Editorial Policy: Sources, Corrections, and Content Standards
This policy explains how DetectHiddenFees approaches sources, claims, research data, product references, corrections, and update dates. It describes the standard readers should expect from an authority resource about hidden fees and document-related financial risks.
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Direct answer: what does this policy cover?
It sets a public standard for source selection, claim language, examples, research data, product disclosures, corrections, and material updates. It is a statement of editorial practice and a way for readers to evaluate the limits of a page; it is not proof that every historical statement is error-free or that a particular financial, legal, medical, or product outcome will occur.
Scope and organizational relationship
DetectHiddenFees.com is the research, education, and hidden-fee intelligence resource. HiddenFeeAI.com is the related AI-powered document-analysis product. Editorial pages should explain that relationship when relevant and should not present product capabilities, pricing, privacy, retention, or performance as independent research findings.
This policy applies to editorial guides, examples, explainers, research pages, glossaries, and related educational resources published on DetectHiddenFees.com. Product terms, account settings, support commitments, and current capabilities belong on the applicable first-party product materials.
Source and claim standards
Prefer primary evidence
Use government agencies, regulators, statutes and regulations, official company disclosures, public pricing or policy documents, academic research, and original research records when they directly support the point being made.
Show the source and scope
Link to the source when practical and state its date, jurisdiction, population, document type, or other scope when those details affect interpretation. Do not turn a source about one transaction or jurisdiction into a universal rule.
Separate fact from guidance
Distinguish sourced facts, reasonable inferences, examples, review questions, and professional advice. A checklist or document signal is not automatically proof of an illegal, excessive, fraudulent, or disputable charge.
Do not manufacture evidence
Do not invent quotations, experts, document counts, percentages, accuracy figures, market benchmarks, case studies, savings results, or research findings. If evidence is not sufficient, qualify the statement or leave it out.
How claims are reviewed
For a material claim, the working review should identify what is being asserted, locate the evidence, check the source date and scope, look for exceptions or conflicting information, and record a limitation when the evidence cannot support a broader conclusion. The depth of review should match the consequences of the claim.
Before publication
Check that important objective statements have a reasonable basis before publication. The FTC advertising-substantiation policy statement is a useful reference for objective advertising and product claims; it is not a certification of DetectHiddenFees.
For high-consequence topics
Legal, financial, medical, tax, safety, and product-performance claims need especially careful sourcing, clear limits, current dates, and a reminder that readers may need qualified professional advice.
For examples and scenarios
Label fictional or illustrative examples clearly. Use variables or traceable records rather than invented numbers that could be mistaken for a real bill, contract, market rate, or research result.
Research and data status
Collecting means collecting
Research pages should identify whether a study is collecting, analyzing, or publishing verified results. Until traceable records exist, DetectHiddenFees should not publish a sample size, percentage, prevalence ranking, accuracy metric, or other result merely because it sounds plausible.
Traceable records
When original research is published, the methodology should explain what was analyzed, when it was collected, where it came from, how it was coded, what was excluded, and what limitations apply. Machine-readable data should only expose records that can be inspected and responsibly shared.
Corrections, complaints, and updates
Readers can use the Contact page to report a factual error, broken citation, outdated source, unclear scope, or unsupported claim. A useful report identifies the page URL and the passage or source at issue.
Correction requests are evaluated against the page text, source, jurisdiction, and date. Material corrections should be described on the affected page or in a revision note; minor grammar or styling changes may not receive a public notice. When a law, price, product policy, or source changes, a page should be reviewed and its visible update date should change when the content materially changes.
Disputed claims should be marked for review rather than presented as settled fact. A correction or update does not guarantee a particular legal, financial, medical, or product outcome.
Frequently asked questions
What is the purpose of this editorial policy?
It explains the standards DetectHiddenFees uses for sources, claims, examples, research data, product references, corrections, and update dates. It is a public standard, not a guarantee that no page will ever contain an error.
How does DetectHiddenFees choose sources?
We prefer primary sources such as government agencies, regulators, statutes, official pricing or policy documents, academic research, and original research with traceable records. Secondary sources are used when they add necessary context and are identified appropriately.
Does DetectHiddenFees publish unsupported statistics?
No. Counts, percentages, accuracy figures, market comparisons, and other objective claims should be traceable to an identified source or an inspectable research record. If evidence is not sufficient, the page should qualify the statement or omit it.
Does this policy guarantee that an article is error-free?
No. A policy describes the intended standard and review process. Readers should still check the linked source, date, jurisdiction, definitions, and limitations, especially for legal, financial, medical, or product decisions.
How can I report an error or outdated source?
Use the Contact page to report a factual error, broken citation, outdated source, unclear scope, or correction request. Include the page URL and the passage or source that needs review when possible.
Does this editorial policy govern HiddenFeeAI product terms?
No. DetectHiddenFees is the research and education resource, while HiddenFeeAI is the related AI document-analysis product. Product capabilities, pricing, privacy, retention, and support terms must be confirmed in current first-party product materials.