Editorial Policy

1. Our Fact Selection Criteria

Not every interesting claim earns a place on FactOTD. Before a fact is considered for publication, it must meet three core criteria:

Verifiable: The fact must be traceable to a credible primary or secondary source — a peer-reviewed study, an established scientific institution, a reputable museum, government database, or a well-documented historical record. Unverifiable folklore or viral internet claims are excluded unless they can be independently confirmed.

Meaningful: We choose facts that illuminate something genuinely interesting about science, history, nature, technology, or human culture — not mere novelties. A fact should leave you thinking, not just surprised.

Accurate in context: Many popular "facts" are technically true but misleading without context. We review the nuance behind each claim and present it fairly. If a fact has important exceptions or conditions, we note them.

2. Source Verification Process

Every fact on FactOTD is checked against at least one authoritative source before publication. For our long-form articles, we require a minimum of two independent sources. Our preferred source hierarchy is:

1. Primary sources — peer-reviewed scientific papers, original historical documents, official government or institutional data.
2. Established science publications — National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, Scientific American, Nature, NASA, and similar outlets with their own editorial standards.
3. Reputable reference sources — encyclopedias, university research portals, and established educational institutions.

We do not accept social media posts, anonymous wikis, or single-source viral articles as sole verification for a claim.

3. Article Review Process

Long-form articles go through a multi-step review before publication:

Research phase: The core claim is identified and traced to its original source material. We read the actual study or document, not just a news summary of it.

Writing phase: The article is drafted with accuracy as the primary goal. We deliberately avoid sensationalizing findings. Headlines reflect the content faithfully.

Editorial review: A second editor checks factual claims, source citations, and overall accuracy before the article is published.

Date and attribution: All published articles include a publication date and author attribution so readers can assess the currency and origin of the information.

4. Correction Policy

We take errors seriously. If a fact or article on FactOTD is found to be inaccurate, misleading, or outdated, we will:

• Correct the error promptly, typically within 48 hours of being notified.
• Add a visible correction note at the top of the affected article explaining what was changed and why.
• Not silently delete content — we prefer transparent corrections over erasure.

If you believe you have found an error, please contact us at our contact page. We welcome corrections and take them seriously.

5. Independence Statement

FactOTD is independently owned and operated. Our editorial decisions are made independently of any advertisers, sponsors, or commercial relationships. The presence of advertising on this site does not influence our choice of topics, our sourcing, or our conclusions.

We participate in the Google AdSense program, which means advertisements may appear on our pages. These are selected automatically based on content and user interest. Advertisers have no editorial influence over our content.

6. Artificial Intelligence

FactOTD may use AI writing tools as a starting point for drafts. However, all content published on this site is reviewed, edited, and verified by human editors before publication. We do not publish AI-generated content without editorial review and factual verification.

7. Contact Us

Questions about our editorial process? Spotted a potential error? Reach out via our contact page. We read every message and respond to factual corrections promptly.