How we work
Corrections Policy
We publish claims that can be checked, which means we will sometimes be shown to be wrong. This page sets out exactly what happens then.
How to report an error
Write to [email protected]. Please include the title of the guide, the specific claim you are disputing, and, if you have one, the source that contradicts it.
You do not need a source to report a problem. A note saying that a timestamp does not match your copy of a film is genuinely useful, because version differences are one of the most common causes of error in this kind of writing.
What we do, and when
We aim to acknowledge every report within five working days, and to complete a review of a disputed claim within fifteen working days. Reports that arrive with a citation are usually resolved faster, because verification is quicker than research.
If a claim turns out to be wrong, we correct it. If a claim turns out to be unverifiable rather than false, we relabel it as interpretation or remove it, and the guide records that the change was made.
If we conclude that the original claim was correct, we reply explaining the source we are relying on. Where a dispute is genuinely unresolved, we may add a note to the guide describing the disagreement.
What we disclose on the page
Correction. A factual claim was wrong. The guide is amended, a dated note is added identifying what was wrong and what it now says, and the update date changes. We do not delete the record of the error.
Relabeling. A claim was presented as confirmed without adequate support. The label changes to interpretation, or the claim is removed, and a dated note records the change.
Clarification. The original claim was accurate but could be misread. The wording changes, the update date changes, and no correction note is added.
Routine update. New material has been added, or a detail has been expanded, without any earlier claim being wrong. Only the update date changes.
What we will not do
We do not silently alter a factual claim and leave the publication date untouched. We do not remove a guide to avoid acknowledging an error. We do not describe a correction as a clarification in order to make it sound smaller.
Typographical fixes, broken link repairs, and formatting changes are made without notice, because they do not affect what the guide asserts.
Related standards
The evidence standard behind these decisions is set out in the fact-checking policy, and the source ranking in sources and methodology. Our wider commitments are in the editorial policy.