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GUIDANCE CRITERIA FOR PROPOSED SUBMISSIONS TO THE INFORMATION CENTER

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  • GUIDANCE CRITERIA FOR PROPOSED SUBMISSIONS TO THE INFORMATION CENTER

    GUIDANCE CRITERIA FOR PROPOSED SUBMISSIONS TO THE INFORMATION CENTER


    As a general principle, proposed submissions should aspire to:
    • Have an intuitive (and correctly spelled) title which is self-explanatory to anyone searching for information
    • Be on-topic, not rambling, or padded out with non-relevant story-telling
    • Cover frequently asked questions and mainstream topics, not obscure areas of limited interest
    • Have longer-term value beyond amusement or entertainment
    • Present factual or scholarly knowledge, not anecdotal or unverified information
    • Be generally accepted, not speculative or disputed (unless presented as respectable theory)
    • Be neutral or balanced, not self-promoting or opinionated (unless presented as original thought)
    • Be specific and detailed, not general and vague
    • Be clear and provide relevant references, not ambiguous and unattributed
    • Be respectful of copyright and credit to original sources



    An entry should ideally fulfil one or more of the following criteria:
    • Assists identification (eg describes artifacts of a particular group, type or region and provides images showing classic examples or features, distribution maps etc).
    • Assists identification of fakes, reproductions and non-artifacts (eg provides details of known modern items and origins thereof, or gives details of discriminatory tests that can be employed, or debunks pseudo-artifacts, or describes and illustrates typical examples of things mistakenly believed to be artifacts).
    • Provides background information (eg brings an artifact type or group to life by giving the cultural story behind it and the usage to which it was put, or how it was made and from what – also encompassing helpful pictorial information or maps concerning identification of lithic types and where they were sourced).
    • Explains terminology (eg gives a detailed understanding of the technical language of the artifact world via useful glossaries or descriptions and illustrations).
    • Condenses complex concepts down to essential details (eg by summarising current knowledge on a particular topic into a readily digestible form).
    • Assists hunting and collection of artifacts (eg gives specific locations or detailed information about finding good sites - where and how to look, or sound advice for those who purchase artifacts).
    • Helps give our hobby a good name (eg providing solid information on ethical considerations, good practice and the legal aspects of collecting, buying, selling or owning artifacts – both at national level and by State).
    • Gives insight to a culture (eg informs about native beliefs, practices, technologies or lifestyles).
    • Provides information about the people themselves (eg published theories with factual evidence - whether archaeological or genetic - concerning the population of the Americas, chronologies, native migratory and occupation patterns, relationships and interactions with other populations etc).
    • … or – in any of the above cases - provides a link to other expert sources for such information with an explanation of where the link leads.



    Please note that simply posting some nice pictures, or a Wikipedia link here generally does not help us to improve our educational content... unless what you are providing is informatively described and can be used to expand a topic that already exists in the Information Center, or inspire us to create a new topic to contain the information.
    I keep six honest serving-men (they taught me all I knew); Their names are What and Why and When and How and Where and Who.
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