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Information, news and frequently asked questions about ProZ.com

Articles Knowledgebase

1 What is the ProZ.com "Articles Knowledgebase"?
2 What are knowledgebase "contributions"?
3 What is a "recommendation" bar shown with some articles?
4 What does "add article to favorites" mean?
5 What authors are included in the "featured authors" lists?
6 How are "popular authors" and "popular articles" selected?
7 What is the copyright policy for these articles?
8 I notice some articles in the knowledgebase that have come from other sites. Why is that?
9 How can I submit an article? What are the submission guidelines?
10 Why would I want to submit an article?
11 How can I edit my article?
12 I would like to edit my article, but I do not have a ProZ.com account.
13 I have a ProZ.com profile, but I still can not edit my article. How do I get the article linked to my profile?
14 What is a call for articles?
15 Can I suggest a topic for an article I would like to see written, or make my own call for articles?
16 I found an article that I would like to see put in the knowledgebase. How can it be added?
17 Can non members read/search/contribute articles?
18 What benefits are there for site members in the articles section?
19 What happened to the old "Howtos" section?
20 Can I publish an article containing pictures?


1. What is the ProZ.com "Articles Knowledgebase"?

The Article Knowledgebase (http://www.proz.com/translation-articles) is an online collection of articles and related knowledge on topics of interest to translators, interpreters, and other language professionals. Many of these articles have been written by ProZ.com members.

2. What are knowledgebase "contributions"?

At the bottom of each article a series of knowledgebase contributions may appear. These contributions are additions, clarifications, or suggestions related to the topic of the article made by other ProZ.com members. Members with relevant information to add to an article are encouraged to make such contributions by clicking "Contribute to the knowledgebase" at the bottom of the article.

3. What is a "recommendation" bar shown with some articles?

After reading an article, ProZ.com members are presented with a form allowing them to recommend whether other translators should take the time to read that article. The recommendation bar shown with an article is an average of all members' recommendations. 5 bars indicates members thought the article was well worth reading, while 1 bar indicates that members definitely would not recommend the article to others.

The most highly recommended articles are shown in the "recommended articles" section of the right sidebar.

4. What does "add article to favorites" mean?

In the "article options" section of the right sidebar, there is an option to add the article you are reading to your list of favorites. Your favorite articles will be listed in a "favorite articles" section of the right sidebar, for easy reference in the future.

5. What authors are included in the "featured authors" lists?

The featured authors lists include authors who have assigned copyright for at least one article to ProZ.com (see the copyright policy FAQ for more information). This list also includes authors of articles originally published elsewhere who have granted ProZ.com the right to republish their work.

6. How are "popular authors" and "popular articles" selected?

The list of popular authors and articles in the right sidebar are automatically determined based on a number of criteria, including how highly recommended the articles are, how frequently articles have been read, and how many people have added the articles to their list of favorites.

7. What is the copyright policy for these articles?

The copyright for articles published at ProZ.com vary from one article to another. A copyright notice appears at the bottom of each article identifying the copyright holder. In all cases, articles may not be republished by third parties without the permission of ProZ.com and the copyright owners.

Authors of content published initially to the ProZ.com articles section have two copyright options: they may assign copyright exclusively to ProZ.com, in which case they will benefit from a set of promotional features, or alternatively, they may retain the right to publish the article elsewhere, in which case a minimal level of promotion will be provided. The full promotional package includes an "author box" with the body of the article, a listing among the featured authors, awarding of browniz points (which can be redeemed for a discount on membership), and, for ProZ.com members, rotation among featured articles on the ProZ.com home page. The minimal promotional package includes attribution and a link at the bottom of articles. More details are available on the article submission form.

Note: The copyright options were added upon the creation of the articles section. Those who submitted Howtos previously will receive the higher level of promotion without a need to assign exclusive copyright to ProZ.com.

ProZ.com has obtained permission from other publications to republish some of their articles. When an article has been republished, an appropriate notice is included at the bottom of the article.

8. I notice some articles in the knowledgebase that have come from other sites. Why is that?

ProZ.com has made arrangements to republish articles (about 80) from two sites - Accurpaid's Translation Journal - http://www.accurapid.com/journal - and the LISA's "Globalization Insider" - http://www.lisa.org/globalizationinsider/ The permission of each author has also been obtained.

9. How can I submit an article? What are the submission guidelines?

Please refer to the submission guidelines for information about submitting an article.

10. Why would I want to submit an article?

Writing a ProZ.com translation article is a way to share your expertise and to promote yourself in your subject area. It helps you stand out from the competition, and to get noticed as an expert in your field. Additionally, by publishing at ProZ.com you will benefit from the exchange of knowledge with other specialists, as they contribute comments and suggestions related to your article.

11. How can I edit my article?

Articles that you have written can be edited by clicking the "Edit article" link in the "Article Options" area of the right sidebar when viewing your article. Please note that you must be logged in to your ProZ.com account in order to edit your articles.

After editing your article, your article will become invisible to other viewers until it has been reviewed by an editor or site staff.

12. I would like to edit my article, but I do not have a ProZ.com account.

Please create a ProZ.com account by registering (for free). Then, enter a support request asking us to link your article to your new profile. Once the article has been linked to your new account, you will be able to log in and edit it.

13. I have a ProZ.com profile, but I still can not edit my article. How do I get the article linked to my profile?

If the article does not link to your profile, this indicates that we have not established the connection between the article and your profile. Please send a support request with your username and/or profile link so that we can establish the connection between the article and your profile. Note that once this connection is made, the name and photo shown with the article will be the ones you use in your profile.

14. What is a call for articles?

The call for articles page lists topics for articles that are sought by ProZ.com members, moderators, or staff. If you have special knowledge or expertise in any of the areas listed, please consider submitting an article.

15. Can I suggest a topic for an article I would like to see written, or make my own call for articles?

If you are unable to find an article that you are looking for on a given topic, you can suggest that an article be written. First browse through the category in which you expected to find the article. If the article is not there, click "Suggest a topic for an article in this category" at the bottom of the article listing. Enter the suggested topic for the article, and some notes about what the article should contain. Moderators or site staff will review your suggestion for addition to the call for articles page.

16. I found an article that I would like to see put in the knowledgebase. How can it be added?

If you come across an article that you think belongs in the Articles Knowledgebase, you can either suggest to the author that he/she consider publishing here, or, you can enter a support request suggesting that a ProZ.com staff member contact the author to obtain permission.

If you think there is a type of article that the knowledgebase needs, but does not exist elsewhere, please submit the topic for possible addition to the "Call for Articles".

17. Can non members read/search/contribute articles?

Non member users are welcome to contribute articles, and to read and search most articles. However, in the future some premium articles may be restricted to site members only.

18. What benefits are there for site members in the articles section?

Site members have access to read all articles (including future premium articles), and gain promotion by contributing to the article knowledge base. Featured authors who are site members will also be rotated in a "featured article" box on the ProZ.com home page.

19. What happened to the old "Howtos" section?

The old "Howtos" area has been subsumed by the articles area. Many of the former HOWTOs that had already been vetted have been converted to appear as "articles" in the new section. If you wrote a HOWTO that was not vetted, or does not appear in the articles section, you may request that it be moved over by entering a support request.

20. Can I publish an article containing pictures?

Currently it is not possible to upload images with an article. For the time, the article has to be plain text only.