Public review · Phase 5
Open consultations
Candidate dictionary entries pass through a formal public-review window before release. Anyone can comment; the working group must respond on the record.
The public-review window is the editorial protocol's check against an in-group consensus that does not match practice on the ground. Once a working group has drafted a candidate entry — a new term, a revised definition, a deprecation — the entry is published in a formal consultation window. Anyone with an interest can comment. The working group must address comments on the record before the entry can be released.
The pattern
- Window length. Typically four weeks. Longer for substantive revisions; never less than three.
- Comment form. Plain English, structured against the entry. Comments are attributed and public; anonymous comments are not accepted, but the comment thread is available without registration.
- Response obligation. The working group must respond to every substantive comment. The response is published alongside the original.
- Outcome. The entry proceeds to release unchanged, proceeds with revisions documented in the change log, or returns to the working group for further work.
Why we run it this way
The model draws on the standards-development conventions used by NISO standards committees and the public-comment processes of major editorial bodies including ICMJE. A community-stewarded standard that does not consult publicly will, over time, drift away from the practice it claims to describe. The window is not a formality.
Current consultations
None open
There are no open consultations at this time. The first public-review windows open with the v2026.2 release cycle, once the working groups have produced their initial candidate-entry batches.
What you can do now
- Subscribe to the quarterly newsletter so you hear about consultation windows as they open.
- Read the existing dictionary at /dictionary/browse. Comments are most useful when the commenter understands the surrounding vocabulary.
- Consider joining a working group if you want to shape candidate entries before they reach public review.
- Read the editorial protocol at /dictionary/about to understand how comments are handled.
If you want to be notified
Open consultations are announced in the quarterly newsletter and on the working-group updates page. There is no separate consultation list — the editorial board prefers to keep the channel count low.
