Editorial Standards

Last updated 27 September 2026

1. Fact-checking and primary documents

Every paper is built on primary documents: legislation, official statistics, parliamentary records, court judgments, freedom-of-information responses, and named expert analysis. Before publication we check that:

• every material factual claim is traceable to a primary or named source;
• statistics are quoted with their date, geography and any definitional caveats;
• documents are read in full, not through summaries or second-hand reports;
• any figure we calculate ourselves shows its working in the paper;
• quotes are checked against the original wording and context.

Each paper ends with a full list of sources. Where a claim is contested, we say so and characterise the disagreement accurately rather than settling it by assertion.

2. Corrections policy

We treat errors seriously, and we correct them in the open:

• Corrections. Factual errors are corrected in the article as soon as verified, with a dated note at the foot of the paper describing what was wrong and what changed.
• Updates. When a story develops or figures are revised, we update the paper and mark the update with its date, keeping the original claims visible where their history matters.
• Retractions. If a paper's central claim proves unsound, we retract it: the paper is clearly labelled as retracted, the reasons are stated, and the retraction is recorded rather than quietly deleted.
• Reporting an error. Anyone can alert us to an error at privacy@stateoftherealm.org. We acknowledge every report and, where we publish a correction, credit readers who found the mistake.

3. Editorial independence and conflicts of interest

Editorial decisions about what we cover, conclude and correct are made by the editor, independently of funders, advertisers, political parties and any commercial interest. Specifically:

• no funder, advertiser or sponsor has any influence over editorial content;
• writers declare any financial, professional or personal interest relevant to their subject;
• where a relevant interest exists, it is disclosed in the paper itself;
• we do not accept payment for coverage, and we do not give anyone preview access in exchange for favourable treatment;
• members with relevant expertise are welcome to challenge our conclusions publicly in the discussion.

4. Plurality and bylines

Plurality operates across the publication rather than inside every article. Writers reach clear conclusions; over time we publish intelligent competing perspectives, so readers meet the strongest arguments on each side. We do not stage false balance inside a paper, and we do not pretend consensus exists where it does not.

Every paper carries a named author. Unsigned editorial notes are limited to house announcements, and corrections are issued in the publication's name. Authors are responsible for the accuracy of their own work; the editor is responsible for enforcing these standards across everything we publish.