1. Non-commercial Boundary
- Contributor commentary must not function as consulting, sales, or vendor marketing.
- No paid endorsements, rankings, or vendor positioning under the QIST umbrella.
- Commercial relationships must be disclosed plainly and prominently.
2. Disclosure Requirements
Contributors must disclose conflicts that could reasonably be perceived as affecting objectivity:
- Financial interests (funding, equity, paid roles)
- Relevant institutional or employer affiliations
- Consulting relationships in the topic domain
- Board or advisory positions related to the subject
3. Required Footer Language
Contributors MUST include a footer statement equivalent to:
“Contributor Commentary — Non-normative / Non-authoritative. The author speaks for themselves and does not represent QIST Foundation. Conflicts of interest are disclosed below.”
4. Editorial Checks
- Presence and clarity of disclosures
- Absence of endorsement or certification language
- Clear attribution and references to published artifact IDs
5. Status
This standard is informational and pre-standard; it does not certify implementations, mandate compliance, or assert regulatory authority.