Research Standards

These standards describe how Forelines approaches every piece of research and analysis.

Evidence first

Claims rest on verifiable evidence: primary documents, official statistics, peer-reviewed research and credible reporting. Where evidence is incomplete or contested, we say so.

Sources and citation

Sources are linked or named wherever possible so readers can check them. Anonymous sources are used only when necessary and are described as precisely as we can.

Data

Data & Visuals pieces state where each dataset comes from and when it was collected. Charts are drawn to represent the data fairly, without distorted scales.

Analysis and opinion

Analysis explains and interprets evidence. Perspectives present an author’s argued view and are always labelled as such.

Review

Pieces are checked by an editor before publication for accuracy, sourcing and fairness.

Corrections

Errors are corrected promptly and transparently, as set out in our Editorial Policy.