FAQs for the MedIAN blog
Answers to some of the practical questions about posting to the blog
Each post you make will be linked to your MedIAN profile, so if someone sees your post they’ll see your profile, and vice versa. So the more you post to the website, the more chance others will have to see that your work and research interests align with theirs.
How much should I write?
Don’t worry about writing too little or too much. Start with the amount required to express your idea(s) or story. Once you actually start writing you will get more comfortable and find your voice soon enough.
What kind of images should I use?
Only use images you have taken or own. It is very important that you have permission to use the image in your blog. This means it’s either public domain, qualifies as fair use or is licensed by Creative Commons.
Be sure to attribute the image in your text. Always include a link if possible.
What size images should I use? And how should I format them?
Unless you want to use small images for a reason, it’s preferable to have images no less than 200 pixels wide and no greater than 750 pixels wide. You’ll have the option to include a lead image (appears at the top of the post) and a secondary image (appears at the bottom). Don’t forget to add captions.
Your lead image will be resized to fit in the little windows on the homepage and the blog list – so try and make sure the eye-catching content is located in the middle of the image!
Can I post something here that I have already published?
Yes, for the most part. It’s fine to repackage a blog post you wrote from your own site. But please include the entire post. Make sure you include a link to the original source in the ‘Previously published’ field. However, any truncated blog posts leading back to another site will not be approved (see below).
Why wasn’t my post approved?
There are a few reasons that this happens, almost always one of the following:
- It’s not on topic.
- There is no picture, image, or video. Blogs should have something visual to pull a reader in.
- It was a job, event, or collaboration call. If your ‘blog’ is one of these, post, we’ll let you know and you can re-post in the right place.
- It’s a truncated post leading our community to another site. Although we really want to know what you’re doing, please don’t use the MedIAN blog to drive traffic to your own personal site. This is considered spam.
- Lack of detail. You really want to share what you’re working on or making, that’s great! But please include details.
What else should I know about posting a blog?
- Always give credit where credit is due.
- Keep in mind that what you post here is public.
- Department administrators can join MedIAN to post content, but their profiles are kept private. This might be good for any announcement posts from your institution.
What shouldn’t I do when posting to the blog?
- The usual: don’t share personal information (address, phone number, etc), inappropriate or illegal content.
- Use images that you do not have permission to use.
- Share or claim content or intellectual property that isn’t yours to post.
- Post long rants or personal attacks directed at the community or members, these will be deleted.
- Off topic or spam posts will be deleted at the discretion of the MedIAN moderators.
Finding collaborators can be tricky, but the more you post to the website, the more chance others will have to see if your work and research interests align with theirs.
Fancy having a go at posting to the MedIAN blog? Sign up or log in first, then just start your post!