Content Updating Policy

ConnecticutHistory.org Content Updating Policy

Last Updated: November 8, 2023

ConnecticutHistory.org, a project of Connecticut Humanities, is a state public history resource written for a diverse set of readers, ranging from students to educators to history enthusiasts. We provide engaging, well-researched stories about Connecticut history that link to reliable primary and interpretive resources. Our goal is to encourage readers to engage with the institutions, archives, museums, and communities that hold and interpret the materials that explore the diversity of Connecticut’s history.

ConnecticutHistory.org understands that terms, language, conventions, and ideas change over time. As a trusted digital educational resource for Connecticut history, ConnecticutHistory.org must remain dynamic and responsive to change to stay relevant and useful. As with many digital projects—including other state history encyclopedias—this requires periodic updates to content.

In accordance with our contracts with content producers, Connecticut Humanities (“CT Humanities” or “CTH”) holds the copyright for content produced for ConnecticutHistory.org and may, when necessary, make changes or additions to the work(s) without attribution to the original author. In these instances, ConnecticutHistory.org strives to model best ethical practices in regard to digital scholarship and transparency.

Minor updates, such as updating outdated language and terms, will be performed periodically by CTH staff; often without author consultation. In rare instances, more significant updates (ones that affect the core ideas, scholarship, or premise of the content) may be required. These updates will undergo a more collaborative updating process that includes author consultation. CTH staff will consult the discipline’s best practices and scholarship to ensure continuity and consistency.

Minor Updates

Minor updates can include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Outdated language
• Offensive terminology
• Updates to an author’s bio line
• Addition or removal of sources or links
• Fixing typos or small inaccuracies
• Grammatical or stylistic edits

CTH staff will routinely review published articles for needed minor updates. Author consultation may or may not be requested.

Significant Updates

Significant updates can include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Updates that affect the core ideas, scholarship, or premise of the content
• Rewriting sections or the entire article
• Large inaccuracies that affect the accuracy of the article

CTH staff will routinely review published articles for needed updates. If able to be reached, the original author will be given first chance to rewrite or update their article. If the original author is unreachable, deceased, or no longer appropriate for the given project, a new writer may be contracted to rewrite content where appropriate.

Originally Published on Different Platform

Some content was originally published on a different platform and later republished on ConnecticutHistory.org with permission. Unlike articles that originate on ConnecticutHistory.org, CTH does not own the copyright to articles originally published elsewhere and will not edit said content.

To make the reader aware of this policy, content originally published on a different platform will be accompanied with the following: “Note: ConnecticutHistory.org does not edit content originally published on another platform and therefore does not update any instances of outdated content or language.”

While CTH will not edit content originally published on a different platform, they will still be routinely reviewed. If reviewers determine that an article is no longer accurate, the article will be removed from ConnecticutHistory.org.

Transparency

To reflect any changes to the original article, updated articles will have a “Last Updated” date in addition to their original publication date. Any significant changes made to an article by the author will be accompanied by an updated list of bibliographic references to support the proposed changes.

Note: Many of ConnecticutHistory.org’s older articles have lost their original publication dates and will only have a “Last Updated” date.