Information+policies


 * Workshop / Topics arising / Information policies for wikis**

Graham Robertson on Information Policies
Within the ‘Barriers to entry’ breakout session at the Brunel workshop, Graham Robertson drew attention to Liz Orna’s work on [|Practical Information Policies], (see also a [|review of that book] by Roy Johnson of Mantex) — and he encouraged the group to consider creating an appropriate information policy for this Wiki.

As an example, Graham described the information guidelines that were established for the Aslib IRM Network (now operating as [|NetIKX]), which came in to existence in 1992 and of which Liz was an early member. The original information guidelines for the Aslib IRM Network, instituted in 1993, were as follows:

//Preamble: The open exchange of information and knowledge about information resources management (IRM) is central to the purpose of the Aslib IRM Network. The following guidelines set out the parameters which should be observed.//
 * 1) When requesting information on behalf of the Network, it is important to stress that the information provided may be made public. Any restrictions stipulated by the providers will be respected.
 * 2) While care is taken to ensure that information is accurate, the Network will not accept any liablity for any errors or omissions in the information provided.
 * 3) Existing copyright and ownership rights must be declared and will be respected.
 * 4) In the absence of such a declaration, Aslib retains the right to apply its own copyright

Graham adds: To my knowledge, these guidelines were certainly in place until the Network (by then called KimNet) parted company with Aslib and established itself independently as NetIKX. It may therefore be appropriate for KIDMM to discuss and evolve a similar statement around information provison and content within this WiKi, although KIDMMites may wish to supplement or recraft these ideas in some way, or indeed take a different viewpoint in item 4 in particular.

(Postcript: From a different angle and illustrating a more personal type of statement, it may also be useful to have a look at Derek Wenmoth's (also present at the workshop) statement of disclosure, which can be found in his [|blog] under the "About Derek" tab, based on principles proposed in www.disclosurepolicy.org)