DermNet's® Editorial Process

Mission statement

DermNet® is a not-for-profit, independent health publisher dedicated to making reliable, up-to-date information on the skin freely accessible to anyone. 

Trusted by millions of people from all over the world for authoritative information, it is our responsibility to ensure that we publish the highest quality content and present information without bias or agendas. 

• Unlike many other popular health publishers, we are not-for-profit and not owned by a corporation, or part of a publishing group. This allows us to maintain editorial independence.
• We are passionate about making information on dermatology accessible to all, thereby improving people’s health worldwide.
• Our website is built and maintained by medical professionals that all adhere to their professional code of ethics when writing for DermNet®; this includes putting patients first.
• We aim to consider various factors that may impact the quality of our content such as practicality, patient considerations, and geographic variability.
• We aim to effectively communicate unambiguous, authoritative information using appropriate language and format for our readers.

Please click here for more information on our values, goals, and the team.

Content development

DermNet® is created and maintained by dermatologists and healthcare professionals with expertise in skin conditions. We pride ourselves on carefully accepting only the highest calibre of medical professionals to write for us. We also review all articles and content internally before publishing. We have numerous checks along the way to ensure our high standards are consistently achieved.

Our editorial process aims to ensure our 2500+ existing pages are updated when required, and pages are created for new topics, in a timely manner. 

Our systematic content development process involves:

• Regular engagement with various sources such as new literature, expert dermatologist opinion, educational institutions, manufacturers' updates, and routine DermNet® page reviews catalyse the ongoing cycle of content updates and creation.
• Writers are subject to a strict selection process for topic assignment based on multiple factors including writing experience, practical professional experience, and interest.
• Content is created based on systematic reviews of the latest peer-reviewed literature, scientific knowledge, practical experience, and expert consensus.  
• Content undergoes multiple internal reviews including checks for facts, format, and readability, and checking DermNet® templates and processes are adhered to.
• The final content check is always completed by a DermNet-appointed dermatologist.

We do not publish any content created by artificial intelligence (AI) such as ChatGPT. Our content is written and researched by medical professionals and reviewed personally by our editorial team of dermatologists and medical writers who are involved in each step of the process.

If you have any questions, concerns, or other feedback on our content, please do not hesitate to get in touch.