bold, italic and upper-case text)'''''

Bold text should only be used for titles and subtitles. Upper-case text, or “all caps”, should never be used, although some designs may incorporate special fonts that use capital letters for both uppercase and lower-case characters.

If you want to put particular emphasis on a word or phrase, use italics.

'''''11. Footnotes and endnotes'''''

The superscript number used to indicate the placement of a footnote comes after any punctuation marks, including commas, full stops and quotation marks. The only exception is when the punctuation mark is a dash, e.g. “The new website [3] – launched in 2014 – provides a wide range of resources.”

When writing for the web, use numbers in square brackets, i.e. [1], for any references that need to come at the end of the text, rather than traditional footnotes or endnotes.

'''''12. Hyphenated words'''''

Online, email, website, audiovisual and multistakeholder are all spelled as one word, without spaces or hyphens (i.e. on-line, e-mail, web site, audio-visual and multi-stakeholder are wrong).

'''''13. Internet, information society'''''

APC uses internet with a lower-case “i” and information society with lower case “i” and “s”, unless in titles or organisation names. [4]

'''''14. Italics'''''

Use italics for sub-subtitles within a publication and the names of publications, but not for titles of instruments, plans of actions or declarations, and occasionally to give special emphasis to a word, phrase or key quotation. Italics are also used for non-English words; see Emphasis above and Language and spelling below.

'''''15. Language and spelling'''''

British English (of the -ise, -mme variety) will be used throughout. This will be more noticeable in the spelling, e.g. centre, not center; traveller, not traveler; colour, not color. The -ise verb ending will be preferred, thus realise, rather than realize.

Exceptions: If an organisation has an official name in English, use the official spelling, even if it does not comply with APC spelling rules, e.g. World Health Organization.

In direct quotations, use the spelling that is used in the original source, whether it complies with APC rules or not.

When using local terms that do not exist in English, please italicise the non-English term and write a definition or explanation in brackets after it.

Non-English words do not need to be italicised if they have been absorbed into English, so no italics for “coup d’état” or “fait accompli”.

'''''16. Numbers'''''

In running text, write out the numbers one through nine and use figures for numbers larger than nine, e.g. one, five, nine, 10, 21, 156, 216,000. In fact charts use only figures.

Thousands should be rendered using a comma: 10,000 and 427,971 (but not in the case of years: 2006).

For large round numbers in running text use words if possible: one million, three million, but 375 million.

One billion = 1,000,000,000, i.e., one thousand million, not one million million.

Decimals are indicated by a point with a zero preceding: 0.75.

A number at the beginning of a sentence should be spelled out: “Fifty-four workers were fired as a result of the strike.” But the sentence can usually be reorganised so that the number is not at the start: “The strike resulted in 54 workers being fired.”

'''''17. Paragraphing, indentation and spacing'''''

Do not use indentation at the beginning of a paragraph. Do not use a double space after a full stop or colon; use single spaces only. Use double spacing between paragraphs (either with carriage returns or with paragraph styles).

'''''18. Percentages'''''

Write the figure followed by percentage symbol, e.g. 4%, 63%. There should be no space between the number and the percentage symbol.

'''''19. Quotation marks'''''

Double quotation marks are used for direct quotations, mini-quotations (i.e. a word or phrase as opposed to a full sentence) and to imply a word or phrase is being used ironically.

Use single quotation marks only for a quote within a quote. For example, “The authorities told us they would look into the matter ‘immediately’ but we have still received no reply,” said the activist.

Commas and periods are positioned before the closing quotation mark when used for quoting speech, e.g. “This programme,” she said, “will greatly increase computer literacy.”

However, when quotation marks are used to set off or quote a word or short phrase, the comma or period is positioned after, e.g. The stated goals of the programme included “computer literacy”, among others.

In print publications, longer quotations (over three lines) should be separated and indented, with no quotation marks used. In online texts, try not to quote as much as three lines in a row. If you need to quote more, do so interspersed by other context text.

'''''20. References'''''

For full details, see separate Reference guidelines. [5]

In references, translation is not necessary (except for names of cities for the place of publication, etc.) and only the name of the document in the source language should be provided, unless an English version of the same document exists, in which case the English version should be referenced.

'''''21. Time'''''

Use the 12-hour clock: 9:00 a.m., 8:30 p.m.

Span of years: write “between 1995 and 1999”, not “between 1995-1999”.

'''''22. Titles and subtitles'''''

For the titles of books, capitalise all main words, e.g. The ICT Policy Handbook.

For the titles of shorter publications such as reports, issue papers and articles, and for all subtitles, capitalise only the first word and any other word that is capitalised in its own right, plus the first letter of any word that follows a colon within a title.

'''''23. Weights and measures'''''

Use metric system only.

'''''Notes:'''''

[1] This style guide is adapted from the Social Watch House Style Guide. Permission kindly provided by ITeM (host of the Social Watch international secretariat) to APC to adapt to our own purposes.

[2] This item is based on the Governance and Social Development Resource Centre (www.gsdrc.org) Style Guide and is reproduced with permission.

[3] See www.n-dash.net for key bindings in other applications and platforms

[4] Long, T. (2004, August 16). It's Just the 'internet' Now. Wired. archive.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2004/08/64596

[5] www.apc.org/en/system/files/APC_ReferenceGuide_2.0_0.pdf

Style guide

2016-05-17T22:18:35Z

Lori:

[[File:style.jpg|thumb|200px]]
== '''An overview''' ==

'''Clear, simple writing''' should be the goal of all contributors. Contributors need to keep in mind our large audience, that it is international, and that the majority of our readers are not native speakers of English. When writing it is important to ask, can my reader understand this? Use clear, simple language, making sure that you do not use phrases that might not make sense when directly translated. Examples include phrases such as "keeping your hand in", "putting a lid on it" or "having a clear head".

'''Never write gender blind''', and try to use as few references as possible to gender blind material. It rarely matters what a women wears, what her age or marital status is, or her sexual orientation. These are only relevant if they are important for a point being made. Read an alternative paragraph/sentence aloud, just to see if it makes sense without that material.

Always refer to people by '''their pronoun and gender of choice'''. Do not refer to any "alternative" (such as "born a woman") unless it is relevant to the point being made.

Refer to people in a way that empowers and strengthens – survivors of sexual abuse, people living with HIV/ AIDS. '''People are not defined by trauma, disease, disability or gender.'''

GenderIT.org strives to write in a style that is less formal, but '''avoid contractions''' (e.g. don’t, I’ll, isn’t) because they are often not used in other languages and might confuse non-native English speakers.

'''Do not capitalise technological terms''' because that makes them seem Far More Important and Impenetrable than they really are. So words like '''internet, information society, free/libre and open source software, gender or civil society''' should be not capitalised unless they are within proper nouns (e.g. name of programme “Gender Equality and Information Society National Plan”).

[http://www.apc.org/en/glossary/6 '''Refer to the glossary section'''] of APC.org if you are unsure how to use a technical term or phrase. If you are using a technical term or phrase that is not there, please highlight it for the editorial team to consider adding it.

Before you start writing, make sure you are familiar with the [http://www.apc.org/en/system/files/APC_style_guide_2.0.pdf '''APC style guidelines'''], which deal with house style in terms of grammar and capitalisation, also available below.

In particular:

* Do not capitalise every single word in the titles and subtitles of the article.

* All acronyms must be spelled out in full when they are first mentioned in the article (remember that our primary audience are women’s organisations who are not focussed on ICTs, and who do not need to be familiar with commonly used acronyms in the field of ICTs).

* If you are citing material that is available online, always provide a link to the original source as a matter of courtesy and good internet conduct.

* Make sure you always have permission to republish any article(s) and/or photo(s) on the website from the original author/source (with the exception of writings that are sourced as APC, including APC programmes such as APC WRP or APC CIPP).

* Keep a record of the permission provided, and forward it to the Spanish or English language editors for documentation.

* You can quote 1-2 paragraphs of an article in your writing without needing prior author’s permission. Again provide a link to the original article as a matter of courtesy and good internet conduct.

* If you republish original articles written exclusively for APCNews or GenderIT.org, you must mention these as a source. Please inform the editorial team of external sites about this condition. Please refer to the [APC Editorial Policy] for more information.

* Consistently cite all resources and sources that you use in your writing.

* For interviews, please include in your submission this information about the interviewees:

** Full name
** Where s/he is based
** Where s/he is attached to professionally
** Her/his expertise in the field that is the focus of your article.

== '''Final checklist:''' ==

* '''Always run a spell check!''' Make sure that you have used international or UK English throughout your contribution.

* Have you referenced in footnotes? Don't! '''Make sure all references are at the end of the document''', and referred to in square brackets: [1].

* APCNews, including GenderIT.org, uses an adapted version of the American Psychological Association (APA) style of referencing. Please refer to the [http://www.apc.org/en/system/files/APC_ReferenceGuide_2-0.pdf APC reference guide].

== '''Some examples of referencing:''' ==

'''Book'''

Author, A. (year). ''Title of Work''. Location: Publisher. URL (if the publication is available online)

Gurumurthy, A. (2004). ''Gender and ICTs: Overview Report''. Brighton: BRIDGE. www.bridge.ids.ac.uk/go/bridge-publications/cutting-edge-packs/gender-and-icts/gender-and-icts&id=52909&type=Document&langid=1

'''Journal article'''

Author, A. (Year). Title of article. ''Title of Periodical, volume number''(issue number), pages (if available). URL (if online)

Coleman, S. (2005). The lonely citizen: Indirect representation in an age of networks. ''Political Communication, 22''(2), 197-214.

Salas, M. (2010). Internet, power and politics: Gender and ICTs in the movement against CAFTA. ''The Journal of Community Informatics, 6''(1). ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/530/468

'''Newspaper article'''

Author, A. (Year, date month published). Article title. ''Newspaper Title''. URL

Chemaly, S., Friedman, J., & Bates, L. (2013, 21 May). An Open Letter to Facebook. ''Huffington Post''. www.huffingtonpost.com/soraya-chemaly/an-open-letter-to-faceboo_1_b_3307394.html

'''Web page'''

If you are citing information about an organisation, programme, campaign, etc. from a website, you can simply provide the URL.

www.takebackthetech.net/page/about-campaign

== '''And now, the full APC style guide!''' ==

'''Heads up! [http://www.apc.org/en/system/files/APC_style_guide_2.0.pdf You can download the full APC style guide in pdf format]'''

Please take into account the following recommendations when writing and editing for APC. For easier reference you will find them in alphabetical order. Cross-referencing has been included when deemed necessary.

'''''1. Abbreviations, initials and acronyms'''''

''Abbreviations''

No full stops for “Dr David Samuels” or “Andrea Smith MP”.

Full stops for “e.g.” and “i.e.”.

''Initials''

Full stops for “J. A. Peterson”.

''Acronyms''

As a general rule, try to minimise the use of acronyms that do not add to the reader’s understanding of the text.

Spell out the name in full the first time it appears and provide the abbreviation in brackets: “International Telecommunication Union (ITU)”. After that, you can use the abbreviation only.

Well-known acronyms which are recognised internationally do not require explanation. Examples include: EU, US, UN, UNESCO, UNICEF, HIV/AIDS.

Abbreviations that are “word-like” do not usually require the definite article, such as UNESCO.

Others do, such as “the EU”. One important exception is APC, which generally appears without “the”.

No full stops for APC, UNESCO, ITU, etc.

Use of acronyms and organisation names in translation

When there is an official translation of the organisation name/acronym, there is no need to translate it yourself. Use the official version. Example: [EN] World Health Organization (WHO) > [ES] Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS).

When dealing with an organisation that is only known in a region or country, translate its name, keep the acronym in the original language, and include the entire name in the original language too. The original language acronym goes first in the parentheses, so it will be easier for the reader to remember. Example: “National Women's Institute (INAMU - Instituto Nacional de la Mujer)”.

'''''2. Bullets and lists''''' [2]

Use dots or small bullets. There must be parallelism in the construction of the lists. All items in the list must begin with a capital letter. If the bullet points are full sentences or long phrases (25 words or longer), use full stops after each. If the bullet points are short (less than 25 words) and are not full sentences, do not use full stops except for the last item.

'''''3. Capitalisation'''''

''Shortening commonly used terms''

In general, the shortened form of a phrase is capitalised but the full phrase itself should not be capitalised, e.g. “information and communications technology (ICT)” but never “Information and Communications Technology (ICT)” unless it is part of a title. Other common examples include internet service provider (ISP) and free/libre and open source software (FLOSS). Note the unusual acronym for voice over internet protocol (VoIP) and distributed denial of services (DDoS), which each have a lower case “o” in the middle.

''Words beginning with a single letter and a hyphen (usually e-something)''

When these words appear at the beginning of a sentence or in a title, capitalise the “e” rather than the first letter after the hyphen, i.e. “E-government” rather than “e-Government”.

''Job titles''

Job titles should be given in lower case except when used as titles, e.g. “Anriette Esterhuysen, executive director of APC, said ...” but “APC Executive Director Anriette Esterhuysen announces new programme.”

''State, government, ministers and ministries''

Do not capitalise “state” or “government” except in titles or proper nouns. Minister is capitalised when it is used as a title (e.g., Communications Minister Jane Doe) but otherwise not, e.g. “The minister of communications is responsible for these decisions, although the minister of education is usually consulted.” Ministry is capitalised when referring to a specific ministry (almost always the case). Where it is a general article it is not capitalised, for example, when referring to the number of countries that have a ministry of communications.

''Titles and subtitles of publications''

See the separate entry below.

'''''4. Commas'''''

Use the minimum number that permits an unambiguous reading. In “Eventually the law was passed” a comma is unnecessary after “eventually”.

“However” at the beginning of a sentence takes a comma when it is used to mean “nevertheless”.

However, it does not take a comma when used in phrases such as “However long it takes”.

Do not put a comma before “and” or “or” in a series of three or more short items, e.g. “economic,
cultural and social” rather than “economic, cultural, and social”.

'''''5. Compound words'''''

In cases where a compound word has not been universally accepted as a single word and various versions are used, e.g. policy makers, policy-makers, policymakers, use the version with two separate words – in this case, policy makers. The same rule applies to terms including the word “cyber”: cyberspace, but cyber crime, cyber security, etc.

'''''6. Contractions'''''

APC strives to write in a style that is less formal, but contractions (e.g. don’t, I’ll, isn’t) should generally be avoided because they are not used frequently in other languages and might confuse non-native English speakers.

'''''7. Currency'''''

An approximate equivalent should be given in US dollars whenever a different currency amount is given. If the currency fluctuates a lot, give the date of the exchange rate. The format for US dollars is USD (not US$, or U$S or $). When citing another local currency give the dollar equivalent in brackets, e.g. EUR 1,000 (USD 1,118).

'''''8. Dashes'''''

Use a short dash (–), also known as an en-dash or n-dash, with a space on each side. Note the difference between a short dash (–), a long dash (—) and a hyphen (-). In LibreOffice and OpenOffice, you can achieve the en-dash by typing a space, then two consecutive hyphens and then another space. [3]

'''''9. Dates'''''

Days: “1 July 1989” (not July 1, 1989, nor 1st, 15th or 23rd). Decades: “throughout the 1960s and 1970s” (not the 60s and 70s). Centuries: “the 19th century” (no capitals).

'''''10. Emphasis (bold, italic and upper-case text)'''''

Bold text should only be used for titles and subtitles. Upper-case text, or “all caps”, should never be used, although some designs may incorporate special fonts that use capital letters for both uppercase and lower-case characters.

If you want to put particular emphasis on a word or phrase, use italics.

'''''11. Footnotes and endnotes'''''

The superscript number used to indicate the placement of a footnote comes after any punctuation marks, including commas, full stops and quotation marks. The only exception is when the punctuation mark is a dash, e.g. “The new website [3] – launched in 2014 – provides a wide range of resources.”

When writing for the web, use numbers in square brackets, i.e. [1], for any references that need to come at the end of the text, rather than traditional footnotes or endnotes.

'''''12. Hyphenated words'''''

Online, email, website, audiovisual and multistakeholder are all spelled as one word, without spaces or hyphens (i.e. on-line, e-mail, web site, audio-visual and multi-stakeholder are wrong).

'''''13. Internet, information society'''''

APC uses internet with a lower-case “i” and information society with lower case “i” and “s”, unless in titles or organisation names. [4]

'''''14. Italics'''''

Use italics for sub-subtitles within a publication and the names of publications, but not for titles of instruments, plans of actions or declarations, and occasionally to give special emphasis to a word, phrase or key quotation. Italics are also used for non-English words; see Emphasis above and Language and spelling below.

'''''15. Language and spelling'''''

British English (of the -ise, -mme variety) will be used throughout. This will be more noticeable in the spelling, e.g. centre, not center; traveller, not traveler; colour, not color. The -ise verb ending will be preferred, thus realise, rather than realize.

Exceptions: If an organisation has an official name in English, use the official spelling, even if it does not comply with APC spelling rules, e.g. World Health Organization.

In direct quotations, use the spelling that is used in the original source, whether it complies with APC rules or not.

When using local terms that do not exist in English, please italicise the non-English term and write a definition or explanation in brackets after it.

Non-English words do not need to be italicised if they have been absorbed into English, so no italics for “coup d’état” or “fait accompli”.

'''''16. Numbers'''''

In running text, write out the numbers one through nine and use figures for numbers larger than nine, e.g. one, five, nine, 10, 21, 156, 216,000. In fact charts use only figures.

Thousands should be rendered using a comma: 10,000 and 427,971 (but not in the case of years: 2006).

For large round numbers in running text use words if possible: one million, three million, but 375 million.

One billion = 1,000,000,000, i.e., one thousand million, not one million million.

Decimals are indicated by a point with a zero preceding: 0.75.

A number at the beginning of a sentence should be spelled out: “Fifty-four workers were fired as a result of the strike.” But the sentence can usually be reorganised so that the number is not at the start: “The strike resulted in 54 workers being fired.”

'''''17. Paragraphing, indentation and spacing'''''

Do not use indentation at the beginning of a paragraph. Do not use a double space after a full stop or colon; use single spaces only. Use double spacing between paragraphs (either with carriage returns or with paragraph styles).

'''''18. Percentages'''''

Write the figure followed by percentage symbol, e.g. 4%, 63%. There should be no space between the number and the percentage symbol.

'''''19. Quotation marks'''''

Double quotation marks are used for direct quotations, mini-quotations (i.e. a word or phrase as opposed to a full sentence) and to imply a word or phrase is being used ironically.

Use single quotation marks only for a quote within a quote. For example, “The authorities told us they would look into the matter ‘immediately’ but we have still received no reply,” said the activist.

Commas and periods are positioned before the closing quotation mark when used for quoting speech, e.g. “This programme,” she said, “will greatly increase computer literacy.”

However, when quotation marks are used to set off or quote a word or short phrase, the comma or period is positioned after, e.g. The stated goals of the programme included “computer literacy”, among others.

In print publications, longer quotations (over three lines) should be separated and indented, with no quotation marks used. In online texts, try not to quote as much as three lines in a row. If you need to quote more, do so interspersed by other context text.

'''''20. References'''''

For full details, see separate Reference guidelines. [5]

In references, translation is not necessary (except for names of cities for the place of publication, etc.) and only the name of the document in the source language should be provided, unless an English version of the same document exists, in which case the English version should be referenced.

'''''21. Time'''''

Use the 12-hour clock: 9:00 a.m., 8:30 p.m.

Span of years: write “between 1995 and 1999”, not “between 1995-1999”.

'''''22. Titles and subtitles'''''

For the titles of books, capitalise all main words, e.g. The ICT Policy Handbook.

For the titles of shorter publications such as reports, issue papers and articles, and for all subtitles, capitalise only the first word and any other word that is capitalised in its own right, plus the first letter of any word that follows a colon within a title.

'''''23. Weights and measures'''''

Use metric system only.

'''''Notes:'''''

[1] This style guide is adapted from the Social Watch House Style Guide. Permission kindly provided by ITeM (host of the Social Watch international secretariat) to APC to adapt to our own purposes.

[2] This item is based on the Governance and Social Development Resource Centre (www.gsdrc.org) Style Guide and is reproduced with permission.

[3] See www.n-dash.net for key bindings in other applications and platforms

[4] Long, T. (2004, August 16). It's Just the 'internet' Now. Wired. archive.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2004/08/64596

[5] www.apc.org/en/system/files/APC_ReferenceGuide_2.0_0.pdf

Reference guide

2016-05-17T22:14:22Z

Lori:

[[File:style.jpg|thumb|200px]]
APC uses an adapted version of the American Psychological Association (APA) style of referencing. The key difference is APC's use of footnotes rather than in-text citation of author and date. We take into consideration the impracticality of scrolling backwards and forwards to the bibliography. Footnotes are better suited to documents that are likely to be read on a digital device. Please take into account the following recommendations when writing and editing for APC.

'''APC guide to reference listing'''

Please note that the superscript number used to indicate the placement of a footnote comes after any punctuation marks, including commas, full stops and quotation marks:
In 2014 the group launched a new website.3
“We have also launched a new website,”3 she added.

The only exception is when the punctuation mark is a dash:
The new website3 – launched in 2014 – provides a wide range of resources.

The format for the footnote is the same format used for a reference list in APA style, with a few minor modifications, which means you can use free online tools like www.bibme.org/apa-bibliography to make referencing faster and simpler.

However, since all the necessary information is provided in the footnotes, there is no need to compile a separate list of references.

'''Special notes on URLs'''

URLs (links) should be hyperlinked and the http:// and https:// notation should be removed. If a link is available with a secure connection (https), always use that as the target of the hyperlink (e.g. www.apc.org). In the case of print publications, where hyperlinking is not possible, please always
remove http:// but leave https:// so that readers are aware that a secure connection to the link is possible.

URL links should also not contain tracking tokens, which are often present if the URL has been copied from an online dissemination platform like Twitter or ShareThis! As an example, extraneous tracking information in the URL sometimes follows “html” and often begin with “?utm_”. Delete it
and then test to make sure the URL still works without it.

'''Guidelines and examples by reference type'''

'''Books and reports'''

Author, A. (year). ''Title of Work''. Location: Publisher. URL (if the publication is available online)

Gurumurthy, A. (2004). ''Gender and ICTs: Overview Report''. Brighton: BRIDGE. www.bridge.ids.ac.uk/go/bridge-publications/cutting-edge-packs/gender-and-icts/gender-and-icts&id=52909&type=Document&langid=1

WomenAid Collective. (2008). ''CEDAW and Accountability to Gender Equality in Nigeria: A Shadow Report''. Enugu: WACOL.

'''More than one author'''

Fascendini, F., & Fialová, K. (2011). ''Voices from Digital Spaces: Technology-related violence against women''. Johannesburg: APC WNSP. www.genderit.org/node/3539

'''Chapter in a book'''

Author, A. (Year of publication). Title of chapter. In A. Editor (Ed.), ''Title of book''. Location: Publisher. URL

Moawad, N. (2013). Dot feminist resistance: Online disobedience, sabotage and militancy. In A. Finlay (Ed.), ''Global Information Society Watch 2013''. johannesburg: APC and Hivos. www.giswatch.org/en/womens-rights-gender/dot-feminist-resistance-online-disobedience-sabotage-and-militancy

'''Government documents'''

Department/Agency. (year). ''Title''. URL or Location: Publisher.
Department of Communications. (2013). ''South Africa Connect: National Broadband Policy''. www.doc.gov.za/documents-publications/broadband.html

'''Journal article'''

Author, A. (Year). Title of article. ''Title of Periodical, volume number''(issue number), pages (if available). URL (if online)

Coleman, S. (2005). The lonely citizen: Indirect representation in an age of networks. ''Political Communication, 22''(2), 197-214.

Salas, M. (2010). Internet, power and politics: Gender and ICTs in the movement against CAFTA. ''The Journal of Community Informatics, 6''(1). ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/530/468

'''Newspaper article'''

Author, A. (Year, date month published). Article title. ''Newspaper Title''. URL

Chemaly, S., Friedman, J., & Bates, L. (2013, 21 May). An Open Letter to Facebook. ''Huffington Post''. www.huffingtonpost.com/soraya-chemaly/an-open-letter-to-faceboo_1_b_3307394.html

'''Presentation, paper, etc.'''

Author, A. (Year). Title of paper. Description. URL

Defensor-Santiago, M. (2010). The praxis of gender justice in the Philippines: Implications for lawmaking. Paper presented at the Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA) Panel on Gender Justice and Women’s Rights, Istanbul, Turkey, 24 October. miriam.com.ph/newsblog/?p=489

'''Blog post'''

Author, A. (Year, date month published). Article title. ''Name of Blog''. URL
Milstein, S. (2013, 24 March). I have a few things to say about Adria. Dogs and Shoes. www.dogsandshoes.com/2013/03/adria.html

'''Web page'''

If you are citing information about an organisation, programme, campaign, etc. from a website, you can simply provide the URL.

www.takebackthetech.net/page/about-campaign

'''Online video (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.)'''

If the video is mentioned in the text, simply provide the URL.

'''Personal communication (interview, email, etc.)'''

Brief description, Date.

Interview with APC Executive Director Anriette Esterhuysen, 21 March 2014.

'''If the same reference is cited more than once...'''

If the reference is the same as the one cited right before it: Ibid.

If the reference is the same as one cited earlier: Author, A. (Year or Year, date month). Op. cit.

'''[http://www.apc.org/en/system/files/APC_ReferenceGuide_2.0_0.pdf Read or download the Reference guide in pdf format]'''

Reference guide

2016-05-17T22:12:35Z

Lori:

[[File:style.jpg|thumb|200px]]
APC uses an adapted version of the American Psychological Association (APA) style of referencing. The key difference is APC's use of footnotes rather than in-text citation of author and date. We take into consideration the impracticality of scrolling backwards and forwards to the bibliography. Footnotes are better suited to documents that are likely to be read on a digital device. Please take into account the following recommendations when writing and editing for APC.

'''APC guide to reference listing'''

Please note that the superscript number used to indicate the placement of a footnote comes after any punctuation marks, including commas, full stops and quotation marks:
In 2014 the group launched a new website.3
“We have also launched a new website,”3 she added.

The only exception is when the punctuation mark is a dash:
The new website3 – launched in 2014 – provides a wide range of resources.

The format for the footnote is the same format used for a reference list in APA style, with a few minor modifications, which means you can use free online tools like www.bibme.org/apa-bibliography to make referencing faster and simpler.

However, since all the necessary information is provided in the footnotes, there is no need to compile a separate list of references.

'''Special notes on URLs'''

URLs (links) should be hyperlinked and the http:// and https:// notation should be removed. If a link is available with a secure connection (https), always use that as the target of the hyperlink (e.g. www.apc.org). In the case of print publications, where hyperlinking is not possible, please always
remove http:// but leave https:// so that readers are aware that a secure connection to the link is possible.

URL links should also not contain tracking tokens, which are often present if the URL has been copied from an online dissemination platform like Twitter or ShareThis! As an example, extraneous tracking information in the URL sometimes follows “html” and often begin with “?utm_”. Delete it
and then test to make sure the URL still works without it.

'''Guidelines and examples by reference type'''

'''Books and reports'''

Author, A. (year). ''Title of Work''. Location: Publisher. URL (if the publication is available online)

Gurumurthy, A. (2004). ''Gender and ICTs: Overview Report''. Brighton: BRIDGE. www.bridge.ids.ac.uk/go/bridge-publications/cutting-edge-packs/gender-and-icts/gender-and-icts&id=52909&type=Document&langid=1

WomenAid Collective. (2008). ''CEDAW and Accountability to Gender Equality in Nigeria: A Shadow Report''. Enugu: WACOL.

'''More than one author'''

Fascendini, F., & Fialová, K. (2011). ''Voices from Digital Spaces: Technology-related violence against women''. Johannesburg: APC WNSP. www.genderit.org/node/3539

'''Chapter in a book'''

Author, A. (Year of publication). Title of chapter. In A. Editor (Ed.), ''Title of book''. Location: Publisher. URL

Moawad, N. (2013). Dot feminist resistance: Online disobedience, sabotage and militancy. In A. Finlay (Ed.), ''Global Information Society Watch 2013''. johannesburg: APC and Hivos. www.giswatch.org/en/womens-rights-gender/dot-feminist-resistance-online-disobedience-sabotage-and-militancy

'''Government documents'''

Department/Agency. (year). ''Title'' . URL or Location: Publisher.
Department of Communications. (2013). ''South Africa Connect: National Broadband Policy''. www.doc.gov.za/documents-publications/broadband.html

'''Journal article'''

Author, A. (Year). Title of article. ''Title of Periodical, volume number''(issue number), pages (if available). URL (if online)

Coleman, S. (2005). The lonely citizen: Indirect representation in an age of networks. ''Political Communication, 22''(2), 197-214.

Salas, M. (2010). Internet, power and politics: Gender and ICTs in the movement against CAFTA. ''The Journal of Community Informatics, 6''(1). ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/530/468

'''Newspaper article'''

Author, A. (Year, date month published). Article title. ''Newspaper Title''. URL

Chemaly, S., Friedman, J., & Bates, L. (2013, 21 May). An Open Letter to Facebook. ''Huffington Post''. www.huffingtonpost.com/soraya-chemaly/an-open-letter-to-faceboo_1_b_3307394.html

'''Presentation, paper, etc.'''

Author, A. (Year). Title of paper. Description. URL

Defensor-Santiago, M. (2010). The praxis of gender justice in the Philippines: Implications for lawmaking. Paper presented at the Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA) Panel on Gender Justice and Women’s Rights, Istanbul, Turkey, 24 October. miriam.com.ph/newsblog/?p=489

'''Blog post'''

Author, A. (Year, date month published). Article title. ''Name of Blog''. URL
Milstein, S. (2013, 24 March). I have a few things to say about Adria. Dogs and Shoes. www.dogsandshoes.com/2013/03/adria.html

'''Web page'''

If you are citing information about an organisation, programme, campaign, etc. from a website, you can simply provide the URL.

www.takebackthetech.net/page/about-campaign

'''Online video (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.)'''

If the video is mentioned in the text, simply provide the URL.

'''Personal communication (interview, email, etc.)'''

Brief description, Date.

Interview with APC Executive Director Anriette Esterhuysen, 21 March 2014.

'''If the same reference is cited more than once...'''

If the reference is the same as the one cited right before it: Ibid.

If the reference is the same as one cited earlier: Author, A. (Year or Year, date month). Op. cit.

'''[http://www.apc.org/en/system/files/APC_ReferenceGuide_2.0_0.pdf Read or download the Reference guide in pdf format]'''

Reference guide

2016-05-17T22:08:00Z

Lori:

[[File:style.jpg|thumb|200px]]
APC uses an adapted version of the American Psychological Association (APA) style of referencing. The key difference is APC's use of footnotes rather than in-text citation of author and date. We take into consideration the impracticality of scrolling backwards and forwards to the bibliography. Footnotes are better suited to documents that are likely to be read on a digital device. Please take into account the following recommendations when writing and editing for APC.

'''APC guide to reference listing'''

Please note that the superscript number used to indicate the placement of a footnote comes after any punctuation marks, including commas, full stops and quotation marks:
In 2014 the group launched a new website.3
“We have also launched a new website,”3 she added.

The only exception is when the punctuation mark is a dash:
The new website3 – launched in 2014 – provides a wide range of resources.

The format for the footnote is the same format used for a reference list in APA style, with a few minor modifications, which means you can use free online tools like www.bibme.org/apa-bibliography to make referencing faster and simpler.

However, since all the necessary information is provided in the footnotes, there is no need to compile a separate list of references.

'''Special notes on URLs'''

URLs (links) should be hyperlinked and the http:// and https:// notation should be removed. If a link is available with a secure connection (https), always use that as the target of the hyperlink (e.g. www.apc.org). In the case of print publications, where hyperlinking is not possible, please always
remove http:// but leave https:// so that readers are aware that a secure connection to the link is possible.

URL links should also not contain tracking tokens, which are often present if the URL has been copied from an online dissemination platform like Twitter or ShareThis!. As an example, extraneous tracking information in the URL sometimes follows “html” and often begin with “?utm_”. Delete it
and then test to make sure the URL still works without it.

'''Guidelines and examples by reference type'''

'''Books and reports'''

Author, A. (year). ''Title of Work''. Location: Publisher. URL (if the publication is available online)

Gurumurthy, A. (2004). ''Gender and ICTs: Overview Report''. Brighton: BRIDGE. www.bridge.ids.ac.uk/go/bridge-publications/cutting-edge-packs/gender-and-icts/gender-and-icts&id=52909&type=Document&langid=1

WomenAid Collective. (2008). ''CEDAW and Accountability to Gender Equality in Nigeria: A Shadow Report''. Enugu: WACOL.

'''More than one author'''

Fascendini, F., & Fialová, K. (2011). ''Voices from Digital Spaces: Technology-related violence against women''. Johannesburg: APC WNSP. www.genderit.org/node/3539

'''Chapter in a book'''

Author, A. (Year of publication). Title of chapter. In A. Editor (Ed.), ''Title of book''. Location: Publisher. URL

Moawad, N. (2013). Dot feminist resistance: Online disobedience, sabotage and militancy. In A. Finlay (Ed.), ''Global Information Society Watch 2013''. johannesburg: APC and Hivos. www.giswatch.org/en/womens-rights-gender/dot-feminist-resistance-online-disobedience-sabotage-and-militancy

'''Government documents'''

Department/Agency. (year). ''Title'' . URL or Location: Publisher.
Department of Communications. (2013). ''South Africa Connect: National Broadband Policy''. www.doc.gov.za/documents-publications/broadband.html

'''Journal article'''

Author, A. (Year). Title of article. ''Title of Periodical, volume number''(issue number), pages (if available). URL (if online)

Coleman, S. (2005). The lonely citizen: Indirect representation in an age of networks. ''Political Communication, 22''(2), 197-214.

Salas, M. (2010). Internet, power and politics: Gender and ICTs in the movement against CAFTA. ''The Journal of Community Informatics, 6''(1). ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/530/468

'''Newspaper article'''

Author, A. (Year, date month published). Article title. ''Newspaper Title''. URL

Chemaly, S., Friedman, J., & Bates, L. (2013, 21 May). An Open Letter to Facebook. ''Huffington Post''. www.huffingtonpost.com/soraya-chemaly/an-open-letter-to-faceboo_1_b_3307394.html

'''Presentation, paper, etc.'''

Author, A. (Year). Title of paper. Description. URL

Defensor-Santiago, M. (2010). The praxis of gender justice in the Philippines: Implications for lawmaking. Paper presented at the Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA) Panel on Gender Justice and Women’s Rights, Istanbul, Turkey, 24 October. miriam.com.ph/newsblog/?p=489

'''Blog post'''

Author, A. (Year, date month published). Article title. ''Name of Blog''. URL
Milstein, S. (2013, 24 March). I have a few things to say about Adria. Dogs and Shoes. www.dogsandshoes.com/2013/03/adria.html

'''Web page'''

If you are citing information about an organisation, programme, campaign, etc. from a website, you can simply provide the URL.

www.takebackthetech.net/page/about-campaign

'''Online video (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.)'''

If the video is mentioned in the text, simply provide the URL.

'''Personal communication (interview, email, etc.)'''

Brief description, Date. Interview with APC Executive Director Anriette Esterhuysen, 21 March 2014.

'''If the same reference is cited more than once...'''

If the reference is the same as the one cited right before it: Ibid.
If the reference is the same as one cited earlier: Author, A. (Year or Year, date month). Op. cit.

'''[http://www.apc.org/en/system/files/APC_ReferenceGuide_2.0_0.pdf Read or download the Reference guide in pdf format]'''

Reference guide

2016-05-17T21:53:49Z

Lori:

[[File:style.jpg|thumb|200px]]
APC uses an adapted version of the American Psychological Association (APA) style of referencing. The key difference is APC's use of footnotes rather than in-text citation of author and date. We take into consideration the impracticality of scrolling backwards and forwards to the bibliography. Footnotes are better suited to documents that are likely to be read on a digital device. Please take into account the following recommendations when writing and editing for APC.

'''APC guide to reference listing'''

Please note that the superscript number used to indicate the placement of a footnote comes after any punctuation marks, including commas, full stops and quotation marks:
In 2014 the group launched a new website.3
“We have also launched a new website,”3 she added.

The only exception is when the punctuation mark is a dash:
The new website 3 – launched in 2014 – provides a wide range of resources.

The format for the footnote is the same format used for a reference list in APA style, with a few minor modifications, which means you can use free online tools like www.bibme.org/apa-bibliography to make referencing faster and simpler.

However, since all the necessary information is provided in the footnotes, there is no need to compile a separate list of references.

'''Special notes on URLs'''

URLs (links) should be hyperlinked and the http:// and https:// notation should be removed. If a link is available with a secure connection (https), always use that as the target of the hyperlink (e.g. www.apc.org). In the case of print publications, where hyperlinking is not possible, please always
remove http:// but leave https:// so that readers are aware that a secure connection to the link is possible.

URL links should also not contain tracking tokens, which are often present if the URL has been copied from an online dissemination platform like Twitter or ShareThis!. As an example, extraneous tracking information in the URL sometimes follows “html” and often begin with “?utm_”. Delete it
and then test to make sure the URL still works without it.

'''Guidelines and examples by reference type'''

'''Books and reports'''

Author, A. (year). ''Title of Work''. Location: Publisher. URL (if the publication is available online)
Gurumurthy, A. (2004). Gender and ICTs: Overview Report . Brighton: BRIDGE. www.bridge.ids.ac.uk/go/bridge-publications/cutting-edge-packs/gender-and-icts/gender-and-icts&id=52909&type=Document&langid=1
WomenAid Collective. (2008). CEDAW and Accountability to Gender Equality in Nigeria: A Shadow Report. Enugu: WACOL.

'''More than one author'''

Fascendini, F., & Fialová, K. (2011). Voices from Digital Spaces: Technology-related violence against women. Johannesburg: APC WNSP. www.genderit.org/node/3539

'''Chapter in a book'''

Author, A. (Year of publication). Title of chapter. In A. Editor (Ed.), Title of book. Location: Publisher. URL
Moawad, N. (2013). Dot feminist resistance: Online disobedience, sabotage and militancy. In A. Finlay (Ed.), Global Information Society Watch 2013. johannesburg: APC and Hivos. www.giswatch.org/en/womens-rights-gender/dot-feminist-resistance-online-disobedience-sabotage-and-militancy

'''Government documents'''

Department/Agency. (year). Title . URL or Location: Publisher.
Department of Communications. (2013). South Africa Connect: National Broadband Policy. www.doc.gov.za/documents-publications/broadband.html

'''Journal article'''

Author, A. (Year). Title of article. Title of Periodical, volume number (issue number), pages (if available). URL (if online)
Coleman, S. (2005). The lonely citizen: Indirect representation in an age of networks. Political Communication, 22(2), 197-214.
Salas, M. (2010). Internet, power and politics: Gender and ICTs in the movement against CAFTA. The Journal of Community Informatics, 6(1). ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/530/468

'''Newspaper article'''

Author, A. (Date month year 1 published). Article title. Newspaper Title. URL
Chemaly, S., Friedman, J., & Bates, L. (21 May 2013). An Open Letter to Facebook. Huffington Post. www.huffingtonpost.com/soraya-chemaly/an-open-letter-to-faceboo_1_b_3307394.html

'''Presentation, paper, etc.'''

Author, A. (Year). Title of paper. Description. URL
Defensor-Santiago, M. (2010). The praxis of gender justice in the Philippines: Implications for lawmaking. Paper presented at the Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA) Panel on Gender Justice and Women’s Rights, Istanbul, Turkey, 24 October. miriam.com.ph/newsblog/?p=489

'''Blog post'''

Author, A. (Year, date month published). Article title. Name of Blog. URL
Milstein, S. (2013, 24 March). I have a few things to say about Adria. Dogs and Shoes. www.dogsandshoes.com/2013/03/adria.html

'''Web page'''

If you are citing information about an organisation, programme, campaign, etc. from a website, you can simply provide the URL.
www.takebackthetech.net/page/about-campaign

'''Online video (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.)'''

If the video is mentioned in the text, simply provide the URL.

'''Personal communication (interview, email, etc.)'''

Brief description, Date. Interview with APC Executive Director Anriette Esterhuysen, 21 March 2014.

'''If the same reference is cited more than once...'''

If the reference is the same as the one cited right before it: Ibid.
If the reference is the same as one cited earlier: Author, A. (Year or Year, date month). Op. cit.

'''[http://www.apc.org/en/system/files/APC_ReferenceGuide_2.0_0.pdf Read or download the Reference guide in pdf format]'''

Reference guide

2016-05-17T21:49:56Z

Lori:

[[File:style.jpg|thumb|200px]]
APC uses an adapted version of the American Psychological Association (APA) style of referencing. The key difference is APC's use of footnotes rather than in-text citation of author and date. We take into consideration the impracticality of scrolling backwards and forwards to the bibliography. Footnotes are better suited to documents that are likely to be read on a digital device. Please take into account the following recommendations when writing and editing for APC.

'''APC guide to reference listing'''

Please note that the superscript number used to indicate the placement of a footnote comes after any punctuation marks, including commas, full stops and quotation marks:
In 2014 the group launched a new website.3
“We have also launched a new website,”3 she added.

The only exception is when the punctuation mark is a dash:
The new website 3 – launched in 2014 – provides a wide range of resources.

The format for the footnote is the same format used for a reference list in APA style, with a few minor modifications, which means you can use free online tools like www.bibme.org/apa-bibliography to make referencing faster and simpler.

However, since all the necessary information is provided in the footnotes, there is no need to compile a separate list of references.

'''Special notes on URLs'''

URLs (links) should be hyperlinked and the http:// and https:// notation should be removed. If a link is available with a secure connection (https), always use that as the target of the hyperlink (e.g. www.apc.org). In the case of print publications, where hyperlinking is not possible, please always
remove http:// but leave https:// so that readers are aware that a secure connection to the link is possible.

URL links should also not contain tracking tokens, which are often present if the URL has been copied from an online dissemination platform like Twitter or ShareThis!. As an example, extraneous tracking information in the URL sometimes follows “html” and often begin with “?utm_”. Delete it
and then test to make sure the URL still works without it.

'''Guidelines and examples by reference type'''

'''Books and reports'''

Author, A. (year). ''Title of Work''. Location: Publisher. URL (if the publication is available online)
Gurumurthy, A. (2004). Gender and ICTs: Overview Report . Brighton: BRIDGE. www.bridge.ids.ac.uk/go/bridge-publications/cutting-edge-packs/gender-and-icts/gender-and-icts&id=52909&type=Document&langid=1
WomenAid Collective. (2008). CEDAW and Accountability to Gender Equality in Nigeria: A Shadow Report. Enugu: WACOL.

'''More than one author'''

Fascendini, F., & Fialová, K. (2011). Voices from Digital Spaces: Technology-related violence against women. Johannesburg: APC WNSP. www.genderit.org/node/3539

'''Chapter in a book'''

Author, A. (Year of publication). Title of chapter. In A. Editor (Ed.), Title of book. Location: Publisher. URL
Moawad, N. (2013). Dot feminist resistance: Online disobedience, sabotage and militancy. In A. Finlay (Ed.), Global Information Society Watch 2013. johannesburg: APC and Hivos. www.giswatch.org/en/womens-rights-gender/dot-feminist-resistance-online-disobedience-sabotage-and-militancy

'''Government documents'''

Department/Agency. (year). Title . URL or Location: Publisher.
Department of Communications. (2013). South Africa Connect: National Broadband Policy. www.doc.gov.za/documents-publications/broadband.html

'''Journal article'''

Author, A. (Year). Title of article. Title of Periodical, volume number (issue number), pages (if available). URL (if online)
Coleman, S. (2005). The lonely citizen: Indirect representation in an age of networks. Political Communication, 22(2), 197-214.
Salas, M. (2010). Internet, power and politics: Gender and ICTs in the movement against CAFTA. The Journal of Community Informatics, 6(1). ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/530/468

'''Newspaper article'''

Author, A. (Date month year 1 published). Article title. Newspaper Title. URL
Chemaly, S., Friedman, J., & Bates, L. (21 May 2013). An Open Letter to Facebook. Huffington Post. www.huffingtonpost.com/soraya-chemaly/an-open-letter-to-faceboo_1_b_3307394.html

'''Presentation, paper, etc.'''

Author, A. (Year). Title of paper. Description. URL
Defensor-Santiago, M. (2010). The praxis of gender justice in the Philippines: Implications for lawmaking. Paper presented at the Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA) Panel on Gender Justice and Women’s Rights, Istanbul, Turkey, 24 October. miriam.com.ph/newsblog/?p=489

'''Blog post'''

Author, A. (Year, date month published). Article title. Name of Blog. URL
Milstein, S. (2013, 24 March). I have a few things to say about Adria. Dogs and Shoes. www.dogsandshoes.com/2013/03/adria.html

'''Web page'''

If you are citing information about an organisation, programme, campaign, etc. from a website, you can simply provide the URL.
www.takebackthetech.net/page/about-campaign

'''Online video (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.)'''

If the video is mentioned in the text, simply provide the URL.

'''Personal communication (interview, email, etc.)'''

Brief description, Date. Interview with APC Executive Director Anriette Esterhuysen, 21 March 2014.

'''If the same reference is cited more than once...'''

If the reference is the same as the one cited right before it: Ibid.
If the reference is the same as one cited earlier: Author, A. (Year or Year, date month). Op. cit.

'''[http://www.apc.org/en/system/files/APC_ReferenceGuide_2-0.pdf Read or download the Reference guide in pdf format]'''

Style guide

2016-05-17T21:45:22Z

Lori:

[[File:style.jpg|thumb|200px]]
== '''An overview''' ==

'''Clear, simple writing''' should be the goal of all contributors. Contributors need to keep in mind our large audience, that it is international, and that the majority of our readers are not native speakers of English. When writing it is important to ask, can my reader understand this? Use clear, simple language, making sure that you do not use phrases that might not make sense when directly translated. Examples include phrases such as "keeping your hand in", "putting a lid on it" or "having a clear head".

'''Never write gender blind''', and try to use as few references as possible to gender blind material. It rarely matters what a women wears, what her age or marital status is, or her sexual orientation. These are only relevant if they are important for a point being made. Read an alternative paragraph/sentence aloud, just to see if it makes sense without that material.

Always refer to people by '''their pronoun and gender of choice'''. Do not refer to any "alternative" (such as "born a woman") unless it is relevant to the point being made.

Refer to people in a way that empowers and strengthens – survivors of sexual abuse, people living with HIV/ AIDS. '''People are not defined by trauma, disease, disability or gender.'''

GenderIT.org strives to write in a style that is less formal, but '''avoid contractions''' (e.g. don’t, I’ll, isn’t) because they are often not used in other languages and might confuse non-native English speakers.

'''Do not capitalise technological terms''' because that makes them seem Far More Important and Impenetrable than they really are. So words like '''internet, information society, free/libre and open source software, gender or civil society''' should be not capitalised unless they are within proper nouns (e.g. name of programme “Gender Equality and Information Society National Plan”).

[http://www.apc.org/en/glossary/6 '''Refer to the glossary section'''] of APC.org if you are unsure how to use a technical term or phrase. If you are using a technical term or phrase that is not there, please highlight it for the editorial team to consider adding it.

Before you start writing, make sure you are familiar with the [http://www.apc.org/en/system/files/APC_style_guide_2.0.pdf '''APC style guidelines'''], which deal with house style in terms of grammar and capitalisation, also available below.

In particular:

* Do not capitalise every single word in the titles and subtitles of the article.

* All acronyms must be spelled out in full when they are first mentioned in the article (remember that our primary audience are women’s organisations who are not focussed on ICTs, and who do not need to be familiar with commonly used acronyms in the field of ICTs).

* If you are citing material that is available online, always provide a link to the original source as a matter of courtesy and good internet conduct.

* Make sure you always have permission to republish any article(s) and/or photo(s) on the website from the original author/source (with the exception of writings that are sourced as APC, including APC programmes such as APC WRP or APC CIPP).

* Keep a record of the permission provided, and forward it to the Spanish or English language editors for documentation.

* You can quote 1-2 paragraphs of an article in your writing without needing prior author’s permission. Again provide a link to the original article as a matter of courtesy and good internet conduct.

* If you republish original articles written exclusively for APCNews or GenderIT.org, you must mention these as a source. Please inform the editorial team of external sites about this condition. Please refer to the [APC Editorial Policy] for more information.

* Consistently cite all resources and sources that you use in your writing.

* For interviews, please include in your submission this information about the interviewees:

** Full name
** Where s/he is based
** Where s/he is attached to professionally
** Her/his expertise in the field that is the focus of your article.

== '''Final checklist:''' ==

* '''Always run a spell check!''' Make sure that you have used international or UK English throughout your contribution.

* Have you referenced in footnotes? Don't! '''Make sure all references are at the end of the document''', and referred to in square brackets: [1].

* APCNews, including GenderIT.org, uses an adapted version of the American Psychological Association (APA) style of referencing. Please refer to the [http://www.apc.org/en/system/files/APC_ReferenceGuide_2-0.pdf APC reference guide].

== '''Some examples of referencing:''' ==

'''Books''':

Janet May-Chin, ''Women organising for change'', (Kuala Lumpur: Women's Development Collective/ Persatuan Sains Sosial Malaysia, 2001) 23-25

'''Online journals/ newspapers''':

Danah m. boyd and Nicole B. Ellison “Social network sites: Definition, history, and scholarship”

''Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication'' 13, 1 (2007)
jcmc.indiana.edu/vol13/issue1/boyd.ellison.html

''Note'':

This is the same as print newspapers or journals, but with the URL, no http ://)

'''Website'''

Cite the URL, without the 'http ://', only include the date accessed if the document is a wiki (to allow accurate tracking of information cited).

''www.apc.org''

== '''And now, the full APC style guide!''' ==

'''Heads up! [http://www.apc.org/en/system/files/APC_style_guide_2.0.pdf You can download the full APC style guide in pdf format]'''

Please take into account the following recommendations when writing and editing for APC. For easier reference you will find them in alphabetical order. Cross-referencing has been included when deemed necessary.

'''''1. Abbreviations, initials and acronyms'''''

''Abbreviations''

No full stops for “Dr David Samuels” or “Andrea Smith MP”.

Full stops for “e.g.” and “i.e.”.

''Initials''

Full stops for “J. A. Peterson”.

''Acronyms''

As a general rule, try to minimise the use of acronyms that do not add to the reader’s understanding of the text.

Spell out the name in full the first time it appears and provide the abbreviation in brackets: “International Telecommunication Union (ITU)”. After that, you can use the abbreviation only.

Well-known acronyms which are recognised internationally do not require explanation. Examples include: EU, US, UN, UNESCO, UNICEF, HIV/AIDS.

Abbreviations that are “word-like” do not usually require the definite article, such as UNESCO.

Others do, such as “the EU”. One important exception is APC, which generally appears without “the”.

No full stops for APC, UNESCO, ITU, etc.

Use of acronyms and organisation names in translation

When there is an official translation of the organisation name/acronym, there is no need to translate it yourself. Use the official version. Example: [EN] World Health Organization (WHO) > [ES] Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS).

When dealing with an organisation that is only known in a region or country, translate its name, keep the acronym in the original language, and include the entire name in the original language too. The original language acronym goes first in the parentheses, so it will be easier for the reader to remember. Example: “National Women's Institute (INAMU - Instituto Nacional de la Mujer)”.

'''''2. Bullets and lists''''' [2]

Use dots or small bullets. There must be parallelism in the construction of the lists. All items in the list must begin with a capital letter. If the bullet points are full sentences or long phrases (25 words or longer), use full stops after each. If the bullet points are short (less than 25 words) and are not full sentences, do not use full stops except for the last item.

'''''3. Capitalisation'''''

''Shortening commonly used terms''

In general, the shortened form of a phrase is capitalised but the full phrase itself should not be capitalised, e.g. “information and communications technology (ICT)” but never “Information and Communications Technology (ICT)” unless it is part of a title. Other common examples include internet service provider (ISP) and free/libre and open source software (FLOSS). Note the unusual acronym for voice over internet protocol (VoIP) and distributed denial of services (DDoS), which each have a lower case “o” in the middle.

''Words beginning with a single letter and a hyphen (usually e-something)''

When these words appear at the beginning of a sentence or in a title, capitalise the “e” rather than the first letter after the hyphen, i.e. “E-government” rather than “e-Government”.

''Job titles''

Job titles should be given in lower case except when used as titles, e.g. “Anriette Esterhuysen, executive director of APC, said ...” but “APC Executive Director Anriette Esterhuysen announces new programme.”

''State, government, ministers and ministries''

Do not capitalise “state” or “government” except in titles or proper nouns. Minister is capitalised when it is used as a title (e.g., Communications Minister Jane Doe) but otherwise not, e.g. “The minister of communications is responsible for these decisions, although the minister of education is usually consulted.” Ministry is capitalised when referring to a specific ministry (almost always the case). Where it is a general article it is not capitalised, for example, when referring to the number of countries that have a ministry of communications.

''Titles and subtitles of publications''

See the separate entry below.

'''''4. Commas'''''

Use the minimum number that permits an unambiguous reading. In “Eventually the law was passed” a comma is unnecessary after “eventually”.

“However” at the beginning of a sentence takes a comma when it is used to mean “nevertheless”.

However, it does not take a comma when used in phrases such as “However long it takes”.

Do not put a comma before “and” or “or” in a series of three or more short items, e.g. “economic,
cultural and social” rather than “economic, cultural, and social”.

'''''5. Compound words'''''

In cases where a compound word has not been universally accepted as a single word and various versions are used, e.g. policy makers, policy-makers, policymakers, use the version with two separate words – in this case, policy makers. The same rule applies to terms including the word “cyber”: cyberspace, but cyber crime, cyber security, etc.

'''''6. Contractions'''''

APC strives to write in a style that is less formal, but contractions (e.g. don’t, I’ll, isn’t) should generally be avoided because they are not used frequently in other languages and might confuse non-native English speakers.

'''''7. Currency'''''

An approximate equivalent should be given in US dollars whenever a different currency amount is given. If the currency fluctuates a lot, give the date of the exchange rate. The format for US dollars is USD (not US$, or U$S or $). When citing another local currency give the dollar equivalent in brackets, e.g. EUR 1,000 (USD 1,118).

'''''8. Dashes'''''

Use a short dash (–), also known as an en-dash or n-dash, with a space on each side. Note the difference between a short dash (–), a long dash (—) and a hyphen (-). In LibreOffice and OpenOffice, you can achieve the en-dash by typing a space, then two consecutive hyphens and then another space. [3]

'''''9. Dates'''''

Days: “1 July 1989” (not July 1, 1989, nor 1st, 15th or 23rd). Decades: “throughout the 1960s and 1970s” (not the 60s and 70s). Centuries: “the 19th century” (no capitals).

'''''10. Emphasis (bold, italic and upper-case text)'''''

Bold text should only be used for titles and subtitles. Upper-case text, or “all caps”, should never be used, although some designs may incorporate special fonts that use capital letters for both uppercase and lower-case characters.

If you want to put particular emphasis on a word or phrase, use italics.

'''''11. Footnotes and endnotes'''''

The superscript number used to indicate the placement of a footnote comes after any punctuation marks, including commas, full stops and quotation marks. The only exception is when the punctuation mark is a dash, e.g. “The new website [3] – launched in 2014 – provides a wide range of resources.”

When writing for the web, use numbers in square brackets, i.e. [1], for any references that need to come at the end of the text, rather than traditional footnotes or endnotes.

'''''12. Hyphenated words'''''

Online, email, website, audiovisual and multistakeholder are all spelled as one word, without spaces or hyphens (i.e. on-line, e-mail, web site, audio-visual and multi-stakeholder are wrong).

'''''13. Internet, information society'''''

APC uses internet with a lower-case “i” and information society with lower case “i” and “s”, unless in titles or organisation names. [4]

'''''14. Italics'''''

Use italics for sub-subtitles within a publication and the names of publications, but not for titles of instruments, plans of actions or declarations, and occasionally to give special emphasis to a word, phrase or key quotation. Italics are also used for non-English words; see Emphasis above and Language and spelling below.

'''''15. Language and spelling'''''

British English (of the -ise, -mme variety) will be used throughout. This will be more noticeable in the spelling, e.g. centre, not center; traveller, not traveler; colour, not color. The -ise verb ending will be preferred, thus realise, rather than realize.

Exceptions: If an organisation has an official name in English, use the official spelling, even if it does not comply with APC spelling rules, e.g. World Health Organization.

In direct quotations, use the spelling that is used in the original source, whether it complies with APC rules or not.

When using local terms that do not exist in English, please italicise the non-English term and write a definition or explanation in brackets after it.

Non-English words do not need to be italicised if they have been absorbed into English, so no italics for “coup d’état” or “fait accompli”.

'''''16. Numbers'''''

In running text, write out the numbers one through nine and use figures for numbers larger than nine, e.g. one, five, nine, 10, 21, 156, 216,000. In fact charts use only figures.

Thousands should be rendered using a comma: 10,000 and 427,971 (but not in the case of years: 2006).

For large round numbers in running text use words if possible: one million, three million, but 375 million.

One billion = 1,000,000,000, i.e., one thousand million, not one million million.

Decimals are indicated by a point with a zero preceding: 0.75.

A number at the beginning of a sentence should be spelled out: “Fifty-four workers were fired as a result of the strike.” But the sentence can usually be reorganised so that the number is not at the start: “The strike resulted in 54 workers being fired.”

'''''17. Paragraphing, indentation and spacing'''''

Do not use indentation at the beginning of a paragraph. Do not use a double space after a full stop or colon; use single spaces only. Use double spacing between paragraphs (either with carriage returns or with paragraph styles).

'''''18. Percentages'''''

Write the figure followed by percentage symbol, e.g. 4%, 63%. There should be no space between the number and the percentage symbol.

'''''19. Quotation marks'''''

Double quotation marks are used for direct quotations, mini-quotations (i.e. a word or phrase as opposed to a full sentence) and to imply a word or phrase is being used ironically.

Use single quotation marks only for a quote within a quote. For example, “The authorities told us they would look into the matter ‘immediately’ but we have still received no reply,” said the activist.

Commas and periods are positioned before the closing quotation mark when used for quoting speech, e.g. “This programme,” she said, “will greatly increase computer literacy.”

However, when quotation marks are used to set off or quote a word or short phrase, the comma or period is positioned after, e.g. The stated goals of the programme included “computer literacy”, among others.

In print publications, longer quotations (over three lines) should be separated and indented, with no quotation marks used. In online texts, try not to quote as much as three lines in a row. If you need to quote more, do so interspersed by other context text.

'''''20. References'''''

For full details, see separate Reference guidelines. [5]

In references, translation is not necessary (except for names of cities for the place of publication, etc.) and only the name of the document in the source language should be provided, unless an English version of the same document exists, in which case the English version should be referenced.

'''''21. Time'''''

Use the 12-hour clock: 9:00 a.m., 8:30 p.m.

Span of years: write “between 1995 and 1999”, not “between 1995-1999”.

'''''22. Titles and subtitles'''''

For the titles of books, capitalise all main words, e.g. The ICT Policy Handbook.

For the titles of shorter publications such as reports, issue papers and articles, and for all subtitles, capitalise only the first word and any other word that is capitalised in its own right, plus the first letter of any word that follows a colon within a title.

'''''23. Weights and measures'''''

Use metric system only.

'''''Notes:'''''

[1] This style guide is adapted from the Social Watch House Style Guide. Permission kindly provided by ITeM (host of the Social Watch international secretariat) to APC to adapt to our own purposes.

[2] This item is based on the Governance and Social Development Resource Centre (www.gsdrc.org) Style Guide and is reproduced with permission.

[3] See www.n-dash.net for key bindings in other applications and platforms

[4] Long, T. (2004, August 16). It's Just the 'internet' Now. Wired. archive.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2004/08/64596

[5] www.apc.org/en/system/files/APC_ReferenceGuide_2.0_0.pdf

Frequently asked questions

2016-05-16T23:10:42Z

Lori:

[[File:FAQ.jpg|thumb|200px]]
'''What are the steps to follow if I have a topic I want to write about?'''

*You should contact your editor, send her a blurb explaining the topic, how it links to women's rights/gender and internet rights, and be clear on the format you think would be most suitable for the piece (feminist talk, video, interview, etc.). The editor will come back to you as soon as possible with a response.

'''How should I proceed if someone is leaving abusive comments on the content I posted?'''

*If someone is leaving abusive comments, let the editors know. They can delete comments and respond (if appropriate), and take screenshots if necessary. If you are getting abusive emails, again contact the editors for advice. Do not delete anything, and take a look at the Take Back the Tech! [https://www.takebackthetech.net/be-safe/safety-toolkit digital safety tool-kit].

'''What do I do if I want to have other GenderIT.org or APCNews writers comment on my piece before it goes online?'''

*Ask! If you'd like the editors to act as intermediaries, ask them, otherwise feel free to get in touch with other writers. Alternatively, we can circulate on a limited mailing list for response. The worst that can happen is they say no!

'''What are the steps to get my piece published?'''

*<Refer to Question 1> If you want to get your piece published outside of GenderIT.org, refer to Question 11.

'''How can I ensure the impact of my piece?'''

*Impact can mean different things. If you're interested in getting as many eyeballs to read your piece as possible, post it on social media, tweet about it, blog about it, reference it on other people's blogs, send people to it in as many ways as you can. The GenderIT.org and APCNews teams will also be putting it out through social media and mailing lists. If you're interested in reaching a particular audience, then it depends on who you want to reach. If you want to bring it to the attention of policy makers in your country, for example, you could email it to them, or re-publish (see Question 11) the work in a local newspaper. Email it to local NGOs, academics, embassies or anyone else who might be interested.

'''How do I track the influence of my piece?'''

*GenderIT.org and APCNews editors use tools such as Google Alerts or Talkwalker Alerts to receive an email notification whenever any material containing the key words we set go online. You can also use these and add your own key words to receive alerts on these. GenderIT.org and APCNews also use a web statistics systems, Awstats, and we would be more than happy to do any search you need for you and share the results. Googling your name or the title of your articles from time to time is also a good idea, since it might catch republications of them that were not captured in the alerts for some reason. The Drupal platform (which is the one that GenderIT.org and APCNews are built on) also provides a reading score after every title, but this is not completely reliable, though it might work to have a very general reference.

'''What shall I do if I notice APC.org or GenderIT.org material posted in other media?'''

*Please let us know! While all material published on GenderIT.org and APC.org is published under a Creative Commons licence, we like to know the impact that the stories are having and we also need to know for media tracking purposes. If material isn't credited to GenderIT.org or APCNews/APC.org, we'd also like to make sure that we're given credit and a link back to the site, so please let the editors know about this too, and they will contact the media to request a proper credit.

'''What should I do if I have trouble meeting my deadline?'''

*First off, this should rarely be a problem. APCNews and GenderIT.org have generous deadlines, which is because we know that those we work with have multiple responsibilities. But if there really is nothing you can do, please do tell us. As soon as you know there's an issue, please let the GenderIT.org team and/or APCNews team know. Life does have a way of interfering, and we understand that, but telling us as quickly as possible helps us work around it, especially for pieces that need translating or are planned to go out in a thematic edition.

'''How can I get other people involved in writing for APC?'''

*If you know about someone who wants to write for GenderIT.org or APCNews, please put that person in touch with the editors, introducing her/him. To save time, you might also want to let that person know that the editors will probably ask for a CV and some links to articles that she/he might have written before for the editors' reference.

'''Can I re-publish my piece on my own website or another website?'''

*As long as the website is not-for-profit, we encourage the sharing of our material. Make sure that GenderIT.org and/or APCNews are credited, and that the material is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike licence. If you want to publish on a website that is run for-profit, please discuss it with the GenderIT.org and APCNews editors.

'''What are the licence restrictions for content published by APC?'''

*Everything is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike licence, and we only use images that are published under a similar licence.

'''What is the recommended length for articles?'''

*This depends on the type of article. Please see our [http://writers.wiki.apc.org/index.php/Orientation_for_new_writers_in_GenderIT.org orientation for new writers] for details on each of the different types of article.

'''What tone should I use?'''

*This depends on the type of article you're writing. See our [http://writers.wiki.apc.org/index.php/Orientation_for_new_writers_in_GenderIT.org orientation for new writers] for details.

'''What can I do if I have trouble finding resource people to interview?'''

* The first step is to discuss it with your editor. They can help or give you ideas. Also, check your contacts for them. Does anyone else know them, can you check that the information you have is accurate? Then, try and find someone else who might be able to help. Think about grassroots organisations or activists working on the issue, other people who were at the same event, academics... If nothing is working, go back to your editor, and see if the matter can be approached from a different angle, or if the story has to be abandoned.

'''How should I proceed if the interviewee/source has concerns regarding privacy/security?'''

*Always take these concerns seriously. Talk through options, take a look at the [http://writers.wiki.apc.org/index.php?title=How_to_deal_with_vulnerable_interviewees&action=edit&redlink=1 guide to interviewing vulnerable interviewees]. If the interviewee or source still has concerns, stop. Don't push. Get back to the editors: we can always discuss other options.

'''When it comes to in-depth articles, what is a reasonable number of sources, and do they all have to be interviews?'''

*For an in-depth article, we would expect at least four sources, but they don't all have to be interviews. We can also consider as sources research material, quotations from previous articles (mentioning the sources of course), and similar resources.

'''Can I share an article produced for GenderIT.org or APCNews with other media before it comes out on those websites?'''

*Sorry, but no. If you publish elsewhere first, we'll be happy to link to that article on your profile, and if it's relevant highlight it on the Twitter account and elsewhere, but we won't publish it as a GenderIT.org or APCNews article, nor pay for it, since we won't consider it exclusive anymore.

'''How do I claim payment?'''

*You will need to send an invoice to flavia@apcwomen.org copying to katerina.fialova@apcwomen.org for GenderIT.org related payments, and to mallory@apc.org for APCNews related payments. Please fill in this [spreadsheet] with all your personal information and send it to the previous email addresses. The editors will complete the remaining information about programmes/projects and amount. Also, note that APC doesn't encourage payments under USD 300 since the bank rates charged are too high, both for APC and for the writer. So we usually wait until that amount is reached or even surpassed to process a payment.

'''How do I know if my payment has been processed?'''

*You should receive an email notification. It takes a few days until the payment is finally processed, so please take into consideration that time gap.

'''How is GenderIT.org funded?'''

*GenderIT.org has not had its own funding for several years now, but it receives funding from other projects that are being carried out by the APC Women's Rights Programme.

'''Can I write anonymously?'''

*Yes, just let the editors know how you wish to be credited.

A guide for new editors

2016-05-16T22:57:07Z

Lori:

[[File:style.jpg|thumb|200px]]
This is a guide to help editors new to GenderIT.org to understand the priorities for the site and provide a quick reference to important documents that you may need in your work.

== '''Introduction''' ==

The editor is the link between the writer and the audience, and the main aim of the editor is to improve communication between the two. While all stories should follow GenderIT.org style and editorial guidelines, and be in line with the core principles of the site, as far as possible, the editor keeps the words and flow of the original writer. The writer is usually an expert in their field, often with many years of campaigning or struggle in their own country – often in languages that are not English. It is important to respect the writer, and ask them questions and permission for any substantive changes.

It is not always easy to follow these guidelines!

== '''Editing tips''' ==

* Read through the entire piece first. This gives some sense of what the story is about, and often points that are confusing can be clarified later on.

* Use a lighter touch for blogs such as Feminist Talk. Just check for spelling and readability – only if something is very confusing, make an amendment. Always track changes.

* Check for points that are made more than once. If there is new information, try to meld the two together for brevity, and readability.

* Make sure that language is as simple as possible. Writers, especially those fluent in English, may use colloquialisms or long words. It is particularly important for readers whose first language is not English to simplify these. ''Example: '''Time seemed to fly''', the conference was '''so packed''' with exciting speakers. Instead: The conference had lots of exciting speakers.''

* As far as possible check accuracy. If there was an event, check the dates, that names are spelt correctly, etc. Google is definitely your friend!

* Check footnotes and references, for both style and completeness. If you think something needs to be referenced, ask for the writer to put that in.

* For some writers (but certainly not all), this may be the first time they are publishing something in English. Your role MAY be to guide and advise them. It is usually clear from the text itself if this is the case. Always phrase guidance respectfully and positively.

* It's important that you encourage the writers to provide as many links within the text as possible. Some writers might not be used to writing in online platforms, so we should try to make the text as fluid and rich as possible. The articles can't cover all the contextual information that understanding the content of the article might require, but links can be quite useful for that.

* Editors should also help writers understand how important it is to save some time to search in the website and select related articles and resources as much as possible. This way we build on previous writings and we offer the readership a much more prolific reading experience. And we increase our chances for readers to get interested in related materials and to stay on the website!

== '''Editing a translation''' ==

Many GenderIT.org articles are translations (from English to Spanish or vice versa). Editing translations has its own challenges, since the mediation of the translator is a second voice that shows in the final article. Always edit the translated article with the original in hand, so you can double-check that the translator didn't misunderstand any phrase or word. In some cases, when translators do not understand a very specific word or expression, they might highlight it for your consideration, so be ready to solve that quiz. Going back to the author and asking for synonyms or alternative ways of saying it might help.

== '''Quick links''' ==

*[http://writers.wiki.apc.org/index.php/Our_code_of_ethics Code of ethics]

*[http://writers.wiki.apc.org/index.php/Style_guide Style guide]

*[http://writers.wiki.apc.org/index.php/Editorial_policy Editorial policy]

*[http://writers.wiki.apc.org/index.php/Reference_guide Reference guide]

== '''Checklist''' ==

1. Does the piece as a whole make sense? Is the argument/are the points clear? Is there any repetition, and if so, does it serve a purpose?

2. Is the language clear? Are there any colloquialisms? Are there any words or phrases that a person whose first language is not English may have difficulty understanding?

3. Are the grammar and spelling correct?

4. Are all quotes or other materials adequately referenced, following the house style?

5. Is there anything missing? Is there an argument or idea that the writer could have followed up on that would strengthen the article? Are there any suggestions you'd like to make to the writer?

Some pieces may need two or three rounds of editing. Be prepared!

Orientation to APCNews

2016-05-16T22:30:13Z

Lori:

[[File:tool.jpg|thumb|200px]]

== '''APCNews payment scheme''' ==

Requests are only made by APC’s designated editors. If you receive a request from anyone else, please check with us.

== ''Payment conditions'' ==

We pay according to our writers payment scheme described below.

Payment is made upon submission of invoice/s.

In order to reduce bank charges on your side and APC’s, we suggest you wait until you can charge for at least USD 300.

APC works with bank transfers and cheques (issued in USD by our bank in San Francisco), and with PayPal (recommended for payment of small amounts, under USD 300).

This payment scheme applies to all writers at all times.

APC’s payment scheme recognises the length and depth of an article, as well as the geographical location of the writer.

''Important note:'' Becoming part of the APC writers pool does not guarantee that you will receive requests to write for APC. You may leave the pool at any time on submitting an email notice to the editor. APC reserves the right to stop using writers without notification.

== ''Baseline'' ==

The starting point, which is referred to as the "baseline", is USD 30.

It is a simple and short article, which is a factual and straight-to-the point. This includes single-people interviews, single source accounts, light synthesis of reports. Note that this does not include copy-and-paste journalism, which can be used in no other than blogging. A simple and short article is around 500 words (more than 250 and less than 750).

Then, length, depth and geographical location are combined:

== ''Length'' ==

APC recognises the length of an article (after editing).

For each 500-word bracket in excess, USD 10 are added.

Example: A 1,200 word article falls into the “up to 1,500 word” bracket. That means USD 30 + 10 + 10 = USD 50

== ''Depth'' ==

APC recognises three depth levels:

* Standard (1-2 sources) = no additional payment
All standard articles should cite at least one source and preferably two.

* Intermediate (3-4 sources) = USD 20 added.
Articles that demonstrate some research in terms of document investigation and/or interviews (three to four sources).

* In-depth (5 sources and more) = USD 30 added.
Articles that demonstrate original and extensive research, interviewing and/or analysis based on at least five different sources. This includes book reviews, features and multi-people interviews. The level of complexity is that of a full feature article.

Example: payment for a 1,200-word article that includes 2 interviews and 1 document investigation would would be calculated on the basis of length (USD 50) + Intermediate depth (USD 20) = USD 70.

== ''Geographical location'' ==

APC recognises a “post adjustment” (PA) multiplier: depending on the writer’s main country of residence, she/he receives an amount based on monthly updated United Nations post adjustment grids.

[http://icsc.un.org/secretariat/cold.asp?include=par]

Example: A 1,200 word article of intermediate depth from a writer based in Montreal, Canada would be: length + depth (70 USD) x 1.PA multiplier (Montreal Canada’s May 2016 multiplier factor is 42.1). So 70 × 1.438 = USD 99.47

== ''Intellectual property'' ==

All documents, materials or concepts developed under this agreement remain the sole property of APC, which will distribute them under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.

== ''Other'' ==

Although we are not a news agency and usually don’t take up unsolicited coverage offers, feel free to send a story pitch if you think we may be interested.

We’d be very happy if you’d be interested in blogging on the APC blog from time to time: http://blog.apc.org. Login: Blogger upper case B; password: trusted

'''[http://writers.wiki.apc.org/index.php/Frequently_Asked_Questions Please refer also to the FAQ!]'''

Orientation to APCNews

2016-05-16T22:29:15Z

Lori:

[[File:tool.jpg|thumb|200px]]

== '''APCNews payment scheme''' ==

Requests are only made by APC’s designated editors. If you receive a request from anyone else, please check with us.

== ''Payment conditions'' ==

We pay according to our writers payment scheme described below.

Payment is made upon submission of invoice/s.

In order to reduce bank charges on your side and APC’s, we suggest you wait until you can charge for at least USD 300.

APC works with bank transfers and cheques (issued in USD by our bank in San Francisco), and with PayPal (recommended for payment of small amounts, under USD 300).

This payment scheme applies to all writers at all times.

APC’s payment scheme recognises the length and depth of an article, as well as the geographical location of the writer.

''Important note:'' Becoming part of the APC writers pool does not guarantee that you will receive requests to write for APC. You may leave the pool at any time on submitting an email notice to the editor. APC reserves the right to stop using writers without notification.

== ''Baseline'' ==

The starting point, which is referred to as the "baseline", is USD 30.

It is a simple and short article, which is a factual and straight-to-the point. This includes single-people interviews, single source accounts, light synthesis of reports. Note that this does not include copy-and-paste journalism, which can be used in no other than blogging. A simple and short article is around 500 words (more than 250 and less than 750).

Then, length, depth and geographical location are combined:

== ''Length'' ==

APC recognises the length of an article (after editing).

For each 500-word bracket in excess, 10 USD are added.

Example: A 1,200 word article falls into the “up to 1,500 word” bracket. That means USD 30 + 10 + 10 = USD 50

== ''Depth'' ==

APC recognises three depth levels:

* Standard (1-2 sources) = no additional payment
All standard articles should cite at least one source and preferably two.

* Intermediate (3-4 sources) = USD 20 added.
Articles that demonstrate some research in terms of document investigation and/or interviews (three to four sources).

* In-depth (5 sources and more) = USD 30 added.
Articles that demonstrate original and extensive research, interviewing and/or analysis based on at least five different sources. This includes book reviews, features and multi-people interviews. The level of complexity is that of a full feature article.

Example: payment for a 1,200-word article that includes 2 interviews and 1 document investigation would would be calculated on the basis of length (USD 50) + Intermediate depth (USD 20) = USD 70.

== ''Geographical location'' ==

APC recognises a “post adjustment” (PA) multiplier: depending on the writer’s main country of residence, she/he receives an amount based on monthly updated United Nations post adjustment grids.

[http://icsc.un.org/secretariat/cold.asp?include=par]

Example: A 1,200 word article of intermediate depth from a writer based in Montreal, Canada would be: length + depth (70 USD) x 1.PA multiplier (Montreal Canada’s May 2016 multiplier factor is 42.1). So 70 × 1.438 = USD 99.47

== ''Intellectual property'' ==

All documents, materials or concepts developed under this agreement remain the sole property of APC, which will distribute them under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.

== ''Other'' ==

Although we are not a news agency and usually don’t take up unsolicited coverage offers, feel free to send a story pitch if you think we may be interested.

We’d be very happy if you’d be interested in blogging on the APC blog from time to time: http://blog.apc.org. Login: Blogger upper case B; password: trusted

'''[http://writers.wiki.apc.org/index.php/Frequently_Asked_Questions Please refer also to the FAQ!]'''

Orientation to APCNews

2016-05-16T22:06:04Z

Lori: /* APCNews payment scheme */

[[File:tool.jpg|thumb|200px]]

== '''APCNews payment scheme''' ==

Requests are only made by APC’s designated editors. If you receive a request from anyone else, please check with us.

== ''Payment conditions'' ==

We pay according to our writers payment scheme described below.

Payment is made upon submission of invoice/s.

In order to reduce bank charges on your side and APC’s, we suggest you wait until you can charge for at least $300 USD. However anyone who works for us in 2007 should submit any outstanding invoices by December 31 at the latest.

APC works with bank transfer and cheques (issued in USD by our bank in San Francisco), and with PayPal (recommended for small amount payments under USD300).

This payment scheme applies to all writers at all times.

APC’s payment scheme recognises the length and depth of an article, as well as the geographical location of the writer.

''Important note:'' Becoming part of the APC writers pool does not guarantee that you will receive requests to write for APC. You may leave the pool at any time on submitting an email notice to the editor. APC reserves the right to stop using writers without notification.

== ''Baseline'' ==

The starting point, which is referred to as ‘baseline’ is worth USD 30.

It is a simple and short article, which is a factual and straight-to-the point. This includes single-people interviews, single source accounts, light synthesis of reports. Note that this does not include copy-and-paste journalism, which can be used in no other than blogging. A simple & short article is around 500 words (more than 250 and less than 750).

Then, length, depth and geographical location are combined:

== ''Length'' ==

APC recognises the length of an article (after editing).

For each 500 word bracket in excess, 10 USD are added.

Example: A 1,200 word article falls into the “up to 1,500 word” bracket. That means 30 USD + 10 + 10 = 50 USD

== ''Depth'' ==

APC recognises three depth levels:

* Standard (1-2 sources) = no additional payment
All standard articles should cite at least one source and preferably two.

* Intermediate (3-4 sources) = 20 USD added.
Articles that demonstrate some research in terms of document investigation and/or interviews (three to four sources).

* In-depth (5 sources and more) = 30 USD are added.

Articles that demonstrate original and extensive research, interviewing and/or analysis based on at least 5 different sources. This includes book reviews, features and multi-people interviews. The level of complexity is that of a full feature article.

Example: 1,200 words article that includes 2 interviews and 1 document investigation would translated in length (50 USD) + Intermediate depth (20 USD) = 70 USD.

== ''Geographical location'' ==

APC recognises a “post adjustment” (PA) multiplier: Depending on the writer’s main residence country, he/or she receives an amount based on monthly updated United Nations post adjustment grids.

[http://icsc.un.org/secretariat/cold.asp?include=par Reference]

Example: A 1,200 word article of intermediate depth from a writer based in Montreal, Canada would be: length + depth (70 USD) x 1,PA multiplier (Montreal Canada’s January 2007 multiplier factor is 43,8). So 70 × 1,438 = 100,66 USD

== ''Intellectual property'' ==

All documents, materials or concepts developed under this agreement remain the sole property of the APC, which will distribute them under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License.

== ''Other'' ==

Although we are not a news agency and usually don’t take up unsolicited coverage offers, however feel free to send a story pitch if you think we may be interested.

We’d be very happy if you’d be interested in blogging on the APC blog from time to time: http://blog.apc.org. Login: Blogger upper case B; password: trusted

'''[http://writers.wiki.apc.org/index.php/Frequently_Asked_Questions Please refer also to the FAQ!]'''

Orientation to APCNews

2016-05-16T22:05:20Z

Lori: /* APCNews payments scheme */

[[File:tool.jpg|thumb|200px]]

== '''APCNews payments scheme''' ==

Requests are only made by APC’s designated editors. If you receive a request from anyone else, please check with us.

== ''Payment conditions'' ==

We pay according to our writers payment scheme described below.

Payment is made upon submission of invoice/s.

In order to reduce bank charges on your side and APC’s, we suggest you wait until you can charge for at least $300 USD. However anyone who works for us in 2007 should submit any outstanding invoices by December 31 at the latest.

APC works with bank transfer and cheques (issued in USD by our bank in San Francisco), and with PayPal (recommended for small amount payments under USD300).

This payment scheme applies to all writers at all times.

APC’s payment scheme recognises the length and depth of an article, as well as the geographical location of the writer.

''Important note:'' Becoming part of the APC writers pool does not guarantee that you will receive requests to write for APC. You may leave the pool at any time on submitting an email notice to the editor. APC reserves the right to stop using writers without notification.

== ''Baseline'' ==

The starting point, which is referred to as ‘baseline’ is worth USD 30.

It is a simple and short article, which is a factual and straight-to-the point. This includes single-people interviews, single source accounts, light synthesis of reports. Note that this does not include copy-and-paste journalism, which can be used in no other than blogging. A simple & short article is around 500 words (more than 250 and less than 750).

Then, length, depth and geographical location are combined:

== ''Length'' ==

APC recognises the length of an article (after editing).

For each 500 word bracket in excess, 10 USD are added.

Example: A 1,200 word article falls into the “up to 1,500 word” bracket. That means 30 USD + 10 + 10 = 50 USD

== ''Depth'' ==

APC recognises three depth levels:

* Standard (1-2 sources) = no additional payment
All standard articles should cite at least one source and preferably two.

* Intermediate (3-4 sources) = 20 USD added.
Articles that demonstrate some research in terms of document investigation and/or interviews (three to four sources).

* In-depth (5 sources and more) = 30 USD are added.

Articles that demonstrate original and extensive research, interviewing and/or analysis based on at least 5 different sources. This includes book reviews, features and multi-people interviews. The level of complexity is that of a full feature article.

Example: 1,200 words article that includes 2 interviews and 1 document investigation would translated in length (50 USD) + Intermediate depth (20 USD) = 70 USD.

== ''Geographical location'' ==

APC recognises a “post adjustment” (PA) multiplier: Depending on the writer’s main residence country, he/or she receives an amount based on monthly updated United Nations post adjustment grids.

[http://icsc.un.org/secretariat/cold.asp?include=par Reference]

Example: A 1,200 word article of intermediate depth from a writer based in Montreal, Canada would be: length + depth (70 USD) x 1,PA multiplier (Montreal Canada’s January 2007 multiplier factor is 43,8). So 70 × 1,438 = 100,66 USD

== ''Intellectual property'' ==

All documents, materials or concepts developed under this agreement remain the sole property of the APC, which will distribute them under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License.

== ''Other'' ==

Although we are not a news agency and usually don’t take up unsolicited coverage offers, however feel free to send a story pitch if you think we may be interested.

We’d be very happy if you’d be interested in blogging on the APC blog from time to time: http://blog.apc.org. Login: Blogger upper case B; password: trusted

'''[http://writers.wiki.apc.org/index.php/Frequently_Asked_Questions Please refer also to the FAQ!]'''

Orientation to GenderIT.org

2016-05-16T22:02:52Z

Lori:

== '''Welcome to the GenderIT.org family!''' ==

Hello and welcome to GenderIT.org. While we aren't a big site or organisation, we work virtually and rarely meet face to face, so it can be a little difficult to orient your way round the site. This guide is designed to help you understand a bit about who we are and what we do, through some reading suggestions and links that will help you learn a bit more about the work we do.

== '''GenderIT.org: Where did it come from?''' ==

GenderIT.org is a programme under the Women's Rights Programme (WRP) of the Association for Progressive Communications (APC). It started as a site monitoring policy developments on ICT and gender, and from its beginnings it has been unique. Initially it was one of the first sites looking at ICT policy developments through a gender lens. More sites and individuals are now doing this, reflecting both the growth of the internet and the growing awareness of online misogyny. However, GenderIT.org remains a unique space for its focus on the global South, its focus on those working at a grassroots level (grounded in the experience of the women in the society in which they live), and its emphasis on both advocacy and social justice.

== '''If you are contributing, here's some essential reading''' ==

Read this document on [our core values], and this one on [our code of ethics].

We've developed these guides on [digital story-telling], [audio] and [photography], which look at why a gender lens is important when putting together a story. Here there are guides to each of the sections on GenderIT.org, and this page could help if you're new to working with a group online – where meeting face to face is very rare.

Lastly we have a [http://writers.wiki.apc.org/index.php/Frequently_Asked_Questions growing FAQ], and if you have a question that isn't answered here, let us know.

== '''I want to know more...''' ==

The best thing is to take a look through some of the work that has been published on the site. The articles below should give you an idea of the different styles of writing on the site, from the more personal blog posts, to the heavier policy research. They also reflect some of the geographic diversity of the articles on the site, and should orient you to some of the key issues we deal with.

[http://www.genderit.org/editorial/lets-go-beyond-basics-what-would-feminist-internet-governance-look Let's go beyond the basics: What would feminist internet governance look like?]

This editorial summarises and links to the main arguments on why a feminist perspective illuminates debates on internet governance, and provides an outline of the debates taking place in Latin American forums.

[http://www.genderit.org/feminist-talk/digital-misogyny-it-felt-514-people-had-raped-me-all-over-again Digital misogyny: “It felt like 514 people had raped me all over again”]

This disturbing story shows a contrasting style. While this blog post does not share the author's point of view, common and welcome in the Feminist Talk section, it is a story that documents a harrowing instance of digital misogyny, and personal bravery, giving strong if anecdotal support to the work done to introduce a feminist perspective to internet governance, grounded in local concerns and experiences.

[http://www.genderit.org/editorial/agency A is for Agency]

It's not all doom and gloom. This is an editorial that links to ways in which feminist initiatives are making a difference, getting change implemented in myriad ways.

[http://www.genderit.org/feminist-talk/good-women-girls-and-hiv-morality-over-health-commission-status-women Good women, girls and HIV: Morality over health at the Commission on the Status of Women]

This article shows one of the aspects of event coverage, but don't take this as the only or even the best way of covering events. Our event coverage ranges from hard-hitting policy discussions to equally important anecdotes on personal experience. This is included in the list partly to give some ideas on event coverage, but also to introduce the concerns we at GenderIT.org have about the way the "porn debate" is framed, in a language of protection, rather than language focusing on harm prevention.

[http://www.genderit.org/node/3985 Leading up to the Beijing Review: Strategising for Section J]

Written by ISIS International, a feminist media organisation, this statement shows the groundwork and planning that goes in before heading to an event, and how APC and progressive allies work to build coalitions that are capable of influencing debate.

[http://www.genderit.org/articles/survey-sexual-activism-morality-and-internet Survey on sexual activism, morality, and the internet]

This is one of GenderIT.org's most-read articles, and looks at the evidence-based reporting and research that is essential to advocacy and policy change. The EROTICS reports are all essential reading for those who want to understand how the internet functions, how it is used and who benefits or is harmed by current policy initiatives.

== '''How to write''' ==

This page provides an introduction on how to write the different types of articles that appear on GenderIT.org.

== '''... a feminist talk''' ==

A Feminist Talk blog post is where you get to be yourself – use more informal language, express opinions, and challenge your readers. Feminist Talk pieces are usually quite short, ''no more than 500 words'', but be warned! They are very lightly edited, if at all. If you want a Feminist Talk piece to be spell- and grammar-checked, you need to ask the editorial team.

''Check previous feminist talks for reference:''

[http://www.genderit.org/feminist-talk/trials-confused-feminist-internet-governance-school Trials of a confused feminist (in an internet governance school)]

[http://www.genderit.org/feminist-talk/facebook-king-laid-bare-and-drag-queens Facebook: The king laid bare and the drag queens]

[http://www.genderit.org/feminist-talk/why-internet-rights-matter-africans Why internet rights matter for Africa(ns)]

== '''… an analytical article''' ==

Analytical articles are to inform readers about perspectives, issues and debates, putting forward ideas. We don't expect writers to be "objective" or "impartial", we expect an informed, well-reasoned feminist perspective. This means in practice that you have to cite your sources, link widely and provide readers with context for your arguments. Analytical articles are expected to be ''between 1,500 and 2,500 words''.

Rather than news conventions, academic conventions are probably most useful here. Make one point per paragraph, cite broadly to illustrate both your expertise and the precedents for your argument, establish early on the argument you are making, and guide your reader through the stages that you take to get there. Make sure that you reference your work thoroughly, particularly when you cite others.

In your analysis you can look at the root causes of an issue, draw links between personal experiences of women and historical and global processes, or examine similarities and differences in manifestation of the issue by people living in different contexts as well as their response to this issue.

''Check previous analytical articles for reference:''

[http://www.genderit.org/articles/south-africa-pornography-and-internet-justifiable-protection-or-entrenching-patriarchy South Africa: Pornography and the internet – justifiable protection or entrenching patriarchy?]

[http://www.genderit.org/articles/argentina-strategic-use-ict-response-violence-against-women Argentina: Strategic use of ICT as a response to violence against women]

[http://www.genderit.org/content/%E2%80%98does-your-mother-know%E2%80%99-agency-risk-and-morality-online-lives-young-women-mumbai 'Does your mother know?' Agency, risk and morality in the online lives of young women in Mumbai]

== '''… an interview''' ==

The most important thing to remember about interviews is that they are not verbatim transcripts. You are expected to edit the interviewee's words to make them more concise, and easier to understand, but not to censor views or change the meaning of the words.

Ask questions that draw out the interviewee, that help non-experts understand her or his perspective and the importance of that perspective on the subject. Allow them space at the end of the interview to add anything that you may not have already covered.

Lastly, think about the power relations between yourself and the interviewee. Make sure that they are comfortable with the questions beforehand, especially if they are a survivor of violence. If they are in a marginalised or vulnerable position, give them the opportunity to read the final article before it is uploaded, and make sure that they are happy with their portrayal. If the interview was conducted over the phone or similar, quote check – send them the transcript of the quotes you are using from them, to check for accuracy.

''Check previous interviews for reference:''

[http://www.genderit.org/articles/interview-nana-darkoa-adventures-bedroom-african-woman Interview with Nana Darkoa: Adventures from the bedroom of an African woman]

[http://www.genderit.org/feminist-talk/interview-adolescent-girls-mobile-phone-use-bihar-jharkhand Interview: Adolescent girls' mobile phone use in Bihar, Jharkand, UP]

[http://www.genderit.org/content/copyright-copyleft-why-does-it-matter-interview-heather-ford Copyright? Copyleft? Why does it matter? An interview with Heather Ford]

Read also: [http://writers.wiki.apc.org/index.php?title=How_to_deal_with_vulnerable_interviewees&action=edit&redlink=1 Dealing with vulnerable interviewees]

== '''… an editorial''' ==

An editorial usually introduces a GenderIT.org thematic edition, and we often invite a guest writer (meaning someone who is for some reason a relevant voice on the theme in focus but not necessarily a core writer) to prepare an editorial and share her/his opinion on an issue. The usual suggested length for the editorial is ''no more than one page, or 350 words''.

The editorial is meant to introduce the theme of the edition, promote critical thinking, and encourage readers to read the edition and/or take action on the issue. They use a personal tone, and share personal opinions and experiences, including possible solutions to the issue in focus. What is extremely important for the development of the editorial is that the guest writer has in hand all the materials for the upcoming edition, so she/he can go through them and have a sense of what the edition is about, and even be able to make reference to or quote the particular articles.

''Check [http://www.genderit.org/previous-editorials previous editorials] for reference:''

[http://www.genderit.org/editorial/tipping-balance-local-adopters-technology Tipping the balance for local adopters of technology]

[http://www.genderit.org/editorial/internet-governance-if-we-are-not-table-we-will-be-menu Internet governance: If we are not at the table, we will be on the menu]

[http://www.genderit.org/editorial/thoughts-around-claiming-communication-rights Claiming communication rights]

== '''… a resource summary''' ==

Even though resources are usually PDF formatted papers or presentations that are stand-alone materials, we do not just throw them on the website without an introduction that sparks the interest of the readership. Here are some simple steps to follow when writing the summary:

1) State the purpose of the document/report. Why was it written?
2) Briefly describe the scope of the report. What problem does it solve or what issues are covered?
3) Provide an overview of the research/data collection methods used. How was information for the report gathered? (if applicable)
4) State the key results and findings detailed in the report. What did you find out?
5) Present the main conclusions and recommendations. What should the reader do about it?
6) How does it relate to women’s and internet rights?

The optimal length for a resource summary is ''between 500-700 words''.

See example: [http://www.genderit.org/resources/erotics-sex-rights-and-internet-research-study EROTICS: Sex, rights and the internet - an exploratory research study]

''Read more:''

[http://www.ehow.com/how_5108728_write-report-summary.html#ixzz1UX3KgGXp How to write a report summary]

[http://www.apc.org/system/files/multilingual_audience_guidelines.pdf Writing for a multilingual audience]: Some Do’s and Dont's for native and near-native English language writers.

[http://www.apc.org/en/system/files/APC_ReferenceGuide_2.0_0.pdf APC reference guide]: A thorough list of reference types and how to use them in APC and GenderIT.org publications.

== '''Checklist for ALL articles''' ==

Every article submitted to GenderIT.org should contain these elements:

''Heading:'' This is where you persuade readers that they should read your story.

''Summary or lead:'' One or two sentences that summarise the main point of your article, again to persuade the reader to read further.

''Biography:'' Two or three lines describing who you are – even if you are writing anonymously this could give readers some context of the work that you do.

Lastly, check that your references meet the reference guidelines listed above.

== '''[[How to publish content in GenderIT.org]]''' ==

Now you have the finalised piece but it is not published on the website yet. This section aims to give you a step-by-step orientation so you can upload all the materials yourself using our Drupal platform.

APCNews editorial team

2016-05-16T21:40:04Z

Lori:

[[File:team.jpg|thumb|200px]]

Twitter: [https://twitter.com/APC_News @APC_News], [https://twitter.com/APCNoticias @APCNoticias] and [https://twitter.com/APCNouvelles @APCNouvelles]

== '''APCNews editorial team''' ==

[[File:Mallory.jpg|left|100px|caption]]

== ''Mallory Knodel'' ==

APCNews editor

Based in Montreal

Languages: English

Contact: mallory@apc.org

Twitter: [https://twitter.com/chaoticfree @chaoticfree]

[[File:Flavia.jpg|left|100px|caption]]

== ''Flavia Fascendini'' ==

APCNoticias editor

Based in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Languages: Spanish, Portuguese and English

Contact: flavia@apcwomen.org

Twitter:

[[File:Leila.jpg|left|100px|caption]]

== ''Leila Nachawati Rego'' ==

Communications associate

Based in Barcelona, Spain

Languages: Spanish and English

Contact: leila@apc.org

Twitter:

[[File:Lori - head shot.jpg|left|100px|caption]]

== ''Lori Nordstrom'' ==

APC publications coordinator

Based in Montevideo, Uruguay

Languages: English and Spanish

Contact: lori@apc.org

Twitter:

Who does APCNews speak to

2016-05-16T21:38:57Z

Lori:

[[File:audience.jpg|thumb|200px]]

APCNews' target audiences are:

* APC staff

* Members and partners

* Civil society organisations

* Human rights defenders and organisations

* Technologists

* Social justice activists

* Alternative media journalists

* Policy advocates

* Government regulators and ministries

* Private sector policy specialists.

Our key messaging is outlined in APC's communications strategy, which identifies five priorities and three goals to promote: internet access and human rights online, good governance of the internet, transformative technologies, ending violence against women, and strengthening the APC network, all while working to achieve gender equity, expansion of the information commons, and linguistic diversity.

Editorial policy

2016-05-16T21:28:05Z

Lori:

[[File:style.jpg|thumb|200px]]
APCNews editorial policy establishes the focus of interest, values, language, and other standards that information produced by the APC must follow. We are featuring here the English version, but it is also available in [http://www.apc.org/politica-editorial Spanish], [http://www.apc.org/politique-editoriale French] and [http://www.apc.org/politica-editorial-da-APC Portuguese].

'''Information produced by APC:'''

* Has information and communications technology (ICT) for social justice and/or sustainable development as its primary focus of interest.

* Is consistent with our values and/or [https://www.apc.org/en/node/5677/ APC’s Internet Rights Charter].

* Is gender-sensitive.

* Is written in plain language and demystifies technology. No jargon allowed unless terms are explained clearly. We expect our readers to be non-specialists.

'''Uses:'''

* British English of the “-ise” and “-mme” variant.

* Latin-American Spanish.

* Standard French (French language without regionalisms). ICT neologisms are mostly taken up from the Grand Dictionnaire, which is put out (and made available online) by the Office québécois de la langue française.

* Brazilian Portuguese, except when texts are aimed at a specifically African audience,in which case European Portuguese is used.

* In all languages, APC uses “neutral” terms whenever possible and avoids colloquial and regional terms. APC has produced a set of guidelines for native English speakers who want to make their writing accessible to non-native readers.

* Adheres to the highest possible standards of production (is proofread, adequately referenced, etc.).

* Includes all necessary acknowledgements.

* Is shareable unless otherwise stated. Permission is granted to republish APC publications provided there is a clear acknowledgement of APC included. With online republishers, we prefer that they include an abstract and link to the complete material on the APC site. We always request that a link to our original publication is included.

* Includes a mechanism to provide feedback whenever appropriate.

Some of these areas go beyond content, but in an organisation where we encourage contributions from writers who have no professional training, we have decided to be explicit regarding our expectations for publications.

What is APCNews

2016-05-16T20:26:43Z

Lori:

[[File:doc.jpg|thumb|200px]]

APCNews is an online news service on internet for social justice and sustainable development published by the Association for Progressive Communications. APCNouvelles is a sister publication, offering news in French. And APCNoticias is the sister publication in Spanish.

News items are often inspired by APC's work and the work of APC members and partners, making it a publication interesting to readers in all parts of the world.

APCNews is press-ready and its content is fully licensed by Creative Commons, which encourages other publications to republish or cite our content.

Content is distributed in the following ways:

* APC.org – the main website where content is first published, and often in multiple languages.

* Email list – subscribers in English, Spanish and French receive an APCNews edition every two weeks.

* Twitter and Facebook – APC disseminates APCNews content through its social media accounts.

* Press lists – all APCNews articles are press-ready and are sometimes disseminated directly to journalists via email.

GenderIT.org editorial team

2016-05-16T20:18:37Z

Lori:

[[File:team.jpg|thumb|200px]]

Twitter: [https://twitter.com/GenderITorg @GenderITorg] and [https://twitter.com/GenderITes @GenderITes] (Spanish)

== '''APCNews editorial team''' ==

[[File:Kaca.jpeg|left|100px|caption]]

== ''Katerina Fialova'' ==

GenderIT.org project coordinator

Based in Czech Republic

Languages: English and Czech

Contact: katerina.fialova@apcwomen.org

[[File:Flavia.jpg|left|100px|caption]]

== ''Flavia Fascendini'' ==

GenderIT.org editorial coordinator

Based in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Languages: Spanish, Portuguese and English

Contact: flavia@apcwomen.org

[[File:Dafne.jpeg|left|100px|caption]]

== ''Dafne Sabanes Plou'' ==

GenderIT.org Spanish editor

Based in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Languages: Spanish and English

Contact: daphne@apcwomen.org

== ''To reach us by mail or phone'' ==

APC Executive Director’s Office

PO Box 29755

Melville 2109

South Africa

Tel: +27 11 726 1692

Fax: +27 11 726 1692

The GenderIT.org manifesto

2016-05-16T19:58:07Z

Lori:

[[File:doc.jpg|thumb|200px]]
This document aims to give a concise overview of what drives GenderIT.org and the editorial principles by which it operates. As a project of the Association for Progressive Communications, our editorial principles builds on the [http://writers.wiki.apc.org/index.php/Editorial_policy APC editorial policy]. This manifesto complements our [http://writers.wiki.apc.org/index.php/Our_code_of_ethics code of ethics] and the [http://writers.wiki.apc.org/index.php/Style_guide APC style guide].

GenderIT.org is a feminist advocacy space that explores issues related to gender and information and communications technologies (ICTs). We recognise that the internet is an evolving and dynamic environment, so the principles we operate on need to be flexible, but these are based on the understanding that equality and respect are non-negotiable.

The following [http://www.genderit.org/articles/feminist-principles-internet Feminist Principles of the Internet] are a continual work-in-progress, being revisited, revised and improved. The principles were developed by a community of activists engaging in women’s rights, LGBTQI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans* and intersex) rights and internet rights on six continents. They draw upon international rights treaties, in particular the [http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/beijing/platform/ Beijing Platform for Action] and the [http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/ Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women]. All contributors to GenderIT.org should have read these conventions, and the principles below, and should abide by them in all works contributed here. We welcome debate and discussion on what these principles mean and how they can be achieved.

'''1.''' A feminist internet starts with and works towards empowering more women and queer persons – in all our diversities – to dismantle patriarchy. This includes universal, affordable, unfettered, unconditional and equal '''access''' to the internet.

'''2.''' A feminist internet is an extension, reflection and continuum of our movements and '''resistance''' in other spaces, public and private. Our agency lies in us deciding as individuals and collectives what aspects of our lives to politicise and/or publicise on the internet.

'''3.''' The internet is a '''transformative''' public and political space. It facilitates new forms of citizenship that enable individuals to claim, construct and express our selves, genders, sexualities. This includes connecting across territories, demanding accountability and transparency, and significant opportunities for feminist movement-building.

'''4.''' '''Violence''' online and tech-related violence are part of the continuum of gender-based violence. The misogynistic attacks, threats, intimidation, and policing experienced by women and LGBTQI people are real, harmful and alarming. It is our collective responsibility as different internet stakeholders to prevent, respond to, and resist this violence.

'''5.''' There is a need to resist the religious right, along with other extremist forces, and the state, in monopolising their claim over morality in silencing feminist voices at national and international levels. We must claim the power of the internet to '''amplify''' alternative and diverse narratives of women’s lived realities.

'''6.''' As feminist activists, we believe in challenging the patriarchal spaces that currently control the internet and putting more feminists and LGBTQI people at the '''decision-making''' tables. We believe in democratising the legislation and regulation of the internet as well as diffusing ownership and power of global and local networks.

'''7.''' Feminist interrogation of the neoliberal capitalist logic that drives the internet is critical to destabilise, dismantle, and create alternative forms of '''economic power''' that are grounded on principles of the collective, solidarity, and openness.

'''8.''' As feminist activists, we are politically committed to creating and experimenting with technology utilising '''open source''' tools and platforms. Promoting, disseminating and sharing knowledge about the use of such tools is central to our praxis.

'''9.''' The internet’s role in enabling access to critical '''information''' – including on health, pleasure and risks – to communities, cultural expression, and conversation is essential, and must be supported and protected.

'''10.''' Surveillance by default is the tool of patriarchy to control and restrict rights both online and offline. The right to '''privacy''' and to exercise full control over our own data is a critical principle for a safer, open internet for all. Equal attention needs to be paid to surveillance practices by individuals against each other, as well as the private sector and non-state actors, in addition to the state.

'''11.''' Everyone has the right to be forgotten on the internet. This includes being able to access all our personal '''data''' and information online, and to be able to exercise control over it, including knowing who has access to it and under what conditions, and being able to delete it forever. However, this right needs to be balanced against the right to access public information, transparency and accountability.

'''12.''' It is our inalienable right to choose, express and experiment with our diverse sexualities on the internet. '''Anonymity''' enables this.

'''13.''' We strongly object to the efforts of state and non-state actors to control, '''regulate''' and restrict the sexual lives of consenting people and how this is expressed and practised on the internet. We recognise this as part of the larger political project of moral policing, censorship and hierarchisation of citizenship and rights.

'''14.''' We recognise our role as feminists and internet rights advocates in securing a safe, healthy and informative internet for '''children''' and young people. This includes promoting digital and social safety practices. At the same time, we acknowledge children’s rights to healthy development, which includes access to positive information about sexuality at critical times in their development. We believe in including the voices and experiences of young people in the decisions made about harmful content.

'''15.''' We recognise that the issue of '''pornography''' online is a human rights and labour issue, and has to do with agency, consent, autonomy and choice. We reject simple causal linkages made between consumption of pornographic content and violence against women. We also reject the use of the umbrella term of pornographic content to label any sexuality content such as educational material, SOGIE (sexual orientation, gender identity and expression) content, and expression related to women’s sexuality.

'''For more information, see the [https://www.apc.org/en/about APC vision and mission statements] and learn more about the [https://www.apc.org/en/node/1805/ APC Women's Rights Programme].'''

Our code of ethics

2016-05-16T19:54:11Z

Lori:

[[File:doc.jpg|thumb|200px]]

The GenderIT.org code of ethics is based on feminist theory and praxis and is a work in progress. We have developed this bearing in mind that most codes of ethics for journalists have been developed primarily for print media, in an era prior to the connectivity made possible by the internet. They have also largely been inherited from organisations steeped in patriarchy and while there are lots of positive examples of incorporating gender into these codes, we feel that a code of ethics that has a feminist starting point and which takes into account some of the complexities occasioned by the internet can contribute not only to achieving the [http://www.genderit.org/articles/feminist-principles-internet feminist principles of the internet], but also in debates and discussion on codes of ethics in journalism more broadly.

'''1.''' '''Respect''' should be the underlying principle in all communications on this site. This includes comments on posts and posts themselves. It includes respect for a diversity of identities, cultural experiences and political contexts. It includes respect for the integrity of the individual(s) behind the posts, regardless of how they choose to identify, if at all.

'''2.''' Comments and posts should '''contribute to debate and discussion'''. Those that do not will be deleted. If we feel that the issue warrants it, we will post justifications.

'''3.''' '''Power relations''' are fundamental to persistent inequalities. This is a site aimed at providing a space for marginalised and queer voices to address these inequalities. Therefore, voices from the global South and from marginalised and queer communities will be privileged over other voices.

'''4.''' We recognise that '''violence online''' is real and has tangible real-world impacts. This is an extension of misogyny that attempts to silence feminist voices regardless of medium. It is a key part of the site's advocacy to address this issue and the gap in understanding and knowledge that surrounds gender-based violence online and through the use of new technologies.

'''5.''' GenderIT.org recognises '''the principle of fluidity of identity and the right to be forgotten'''. In practical terms this means that GenderIT.org safeguards the privacy of both formal and informal contributors to the site, and allows them control over the manner in which they are represented, if they choose to reveal an identity and what identity they choose to reveal. '''We expect honesty in all dealings with GenderIT.org'''.

'''6.''' Resistance to the neoliberal, capitalist order is fundamental to realising a feminist space. We manifest this in our commitment to '''open source technology and copyleft licensing of our articles'''. Complementary to this, we recognise the historic burdens placed on women and marginalised communities in terms of unpaid or poorly paid labour and resolve to be part of the solution to women's multiple burdens as far as is possible.

'''7.''' '''Access to knowledge''' is a fundamental human right. We commit to this through the licensing of our material and in a commitment to translate as broadly as resources allow. We also believe that access to knowledge in a digital context is only possible by '''demystifying technology and using plain language''' as much as possible.

'''8.''' We recognise the '''rights of survivors''' to their own story, and recognise that sharing this story is a brave and often empowering act. We also recognise that sharing a story opens up survivors to further abuse. We attempt to balance competing interests in a manner that puts the rights of the individual to their own story at the heart of our decision.

'''9.''' The team behind GenderIT.org are fallible. We attempt to be transparent in our decision-making processes, and will attempt to address conflicts that arise as a result of our decisions within the spaces on the website.

The GenderIT.org manifesto

2016-05-16T19:45:00Z

Lori:

[[File:doc.jpg|thumb|200px]]
This document aims to give a concise overview of what drives GenderIT.org and the editorial principles by which it operates. As a project of the Association for Progressive Communications, our editorial principles builds on the [http://writers.wiki.apc.org/index.php/Editorial_policy APC editorial policy]. This manifesto complements our [http://writers.wiki.apc.org/index.php/Our_code_of_ethics code of ethics] and the [http://writers.wiki.apc.org/index.php/Style_guide APC style guide].

GenderIT.org is a feminist advocacy space that explores issues related to gender and information and communications technologies (ICTs). We recognise that the internet is an evolving and dynamic environment, so the principles we operate on need to be flexible, but these are based on the understanding that equality and respect are non-negotiable.

The following [http://www.genderit.org/articles/feminist-principles-internet feminist principles for the internet] are a continual work-in-progress, being revisited, revised and improved. The principles were developed by a community of activists engaging in women’s rights, LGBTQI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans* and intersex) rights and internet rights on six continents. They draw upon international rights treaties, in particular the [http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/beijing/platform/ Beijing Platform for Action] and the [http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/ Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women]. All contributors to GenderIT.org should have read these conventions, and the principles below, and should abide by them in all works contributed here. We welcome debate and discussion on what these principles mean and how they can be achieved.

'''1.''' A feminist internet starts with and works towards empowering more women and queer persons – in all our diversities – to dismantle patriarchy. This includes universal, affordable, unfettered, unconditional and equal '''access''' to the internet.

'''2.''' A feminist internet is an extension, reflection and continuum of our movements and '''resistance''' in other spaces, public and private. Our agency lies in us deciding as individuals and collectives what aspects of our lives to politicise and/or publicise on the internet.

'''3.''' The internet is a '''transformative''' public and political space. It facilitates new forms of citizenship that enable individuals to claim, construct and express our selves, genders, sexualities. This includes connecting across territories, demanding accountability and transparency, and significant opportunities for feminist movement-building.

'''4.''' '''Violence''' online and tech-related violence are part of the continuum of gender-based violence. The misogynistic attacks, threats, intimidation, and policing experienced by women and LGBTQI people are real, harmful and alarming. It is our collective responsibility as different internet stakeholders to prevent, respond to, and resist this violence.

'''5.''' There is a need to resist the religious right, along with other extremist forces, and the state, in monopolising their claim over morality in silencing feminist voices at national and international levels. We must claim the power of the internet to '''amplify''' alternative and diverse narratives of women’s lived realities.

'''6.''' As feminist activists, we believe in challenging the patriarchal spaces that currently control the internet and putting more feminists and LGBTQI people at the '''decision-making''' tables. We believe in democratising the legislation and regulation of the internet as well as diffusing ownership and power of global and local networks.

'''7.''' Feminist interrogation of the neoliberal capitalist logic that drives the internet is critical to destabilise, dismantle, and create alternative forms of '''economic power''' that are grounded on principles of the collective, solidarity, and openness.

'''8.''' As feminist activists, we are politically committed to creating and experimenting with technology utilising '''open source''' tools and platforms. Promoting, disseminating and sharing knowledge about the use of such tools is central to our praxis.

'''9.''' The internet’s role in enabling access to critical '''information''' – including on health, pleasure and risks – to communities, cultural expression, and conversation is essential, and must be supported and protected.

'''10.''' Surveillance by default is the tool of patriarchy to control and restrict rights both online and offline. The right to '''privacy''' and to exercise full control over our own data is a critical principle for a safer, open internet for all. Equal attention needs to be paid to surveillance practices by individuals against each other, as well as the private sector and non-state actors, in addition to the state.

'''11.''' Everyone has the right to be forgotten on the internet. This includes being able to access all our personal '''data''' and information online, and to be able to exercise control over it, including knowing who has access to it and under what conditions, and being able to delete it forever. However, this right needs to be balanced against the right to access public information, transparency and accountability.

'''12.''' It is our inalienable right to choose, express and experiment with our diverse sexualities on the internet. '''Anonymity''' enables this.

'''13.''' We strongly object to the efforts of state and non-state actors to control, '''regulate''' and restrict the sexual lives of consenting people and how this is expressed and practised on the internet. We recognise this as part of the larger political project of moral policing, censorship and hierarchisation of citizenship and rights.

'''14.''' We recognise our role as feminists and internet rights advocates in securing a safe, healthy and informative internet for '''children''' and young people. This includes promoting digital and social safety practices. At the same time, we acknowledge children’s rights to healthy development, which includes access to positive information about sexuality at critical times in their development. We believe in including the voices and experiences of young people in the decisions made about harmful content.

'''15.''' We recognise that the issue of '''pornography''' online is a human rights and labour issue, and has to do with agency, consent, autonomy and choice. We reject simple causal linkages made between consumption of pornographic content and violence against women. We also reject the use of the umbrella term of pornographic content to label any sexuality content such as educational material, SOGIE (sexual orientation, gender identity and expression) content, and expression related to women’s sexuality.

'''For more information, see the [https://www.apc.org/en/about APC vision and mission statements] and learn more about the [https://www.apc.org/en/node/1805/ APC Women's Rights Programme].'''

What is GenderIT.org

2016-05-16T19:34:56Z

Lori:

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GenderIT.org is a project of the Association for Progressive Communications Women's Rights Programme.

Launched in 2006, GenderIT.org is a seminal resource site that provides feminist reviews and commentary on internet policies and cultures. It maps the intersections between women’s rights and sexual rights with internet rights issues, concentrating on bringing in voices from the global South on these issues, since the discourse is often dominated by those from the North.

The site is meant to be a '''think-tank OF and FOR''' women's, sexual and internet rights activists, academics, journalists and advocates from a range of disciplines and contexts. GenderIT.org provides a space for reflection, influence and advocacy on internet policies and cultures so that they meet women's needs and do not infringe on their rights. Thus it also serves as a resource and reference tool, with information on the key players, evolving terms and current debates.

It started as a site monitoring policy developments in ICT and gender, and from its beginnings has been unique. Initially it was one of the first sites looking at ICT policy developments through a gender lens. More sites and individuals are now doing this, reflecting both the growth of the internet and the growing awareness of online misogyny. However, GenderIT.org remains a unique space for its focus on the global South, its focus on those working at the grassroots level (grounded in the experience of the women in the society in which they live), and its emphasis on both advocacy and social justice.

Our ideas

2016-05-16T19:31:57Z

Lori:

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== '''Write an article based on our ideas''' ==

{| class="wikitable"
!Topic
!Deadline
!Description
!Languages
!Project
!Lead
!Status
|-
|'''The Avocado Matter: An interview with Paz Pena of Derechos Digitales on communications for advocacy'''
|April 2016
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|ES (EN FR)
|Comms
|Flavia
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|-
|'''DDoS attack on National Network of Abortion Funders'''
|
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|EN
|Comms
|Mallory
|assigned to Kendra Moyer
|-
|''' Internet Archive crawls all APC and APC member websites'''
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|New crawl captures all APC member sites weekly, see https://archive-it.org/static/files/archiveit_brochure.pdf
|EN (ES FR)
|Tech
|Mallory
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|-
|''' Regional member meeting report from 2015 towards 2016 (with Chat and Karel)'''
|May 2016
|Each region has a report from 2015. Each region has scheduled their meeting for this year.
|EN ES FR
|Network Development
|Karel/Mallory
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|-
|(Topic)
|(Deadline)
|(Description)
|(Languages)
|(Project)
|(Lead)
|(Status)
|}

== '''Pitch us a story in our areas of interest''' ==

APCNews covers a variety of topics related to ICTs. However, our specialty is presenting issues from one or many perspectives as follows: women, the global South, human rights, social movements and civil society.

=== '''APCNews issue areas''' ===

* Access to information: Open access, accessibility, censorship and circumvention
* Access to internet: Internet infrastructure, wireless technology
* Economic, social and cultural rights in the digital age, also cultural and linguistic diversity
* Environment and ICTs: Environmental sustainability of ICT infrastructure and hardware, impacts of ICTs on the environment, ICT solutions for environmental sustainability
* Free/libre and open source software
* Freedom of expression: How FX online and offline is impacted by the internet
* Gender and ICTs including sexual rights
* ICT for development
* ICT policy including internet governance
* Cyber security
* Surveillance, right to privacy
* Freedom of association (offline and online) in the digital age and anonymity

=== '''GenderIT.org issue areas''' ===

* Gender and ICT policy
* Access to information
* Sexual and reproductive rights
* Online violence against women
* Surveillance, privacy
* Online safety
* Economic, social and cultural rights on the internet
* ICT for development
* Feminist movements
* Tech development for women
* Access