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Editorial Policy

Editorial Standards

WhenNotesFly holds every piece to the same standard: primary sources, named references, human authorship, and an open corrections policy. This page documents exactly what that means and how we enforce it.

PrimarySources Only
HumanWritten & Edited
OpenCorrections Policy
P

Primary Sources

Peer-reviewed studies, named experts, and official documentation only

H

Human Authorship

Written and edited by people with domain expertise, not automated systems

3

Three-Stage Review

Draft, editorial review, and final pass before every piece goes live

T

Transparent Sourcing

Claims attributed to named sources, not vague "experts say" constructions

I

Independent Editorial

Advertiser relationships never influence what we cover or how we cover it

About WhenNotesFly

WhenNotesFly is an independent publication covering concepts, technology, explainers, work and skills, culture, and ideas. We publish across six domains, but hold every piece to the same editorial standard: claims sourced to named references, writers selected for domain knowledge, and a corrections process that is open and documented.

Editorial decisions — what to cover, how to cover it, when to update, and when to issue a correction — rest entirely with our editorial team. No advertiser, partner, or third party has ever influenced an editorial decision on this site. Commercial relationships are disclosed; editorial judgments are made independently of them.

For editorial questions, corrections, or pitches: editorial@whennotesfly.com

Our Research and Writing Process

Every piece on WhenNotesFly is built on primary or near-primary sources. We do not republish press releases as reporting, do not cite anonymous AI-generated summaries, and do not paraphrase other websites as if their content were original research.

1

Source Hierarchy

We prefer, in order: (1) peer-reviewed studies, books by domain practitioners, and official documentation from relevant standards bodies or institutions; (2) reporting from established news organizations with named bylines and corrections policies; (3) subject-matter experts interviewed or quoted directly. Where a claim is contested, we say so and link to both sides.

2

Drafting

A writer with domain familiarity produces an outline and full draft. Sources are collected as the draft is written, not added afterward as justification for conclusions already reached.

3

Editorial Review

The editor reviews every claim against the cited source, checks for unsupported assertions, removes promotional language, and verifies that the piece delivers on what its title promises. No claim passes editorial review without an identifiable source.

4

Final Pass

A structural and readability review focused on clarity, accuracy, and whether a careful reader will leave knowing more than when they arrived. The editor's name is attached to every article through this site's editorial line.

5

Ongoing Updates

Articles are updated when information changes, when readers submit corrections that check out, or when the editorial team identifies that a piece has fallen behind current evidence or practice.

Source Standards We Apply

  • Named authors with verifiable credentials
  • Peer-reviewed academic journals
  • Official institutional publications
  • Named journalists at accountable outlets
  • Primary documents and official records
  • Directly attributed expert statements

Who Writes Our Content

Every piece on WhenNotesFly is written by a person with demonstrable familiarity with the topic. We do not use writers who produce generic content that could apply to any topic without adaptation. Contributors are selected for their knowledge of the specific subjects they cover.

The editorial team reviews every piece before publication. Bylines appear where individual contributors have produced the bulk of the work. Where the byline reads "WhenNotesFly Editorial," the editorial team collectively owns the research and writing, and the editor-in-chief holds accountability for accuracy.

Our Policy on AI-Assisted Content

WhenNotesFly reads are written and edited by humans. We do not publish pieces that consist primarily of AI-generated prose. Human writers are responsible for the substantive reasoning, sourcing decisions, and final wording of everything we publish.

We use software tools — search, citation management, grammar checkers, and outline tools — as part of the writing workflow. These tools support human writers; they do not replace editorial judgment, source evaluation, or the intellectual accountability that comes with human authorship.

Conflicts of Interest and Advertising

WhenNotesFly displays third-party advertising (currently Google AdSense). Advertisers do not influence editorial decisions, topic selection, or conclusions. Editorial staff do not see advertiser inventory before publication and have no knowledge of which advertisers are running on which pages.

If a piece discusses a product, service, or organization with which the publication or editor has any commercial relationship, we disclose it at the top of that piece. We do not accept payment for editorial coverage, sponsored content, or favorable mentions.

Corrections Policy

If you spot a factual error in anything we've published, we want to know about it. Our goal is to be accurate, not to protect a published record from correction.

How to Report an Error

Email editorial@whennotesfly.com with the URL and the specific issue. We aim to respond within five business days. If the correction is validated against primary sources, we act on it promptly.

When we correct a substantive error, we update the piece and add a "Last updated" date. For material corrections — factual errors, seriously misleading framing, or claims that do not hold up to source review — we note the correction at the bottom of the page with a description of what changed. Typo fixes and small clarifications are made without notation.

We do not delete pieces to avoid accountability. If we got something wrong, we correct it and document the correction.

Get in Touch

Editorial & corrections: editorial@whennotesfly.com

Pitches & submissions: submissions@whennotesfly.com

General inquiries: contact@whennotesfly.com

This page was last reviewed in May 2026.  |  Questions? editorial@whennotesfly.com