Previously, I wrote about students using science blogging as a way to develop an on-line portfolio and document their skills. One friend wrote me this morning and asked if my instructions to our students were really as simple as I described. Well, no. In fact, it wasn't easy to persuade my colleagues that we should let students blog. I had to promise them I would scrutinize every post and make sure no one got in trouble. Luckily, our student bloggers are responsible adults. Reading their posts has been a pleasure and there have only a couple of cases where I checked with them to make sure they were abiding by my unspoken rules. Now, that I've been prompted to write the rules down, I'll share them here. Keep in mind, I'm writing about using your blog as a professional portfolio. My rules may not apply to other kinds of blogs.
Rule 1. Don't steal. This rule is so important, it has subcategories!
Rule 1a. Intellectual property
When you're using your blog as a portfolio, or on-line lab notebook, keep your writing focused on your work and your learning experiences. You can write about this material freely because you own it.
If you're working in a company or in someone's research lab, your lab work and results belong to your employer. When you work for someone else, those results are someone else's intellectual property and you have to respect that. There are stories of technicians getting fired for asking Facebook friends for help with protocols when they were working on proprietary technology. Don't make that mistake.
Rule 1b. Subject matter
Don't plagiarize. You can quote people or blogs or articles, but include links and references.
Rule 1c. Photos
Use your own photos wherever possible. You can use copyright-free photos, but be aware they're not yours and depending on your source, the owner can change their mind and their licensing. In a couple of cases, I had used photos from Flickr where the owners changed their license. If you really want to use a photo from someone else, ask their permission.
If you're writing about a publication and want to use a figure or graph, check on the journal's policies. You may also be able to get permission from the Copyright Clearance Center.
Rule 1d. Photos of classmates
Do not use photos of classmates without getting their permission. These are people that you want to stay connected to for several years, treat those relationships with respect.
Rule 2. Don't make things up. Do write about what you know.
Someone might ask a question about a blog post in an interview. You'll be better off if you wrote about something you really did.
Rule 3. Give credit where credit is due.
If you write about someone else's idea, give them credit. If you write about a paper, add a reference.
Rule 4. Be respectful.
Many times your class will have guest speakers talk about their work. Don't write about their talk or post their photos without asking their permission. They may be speaking more freely with your class than they might with a public audience. Respect their right to privacy.
If your class tours a lab or other kind of science facility, don't take photos without asking permission and again, respect their right to decide whether information can be shared.
Rule 5. When in doubt, ask your instructors. It's okay to ask for help.
Another pair of eyes can be a good thing. You may even want to ask for help from other bloggers.
Rule 6. If you make a mistake, admit it and move on.
Blog posts can be updated and fixed.
Rule 7. Don't get too obsessed with commentors.
Your blog is your blog and commentrs do not a have a right to post comments on oyour blog. You may choose to close commenting altogether.
Rule 8. Don't get too obsessed with statistics.
Checking Statcounter every hour is not a good habit.
Rule 9. Don't rant
Life science companies tend to be on the careful side. If they hire you, you will represent the company. They're not going to want to hire someone who might be seen as a liability. Rant all you like in private, but keep it out of your professional persona.
Yes, there is always something wrong on the internet. Let it go. If you're not sure that a topic is appropriate, use the Grandmother test. If you wouldn't want your grandmother reading it, you wouldn't want a prospective employer reading it either.
Rule 10. Don't be too hard on yourself, but do pay some attention to spelling and punctuation.
Some employers obsess over punctuation, especially those who work in Quality Control or job areas where attention to detail is important. They won't fault you over every misspelling or forgotten word unless it looks like a pattern. It's a good thing to use the dictionary.
Readers - what rules would you suggest?