Author agreement for First Opinion contributors

(Note: You can download an editable Word document of the agreement here.)

First Opinion Terms of Agreement

First Opinion is STAT’s opinion/perspective platform. It publishes original, high-quality content developed by individuals with unique academic, industry, or personal experiences and perspectives. In writing for First Opinion, you agree that:

1. You (and any co-authors who sign First Opinion Terms of Agreement related to this article) are the sole creator(s) of the article, which you have created for STAT. No other person or organization has any copyright or other intellectual property claim relating to the article.
2. The content is not libelous or defamatory.
3. Your submission may be edited for style, space, and clarity. We will share edits with you before publication, but reserve the right to correct errors or edit for clarity after publication. STAT reserves the right to create the headline, which has implications for search engine optimization.
4. If you become aware of an error after the article is published, you will alert STAT and provide a correction as soon as possible.
5. You freely consent to the display and publication of your article on www.statnews.com and for related online and offline promotional uses. It may also be published in The Boston Globe.
6. The article will be the property of STAT. STAT’s rights include the exclusive right to own and register the copyright of the article in the name of STAT. This makes it easier for STAT to pursue a cease-and-desist order if one or more third parties republish your article without permission. Pursuant to this agreement, you may use your article anywhere in the world, in print and online via channels you control or own, but may not resell or sublicense the article without STAT’s permission. Notwithstanding the rights granted herein, you agree not to republish the article anywhere for 5 days following its publication by STAT.
7. First Opinion articles, like other STAT content, are open for reader comments (covered by STAT’s comment policy). First Opinion authors are invited, even encouraged, to respond to those comments, but are not required to do so.

Conflicts of interest/financial disclosures

STAT takes conflicts of interest seriously and requires full disclosure. Please answer the questions below. Note that answering “yes” does not automatically disqualify you from contributing to First Opinion; we will review your disclosures and discuss them with you before making any decision.

Were you asked by an organization, company, or public relations firm to write this article, or did you receive media training from such a company in preparation for writing it?  YES  or  NO

If yes, please explain:

Did you get any assistance in writing this article, such as talking points or editing help?   YES  or  NO

If yes, please explain:

Did you receive compensation of any sort for writing this article? YES  or  NO

If yes, please explain:

Please list all financial disclosures. These include payments, grants, stock options, travel reimbursements, speaking fees, and honoraria received in the past three years from any company or organization that is referenced in the article or stands to benefit from this article’s publication. Compensation for serving as an expert witness must also be disclosed.

List here (or send your prepared disclosure statement as an attachment):

Do you belong to, work for, or volunteer for an organization or company that is referenced in the article or stands to benefit from the article’s publication? YES  or  NO

If yes, please explain:

Do you have any other conflicts to declare?

If yes, please explain:

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Signature

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Date

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Email address (for correspondence only)

Please save this as a Word file, PDF, or Google doc, append your initials to the filename, and send it to [email protected]