Our editorial standards, in plain language.
Sourcing
Every factual claim in a Verified Post article traces to a source we can name. We prefer, in order:
- Primary sources — original documents, archival press coverage from the period, census records, court records, original academic papers, museum holdings, and first-hand interviews or memoirs.
- Authoritative secondary sources — peer-reviewed academic articles, major reference works, published biographies, and reporting from established publications with their own editorial standards.
- Aggregator or encyclopedia sources— used only for orientation and never as a sole source for a factual claim. If Wikipedia or a similar site is cited, we've verified the claim in the primary source Wikipedia itself cites.
Sources for each article are listed at the bottom of the article.
Fact-Checking
Before publication, each article is checked against its source list for:
- Accuracy of names, dates, places, and numbers
- Accuracy of quoted material
- Absence of claims not supported by a cited source
- Absence of embellishment beyond what sources establish
When sources disagree, we say so in the article.
Use of AI Tools
We use AI writing tools as a research and drafting aid. We use them the way a previous generation of writers used a typewriter, a reference librarian, and a first-draft editor — combined into one tool. We do not publish any article without human editorial review, human fact-checking against sources, and human approval.
We disclose this because:
- Readers deserve to know how their journalism is made.
- Google, ad partners, and professional journalism bodies increasingly expect this disclosure.
- We believe transparent use of new tools is better for the long-term credibility of independent publishing than hiding it.
The Verified Post does not publish AI-generated articles without human review. A human is editorially responsible for every piece we publish.
What We Won't Publish
- Medical, health, financial, legal, or psychological advice
- Claims we cannot source
- Content designed primarily to rank in search rather than to inform
- AI-generated images presented as real photography. All images are either public-domain or Creative Commons archival images with attribution, licensed stock, or clearly labeled illustrations.
Corrections
We correct errors promptly, publicly, and clearly. A corrected article carries a dated correction note at the top. Significant corrections are logged on our corrections page.
Contact the Editor
For corrections, source questions, or editorial concerns: contact@theverifiedpost.com