Editorial Standards
The policies that govern what we publish, how we correct mistakes, and how we handle conflicts of interest.
Fact-Checking
Every factual claim in a TimesWriter article should be verifiable against a primary source. Contributing writers are responsible for maintaining source documentation for their claims.
- Clinical claims are checked against primary literature or reputable secondary sources (Cochrane, UpToDate, peer-reviewed meta-analyses)
- Statistics and data points are checked against the original sources, not against summaries or press releases
- Pharmaceutical claims are checked against FDA, EMA, or equivalent regulatory documentation
- Historical claims are checked against multiple sources when possible
Corrections
When we publish something that turns out to be inaccurate, we correct it and mark the correction visibly at the top of the article with:
- Date of correction
- Nature of the error
- How the error came to our attention
Readers can report suspected errors to corrections@timeswriter.com.
Conflicts of Interest Disclosure
Author financial relationships that could affect editorial content must be disclosed at the end of each relevant piece:
- Direct payment from any organization mentioned in the article
- Consulting relationships with pharmaceutical companies or wellness brands
- Speaking fees or honoraria from mentioned organizations
- Equity holdings in mentioned public companies exceeding trivial amounts
TimesWriter as an editorial organization does not accept payment for editorial content, product placement, or coverage decisions.
Sourcing
Named sources are preferred and used whenever possible. Anonymous sourcing is used only when the information is genuinely important, the source's identity is known to at least one editor, and the source has legitimate reason to require anonymity. Fabricated sourcing is grounds for termination.
Cross-Linking Policy
TimesWriter articles occasionally link to commercial websites when doing so is useful to readers seeking further information or verified suppliers of products discussed in editorial context. Links are placed for reader utility, not commercial reciprocity. TimesWriter does not currently participate in affiliate programs.
Editorial Voice
- Nuance over certainty. Most complex topics don't reduce to confident single-sentence claims.
- Evidence over enthusiasm. When the evidence is uncertain, we say so.
- Reader intelligence. We assume our readers are capable adults.
- Editorial humility. We're often wrong. When we're wrong, we correct.
What We Don't Do
- Sponsored content masquerading as editorial
- Engagement-optimized headlines tested for clickthrough
- Publishing AI-generated content without human editing and responsibility
- Coverage decisions driven by SEO alone
Contact
Questions about editorial standards: editor@timeswriter.com
Correction reports: corrections@timeswriter.com