Onco'Zine, The International Cancer Blog - and its publisher, Sunvalley Communication, is committed to delivering the highest editorial and ethical standards in the provision of its programs and services both in North America and around the world.
Our Editorial Guidelines are a statement of the values and standards we have set for ourselves over the years. They also codufy the good practices we expect from creators and makers of all our content, whether it is made by our internal staff or by an independent company or contractor working for Onco'Zine, The International Cancer Blog and/or Sunvalley Communication.
Sunvalley Communication's objective in publishing Onco'Zine - The International Cancer Blog is to publish and distribute relevant and independent non-promotional medical content that is accurate and within the meaning of relevant Food and Drug Administration (FDA) interpretations and European Medical Evaluation Authority (EMEA) guidelines.
Evidence-based content
The content we provide includes results or information about leading clinical research and other medical and scientific information. Sunvally Communication is committed to providing evidence-based content that is relevant, balanced, objective and informative.
Sunvalley Communication employs a staff of medical writers and editors who are responsible for the development and selection of content for Onco'Zine, The International Cancer Blog. The material we create may also be written by physicians, other health care professionals or contract medical writers.
Disclosure of affiliation and financial interests
Before assigning any writer, Sunvally Communication requires that all authors disclose any financial interests and affiliations that may influence, or have the appearance of influencing, the content they provide. If we determine that a potential, perceived or real, conflict of interest (may) exists, we require a public disclosure in connection with the content they produce, either in our print publications or on our Web sites. This requirement is also applicable to those who serve on our editorial- and/or advisory board(s).
Licensed & Unlicensed Indications
In all of the content Sunvalley Communications produces, both in print and electronically, we will discloses when the content discusses products or indications that have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration and/or the European Medical Evaluation Authority (EMEA). A discussion of unapproved usage is intended solely for the purpose of informing readers about the progress of clinical research. It is not intended to promote or endorse the use of any products manufactured, distributed or marketed by any pharmaceutical manufacturer.
Sunvalley Communication maintains sole discretion to determine the information and/or content provided in its publications or on its Web sites. Sources for our content may include news and information provided by professional medical associations, medical schools/universities, medical publishers, government agencies, not-for-profit organizations and for-profit companies that provide news and information about medical and scientific research and/or other relevant information.
Sponsorship
Under no circumstances will Sunvalley Communication's acceptance of any sponsorship or advertising on its Web site or in its publications be considered an endorsement of the Sponsor's product(s) and/or service(s). Accordingly, Sunvalley Communication has entered into and executed independence agreements with its underwriting Sponsors. These agreements are intended to ensure that Sponsors exercise no editorial control over any Sunvalley Communication publication or any content on its Web sites, and that those publications and Web content spaces remain independent, according to relevant Food and Drug Administration (FDA) interpretations and/or European Medical Evaluation Authority (EMEA) guidelines .
Sunvalley Communication and each Sponsor agrees that Sunvalley Communication's publications, available both in print and electronically, will not be used as a forum to advertise or promote the Sponsor's products. Sunvalley Communication prominently discloses the identities of all Sponsors underwriting the costs of Sunvalley Communication publications or Web content in the relevant space.
For medical and scientific conferences and congresses, Sunvalley Communication develops the scope of its coverage based on its knowledge of specific therapeutic areas, the information needs of physician or medical specialist readers as determined by surveys and direct communications and limited but non-binding suggestions from the Sponsor.
Sunvalley Communication coverage includes research on select disease state(s), published literature and scientific presentations, which may occasionally include research funded by the Sponsor and presented at the conference. Sunvalley Communication retains the right to cover any symposia within the defined therapeutic area. The majority of content covered by Sunvalley Communication is not presented by the Sponsor.
Sunvalley Communication maintains a strict independent editorial board separate and distinct from any business staff, which seeks Sponsor funding. Non of our medical writers will be asked to provide favored treatment to a particular Sponsor.
Editorial Process
Articles or contributions submitted to the Editor for inclusion in any of Sunvalley Communication's print or online publication(s) will typically be sent to two independent referees. The Editor will undertake to ensure that both author and referee remain anonymous. The referee will be asked to provide comments on the scholarly quality of the content of the article or contribution, and on its suitability for publication. If necessary, they will be asked to recommend revisions required to make the article or contribution acceptable for publication. The Editor will then forward these comments to the author.
Once the author has addressed these comments, they will submit an electronic version of the final article or contribution. This will be reviewed by the Editorial Assistant for stylistic consistency before published online at Onco'Zine, The International Cancer Blog.