Note: this article describes a feature which we have released in our open-source code and are rolling out with key partners in our hosted service. If you’re looking for instructions on creating private groups (available to all Hypothesis users), see How to Create a Private Group.
Publishers and website owners can use Publisher Groups to create branded, authoritative annotation layers over their own content. Publisher Groups currently come in two configurations:
Open Groups are world-readable, world-writeable groups scoped to a particular domain. Uses include post-publication discussion, community peer review, and updates or clarifications to content.
Restricted Groups are world-readable, group-member-writeable groups scoped to a particular domain. Restricted groups are also owned and moderated by the partner organization. Use cases include dedicated author layers, updates or corrections by journal editors, as well as open peer review.
How Do Publisher Groups Work?
Publisher groups are established as authoritative over your content by:
- Containing your logo/branding
- Taking precedence over the Public channel and private groups in the annotation sidebar
- Being moderated by you or someone from your organization (Hypothesis will continue to moderate annotations in the Public channel according to our Community Guidelines)
How are Publisher Groups Different from Other Hypothesis Groups?
See our knowledge base article on groups for a detailed explanation of how Publisher Groups fit into the Hypothesis Groups model. The most important points to note:
- Publisher Groups are currently available to select partners, while Private Groups remain available to all users.
- Publisher Groups are only visible over the domain(s) they are scoped to, while Private Groups are visible across the web.
- Publisher Groups can work either with the Hypothesis account system, or with publishers’ 3rd-party account implementations.
Which Group Configuration(s) Should I Choose?
When choosing to enable an Open or Restricted group, ask: Who should be able to annotate in this layer?
- If the answer is Everyone who is logged in → choose an Open Group
- If the answer is Only people we designate → choose a Restricted Group
How Can I Enable Publisher Groups?
Publishers and website owners who want to enable Publisher Groups over their content should contact us.