Blogging at ASTRO

Purpose

The ASTRO blog will allow educational topics to be discussed and shared throughout the membership. The development and structure of the blog will be developed and reviewed as changes in the blogosphere change and shape the way communication is performed in the virtual community.

Time

The following will outline how contributions can be made as a blogger.

1. One day per week per month for 12 months with a reasonable amount of trackbacks, or responses to questions and comments that have been approved through a mediated process. This process is one that has been defined by the lead blogger and approved by ASTRO.

2. One post every day for one week, once a month for 12 months with a reasonable amount of trackbacks. Trackbacks are defined as the response to a posting by a viewer. Author need only to post one response per post. If he or she deems it necessary to provide multiple trackbacks, then it will be at the discretion of the author. ASTRO will suggest to the author that all material be of an educational nature and all comments remain verifiable through a standard process of reference and research.

3. One month dedicated to a specific topic. The topic may be whatever the author chooses and must contain references for further research. A reasonable amount of trackbacks are required. The author will need to respond to questions or comments as well as developing the topic throughout the month. The ASTRO suggested process will be to have a four-part topic to which a different topic can be discussed each week. Objectives can be provided as they will allow blog followers to academically know and understand the basis for the topic.

Content

The content that is developed for the blog will need to follow basic guidelines. The primary reason for this is educational validity. The blog site is an educational forum that allows diplomates to discuss topics, opinions and other areas of educational interest in the field of radiation oncology.

Contact

If you are interested in blogging at ASTRO, please send a request for information to education@astro.org