Fact-Checking Policy
Every factual claim in a vaeyc article is verified before publication. This page explains our fact-checking process in detail.
Why Fact-Checking Matters Here
vaeyc covers topics — AI tools, online education, behavioral science research, labor market trends — where misleading or outdated information can genuinely harm readers who make learning or career decisions based on it. Rigorous fact-checking is not optional; it is the minimum standard for publishing responsibly in this space.
What Gets Fact-Checked
Every article published on vaeyc is subject to fact-checking. The categories of claims that receive the most scrutiny are:
- Statistics and data — any numerical claim, percentage, ranking, or survey result must be traced to its original source, not a secondary article that may have misquoted it.
- Research citations — studies cited in our articles are verified to exist, to say what we claim they say, and to be from credible sources (peer-reviewed journals, reputable research institutions, or recognized professional bodies).
- Product and platform claims — when we describe the features, pricing, or availability of an online learning tool or platform, we verify against the provider’s own official documentation or public communications.
- Biographical and institutional claims — credentials, roles, and affiliations attributed to named individuals or organizations are verified before publication.
- Historical and policy claims — dates, legislative or regulatory facts, and institutional histories are cross-checked against primary records where possible.
Our Verification Process
The fact-checking stage is a discrete step in vaeyc’s editorial workflow, conducted after the draft review and before final copy editing. The reviewer checks each flagged claim against the cited source, then independently attempts to confirm it through at least one additional authoritative reference. Claims that cannot be verified are either correctly sourced or removed from the article before publication.
Primary Source Standards
We define a primary source as the original publication, dataset, or official statement from the organization or individual making the underlying claim. Where a primary source is not accessible (for example, a paywalled academic journal), we verify the claim through the abstract, a reliable secondary source such as a university press release describing the study, or a request to the original authors for clarification.
Error Handling
When a factual error is discovered after publication — whether by our team or reported by a reader — we correct the article promptly, add a correction note, and log the correction on our Corrections page. We do not quietly rewrite articles to remove errors without acknowledgment. Readers can report suspected errors to [email protected].