Corrections policy

Why this policy exists

Our whole positioning is evidence over assertion — we publish what a method can and cannot establish, and we label estimates as estimates. That standard only means something if errors in our own published work are admitted, marked and fixed rather than quietly rewritten. This page defines what we treat as a correction, how a correction appears in an article, and how to report something you believe is wrong.

What counts as a correction

• Substantive errors — a factual or technical claim that is wrong, a method described incorrectly, a number that does not match its source, or a quoted source that does not support the sentence built on it. These are corrected visibly.
• Material omissions — a stated limitation turns out to be understated, or a claim needs a qualifier to be fair. We treat these like errors, because an incomplete claim can mislead as much as a wrong one.
• Non-corrections — spelling and grammar fixes, formatting, link repairs, rewording for clarity, and changes of opinion as our thinking develops. These are ordinary edits; they update the article's date but carry no correction note.

How corrections are shown

A corrected article keeps its original publication date and gains or updates its Updated date, which is shown in the byline and carried in the RSS feed, JSON feed and structured data. For errors that change what an article concludes, the corrected passage is marked inline (for example, "corrected: …") so a reader comparing notes is not misled by a silently changed argument. We do not delete corrected claims from history — the honest form is a visible change, not a replacement.

How to report an error

Use the general enquiry form (any category), the reply thread if you are already in contact, or the email address on the contact page. Tell us the article, the specific sentence or number, and — if you can — the source that contradicts it. The more specific the report, the faster we can verify it; "this seems wrong" is a start, "this number disagrees with Table 2 of the cited paper" is a fix.

What happens next

We acknowledge reports within one business day. Substantive reports are verified against the primary source or re-derived before anything changes: the point is to become correct, not to appease. If the report is right, we correct as described above and reply stating what changed. If we believe the article stands, we reply with the reasoning rather than leaving you unanswered — and you are free to disagree publicly, which is exactly the discourse our claims-standard invites.

Not a corrections process for client work

This policy covers published articles. Errors inside an engagement are handled under that engagement's agreement — raised, tracked and closed out with the client, not in public. The two processes share the same principle: an error admitted and repaired is worth more than an error hidden.