Recognized contributors | Music Lineage

What recognition is for

Recognition applies to editorial work on the encyclopedia. It is assessed against four criteria, and there is one designation: no levels, no ranking, nothing to advance through.

Accuracy — every statement traces to a source that a reader can open and check without asking anyone for access.
Substance — the contribution adds or corrects something the encyclopedia did not already record.
Continuity — recognition reflects a body of accepted work rather than a single submission.
Care in biographies of living people — material about living musicians stays within their professional activity and within what they have made public themselves.

What counts as a contribution

The categories below name the kinds of work the encyclopedia needs. They stand side by side: none ranks above another, and work in one counts for as much as work in any other.

Sources: A citation to a published book, an archive holding, a conservatory record, a concert programme or a catalogue that supports a statement — one already on the site, or one added together with it.
Connections: A documented teacher → student relationship, with evidence that names both people and, where it exists, the years of study and the institution.
Translations: A biography or article rendered into English, Russian or Ukrainian by someone who reads the source language, with proper names checked against reference works.
Archival photographs: A photograph with a stated origin and a clear rights position: public domain, permission from the holding institution, or the contributor's own work.
Corrections: A demonstrated error in a date, a name, an attribution or a connection, sent together with the evidence for what the record should say instead.

A contribution counts only when its source is publicly verifiable: a reader who does not know the contributor must be able to reach the same conclusion from the same evidence.

Submitting a contribution

Contributions arrive by email or through the contact form. Each statement should come with the source it rests on — a scan, a photograph of a page, a catalogue entry or a link. No account is needed.

Submit a contribution

Submissions are reviewed as they arrive. Intake stays open and is not tied to a season or a deadline.

How decisions are made

Decisions are made by the editor of Music Lineage. Each submission is read together with the sources given, checked where those sources can be reached, and then published, returned with questions, or declined.

Review normally takes two to three weeks. A reply is sent in every case, including a decline.

Submissions are declined, most often because a source cannot be checked or because the record already holds the fact. This happens; it is not a judgement of the person.

Term

Recognition lasts one year and may be renewed on the basis of contributions made over the preceding twelve months. Non-renewal is quiet: the entry moves to the archive and nothing is announced. A credit line on a record is not tied to the term and stays when the term ends; it can be removed or made anonymous at the contributor's request.

What recognition consists of

A named credit line on every record the contributor worked on, linking to the contributor page.
A contributor page listing that work, with a stable address suitable for citation.
One poster from the site's own digital products, chosen by the contributor and delivered as a download link.
A written acknowledgement of the work, signed by the editor, in a form that can be printed.

What is expected in return

Contributions are the contributor's own work, or carry attribution to whoever made them.
Sources are named precisely enough for another person to find the same page.
Corrections to published work are welcome, and disagreements are settled by evidence rather than by seniority.

Recognition is not given in exchange for mentions of Music Lineage. Contributors are recognized for editorial contributions to the encyclopedia; they hold no position in the project and do not speak on its behalf.

Questions

Does taking part cost anything?

No. Nothing is sold and nothing is required — no purchase, no subscription, no membership. The digital product that comes with recognition is provided at no cost.

How is this different from a commercial partnership or advertising?

A commercial arrangement buys attention. Recognition here follows work that changed the contents of the encyclopedia: every accepted contribution stands on the site with its source and can be examined by anyone. Nothing is agreed about what a contributor writes or says elsewhere.

Can I ask to remain anonymous or use a different name?

Yes. The display name is chosen by the contributor, and a pseudonym or initials are accepted. A city or place of work is never published; a country is shown only if the contributor asks for it.

What happens if I stop contributing?

The current term runs to its end and is then not renewed. The entry moves to the archive and stays there. Credit lines on records already published are left unchanged.

How long does review take?

Usually two to three weeks. A submission resting on archival material that has to be located takes longer, and a separate note is sent when that is the case.

What if a contribution is rejected?

The reason is stated, and the material can be sent again once the gap is closed — most often a source that can be checked. A decline has no effect on how later submissions are read.

Recognition may be withdrawn, or simply not renewed, if contributions later prove inaccurate or improperly attributed. Terms of Service

Recognized contributors to the encyclopedia