Before a piece is published, we check it against the following standards.
What we verify
Names, titles, dates, statistics, direct quotations and any factual claim central to the argument of a piece are checked against original sources before publication — not just at the point of drafting.
How we verify it
Wherever possible, we trace claims back to primary sources: the original study, official record, or the person quoted, rather than relying on secondary summaries. Where a claim can't be independently verified, we either remove it or clearly frame it as unconfirmed.
Expert review
Technical or specialised claims — in areas such as psychology, medicine or data analysis — are, where practical, reviewed by someone with relevant subject-matter expertise before publication.
After publication
Fact-checking doesn't stop at publication. If a reader flags a possible error, we investigate promptly and correct the record if warranted — see our Corrections page for how that process works.