Content Moderation Policy
Rate My Instructor is committed to maintaining a professional, constructive, and safe platform for nursing students. This policy outlines our content moderation standards and procedures.
Our Moderation Philosophy
We believe in fostering honest, constructive feedback while protecting the privacy, dignity, and professionalism of all parties involved. Our moderation system combines AI-powered pre-screening with human review to ensure content meets our community standards.
1Two-Tier Review System
Tier 1: AI-Powered Pre-Screening
All submitted reviews are immediately analyzed by our AI moderation system, which screens for:
- Personal Identifiers: Names, initials, contact information, or other identifying details of instructors, students, or patients
- Protected Health Information: Patient information, medical records, case details, or any HIPAA-protected data
- Toxic Content: Profanity, hate speech, harassment, threats, or discriminatory language
- Spam & Manipulation: Duplicate content, promotional material, or attempts to game the system
- Off-Topic Content: Reviews unrelated to clinical education experiences
Reviews flagged by AI are automatically held for human review and are not immediately published.
Tier 2: Human Review
Our trained moderation team reviews all submitted content, including:
- All Reviews: Every review undergoes human review within 24-48 hours of submission
- AI-Flagged Content: Priority review for content identified by our AI system
- User Reports: Community-reported content receives expedited review
- Appeals: Rejected reviews can be appealed and will receive secondary review
Human moderators have final authority on all content decisions and may override AI recommendations.
2Prohibited Content
Strictly Prohibited - Zero Tolerance
The following types of content will be immediately removed and may result in account suspension or permanent ban:
❌ Personal Identifiers
- Full names, partial names, or nicknames of instructors, instructors, students, or patients
- Contact information (phone numbers, email addresses, social media handles)
- Physical descriptions that could identify specific individuals
- Workplace locations beyond facility type (e.g., "3rd floor ICU" is prohibited; "ICU setting" is acceptable)
❌ Protected Health Information (PHI)
- Patient names, medical record numbers, or any identifiers
- Specific medical diagnoses, conditions, or treatment details
- Case descriptions that could identify patients
- Any information protected under HIPAA regulations
Note: General descriptions of clinical experiences without identifying information are acceptable (e.g., "worked with pediatric patients" is fine; "worked with a 5-year-old with leukemia" is not).
❌ Harassment & Abuse
- Threats, intimidation, or calls for violence
- Defamatory statements or false accusations
- Harassment based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability, or other protected characteristics
- Personal attacks unrelated to professional clinical education
- Bullying, stalking, or targeted harassment campaigns
❌ Inappropriate Content
- Profanity, vulgarity, or obscene language
- Sexually explicit content or innuendo
- Hate speech or discriminatory content
- Content that is deliberately inflammatory or intended to provoke
❌ Spam & Manipulation
- Multiple reviews of the same instructor (one review per rotation type allowed)
- Coordinated review campaigns or brigading
- Reviews written by or on behalf of someone other than the verified student
- Commercial content, advertising, or promotional material
- Deliberately false or misleading information
❌ Off-Topic & Irrelevant Content
- Reviews unrelated to clinical education experiences
- Personal grievances unrelated to instructorship quality
- Commentary on school policies, administration, or non-clinical matters
- Political or social commentary unrelated to clinical teaching
3Encouraged Content
What Makes a Great Review
We encourage constructive, professional feedback that helps fellow nursing students make informed decisions about their clinical placements.
✅ Professional & Constructive Feedback
- Specific examples of teaching methods and approaches
- Description of communication style and feedback quality
- Information about learning opportunities provided
- Balanced assessments including both strengths and areas for improvement
✅ Helpful Details About the Experience
- Clinical setting type (without specific identifying details)
- Rotation type and duration
- Level of autonomy and hands-on experience
- Types of procedures or skills practiced
- Workload and time management expectations
✅ Actionable Insights
- What to prepare before the rotation
- Study materials or resources that were helpful
- Tips for succeeding with this instructor's teaching style
- What types of students would thrive in this placement
4Review & Publication Timeline
Submission
Review is submitted and immediately enters AI screening
AI Screening (Instant)
Automated analysis for prohibited content and policy violations
Human Review (24-48 hours)
Trained moderators review for quality, accuracy, and compliance
Publication or Feedback
Approved reviews are published; rejected reviews receive explanation and appeal option
Priority Review: Community-flagged content and appeals receive expedited review, typically within 12-24 hours.
5Reporting Content & Appeals Process
Reporting Inappropriate Content
If you encounter content that violates our policies, you can report it by clicking the "Report" button on any review. Our moderation team will review all reports promptly.
What to include in your report:
- Specific policy violation (harassment, PHI, personal identifiers, etc.)
- Clear explanation of the issue
- Any relevant context that helps our team understand the concern
Note: False or malicious reports may result in action against your account. Please report only genuine policy violations.
Appeals Process
If your review was rejected and you believe it complies with our policies, you may appeal the decision:
- Review the rejection reason provided in your notification
- Contact us at support@ratemyinstructor.io with "Review Appeal" in the subject line
- Include your username, the rejected review text, and explanation of why it should be approved
- A senior moderator will review your appeal within 24-48 hours
Appeal decisions are final. Repeated appeals of the same content may result in restrictions.
6Enforcement Actions
Violations of our content policies may result in the following actions, depending on severity and frequency:
⚠️ Warning
First-time minor violations receive a warning with education about our policies
🚫 Content Removal
Reviews violating policies are removed with explanation provided
⏸️ Temporary Suspension
Repeated violations or moderate severity issues result in 7-30 day account suspension
🔒 Permanent Ban
Severe violations (harassment, PHI disclosure, coordinated abuse) result in permanent account termination
We reserve the right to take immediate action for serious violations without prior warning. Account restrictions may include loss of review privileges, directory access, or complete platform ban.
7Our Commitments to the Community
As stewards of this platform, we commit to:
- Fair & Consistent Application: Applying these policies equally to all users without bias
- Transparency: Providing clear explanations for moderation decisions
- Timely Review: Reviewing all content within stated timeframes
- Privacy Protection: Never disclosing reviewer identities or compromising anonymity
- Continuous Improvement: Regularly updating our policies and systems based on community feedback
- Responsive Support: Addressing questions, reports, and appeals professionally and promptly