Standards and Guidelines

All Web Platform sites are required to adhere to the following standards. These requirements are regularly reviewed and any major changes will be promptly communicated to site owners.

1. General: All Web Platform sites are to be used for publicly facing communication. The Web Platform should not be used as an intranet site.
    
2. Site Updates: All Web Platform sites should anticipate allocating a minimum of 15 hours a month to maintain and update content.
   1. Content on sites must be updated and reviewed regularly for accuracy.
       
3. Site Owners: All sites must have a site owner who is a FTE employee of UCLA.
    
4. Site Access
   1. New Users – All users needing the ability to edit pages must attend the two introductory courses to gain access.
   2. Site Owner – Any user needing Site Owner access must attend the two introductory courses as well as additional training provided by the Web Platform Owners.
   3. Web Platform Owners – Will retain access to your site and will login to your site periodically for verification and site maintenance.
   4. Sustaining Access –  Regular login activity within a 12-month period is required from all users for each site they have been granted access to. To regain access, users must submit a Support Request which will then be reviewed and approved by site owners.
       
5. Communication: The Web Platform will communicate with users occasionally.
   1. All users must have and use an email ending in one of the following domains:
      1. @mednet.ucla.edu
      2. @sonnet.ucla.edu
      3. @dentistry.ucla.edu
   2. The emails provided with the above listed domains are the method the Web Platform will use for all communications.
   3. All users agree to receive periodic emails from the Web Platform.
       
6. Compliance with Regulations: All sites must adhere to relevant regulations, including those set forth by UC, UCLA, UCLA Health and DGSOM.
    
7. Branding: All sites must meet UCLA and UCLA Health guidelines related to branding and marketing.
    
8. Security and Privacy:
   1. No site may install or place anything on a Web Platform site for the purpose of capturing data.
   2. Users are not allowed to add any CSS or unapproved HTML on the Web Platform.
       
9. Compliance and Data Protection Guidelines:
   1. Responsibility: All site owners and users must ensure compliance with safeguards to protect restricted and organizational data, including adherence to HS 9401 regulations regarding PHI and PII. Site owners and users must not expose or capture any Protected Health Information (PHI), Personally Identifiable Information (PII), or other confidential information on the Web Platform.
   2. Safeguards: Reasonable safeguards must be employed at all times to prevent unauthorized disclosure of confidential information and to minimize incidental disclosures of PHI and PII.  All Web Platform users must follow the "Minimum Necessary" policies for handling sensitive data in accordance with HS 9401.
   3. Redaction: Site owners and users are responsible for properly redacting content on the Web Platform in compliance with HS 9401 regulations regarding PHI and PII. Users must adhere to all guidelines, including the Minimum Necessary policies and Safeguards to Protect PHI and PII policies. 
   4. Restricted Information (RI): No user shall disseminate or capture any RI information on the Web Platform and must follow UC Policy IS-3.
       
10. Web Platform Audience:
    1. The Web Platform is provided to David Geffen School of Medicine, the School of Nursing, the School of Dentistry, and UHIT. The Web Platform is only for public-facing material.
    2. Content intended for an internal audience or containing sensitive data cannot be posted on the Web Platform. Please use, or request, a Mednet site for this type of content.
    3. The Web Platform may not be used for clinical information. If you need to highlight clinical-based information, please submit a request to UCLA Health Marketing.
        
11. Accessibility: Websites must be accessible to individuals with disabilities, following WCAG 2.0 Guidelines (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) and standards to ensure inclusivity.
    1. All components provided by the Web Platform will be accessible.
    2.  All sites will do the following:
       1. Provide proper alt text when adding images. 
       2. An image with text as the main message cannot be added to a Web Platform site (no flyers, QR codes or the like).
       3. Add captions to all videos and verify their accuracy.
       4. Upload only remediated PDF documents.
           
12. Content Accuracy and Integrity: Information presented on a Web Platform site must be accurate, up-to-date, and evidence-based, reflecting the high standards of medical education and research.
    1. All links to external sites will be to current and appropriate information.
    2. Links may not point to sites like the internet archive as they are a historical record and may be outdated.
    3. The Web Platform may not be used as an archive or historical archive. 
        
13. Site Structure and Navigation
    1. Page Placement: All pages must be organized within the site’s defined structure.
    2. Exceptions: Any page not included in the site structure must demonstrate a clear business need and receive approval from the Web Platform Team.
    3. Navigation Requirements: All pages must either be included in the main menu of the site or have a left-hand menu at the top of the page if the pages are not part of the main navigation menu.
        
14. URL Redirects 
    1. Support and Maintenance: All URLs and redirects are supported by the Web Platform for one year from the date your site goes live. During this period, the Web Platform Team will address any broken redirects. Reports of broken URLs will be reviewed, and fixes will be attempted within two full business days.
    2. Responsibility After One Year: Site administrators are responsible for managing and maintaining all URL redirects after the initial one-year support period.
    3. URL Redirect Strategy: The Web Platform Team will develop a redirect strategy for sites migrating to the platform. The level of service will depend on the site size:
       1. Small Sites: Redirects will be configured to point to the homepage. A small site is defined as one where all child pages link to the homepage.
       2. Medium Sites: A URL redirect strategy will be provided based on an organic research document. Up to 100 URL redirects will be implemented. A medium site is defined as any non-departmental site not classified as a small site.Large Sites: A custom report with a URL redirect strategy will be created. The Web Platform Team will develop a tailored redirect strategy specific to each large sit
           
15. Copyright
    1. All content posted on the Web Platform must fall into one of the following three categories:
       1. UCLA is the copyright holder.
       2. UCLA must have explicit permission from the copyright holder to post on an external-facing website.
       3. You have a Creative Commons license to use the content.
    2. You may not add content that you searched for on the internet and are adding to your site. You must have permission from the copyright holder.
    3. All users adding content to the Web Platform must adhere to the HS 9451 policy.
        
16. User Experience (UX): Websites should provide an intuitive and user-friendly experience, facilitating easy navigation and efficient access to relevant resources for students, faculty, staff, researchers, and patients.
    1. All links within the site structure must go to a physical page. Sites may not use "<nolink>" in place of a physical site URL.
        
17. Audits – The Web Platform Owners will periodically review all sites.
     
18. Errors, Inconsistencies – If an issue is discovered, the Web Platform Owners will notify Site Owners of the issue.
    1. Minor Issues – If a minor issue is discovered on your site, the Web Platform Owners will notify the Site Owners who must rectify the problem as soon as practically possible.
    2. Moderate Issues – If a moderate issue is discovered on your site, the Web Platform Owners will notify the Site Owners who must rectify the problem within five business days.
    3. Major Issues – If a major issue is discovered on your site, the Web Platform Owners will correct the issue immediately if possible. If this is not possible, the page(s) or site will be unpublished until such time as it can be fixed.
        
19. Resources: No Web Platform site may knowingly use Web Platform resources on other sites that will adversely affect the Web Platform.
     
20. Documents: Only remediated PDF documents are allowed on Web Platform sites.  
     

21. Images: Only the following image types are allowed and supported on the Web Platform. Any other image type is not supported and is not allowed on the Web Platform.

    1. PNG – Supported on all content types
    2. WEBP – Supported on all content types
    3. JPEG – Supported on all content types

    Note: Website Administrators cannot add images to your site. Site editors are responsible for verifying that they comply with HS 9401 regulations regarding PHI and PII.
     

22. SVG – Only supported in the header and footer of your site as part of a logo.  All logos must meet UCLA and UCLA Health guidelines related to branding and marketing as per point 7 of this document.  Note: Website Administrators cannot add images to your site. Site editors are responsible for verifying that they comply with HS 9401 regulations regarding PHI and PII.
     

23. Variances: Any site needing variances must submit a Support Request and work with the Web Platform Owners who will assess and work with site owners to accommodate their request when possible.