Editorial Policy

This policy describes how we decide what to publish and how we keep facts, calculations and assumptions apart. It applies to all analysis on the site.

Start from a reader question

Each piece begins with a decision a reader faces, such as whether a machine will pay back at current volume. We do not start from a keyword or a link target.

Evidence first

Before writing, we decide what evidence the piece needs. If we cannot find it, we narrow the question or say what is unknown. A clearly stated gap is more useful to a plant manager than a confident answer built on a guess.

We prefer primary sources, such as statistical agencies and standards bodies, to summaries of them. Where we cite outside sources, we name them and link to the original, so a reader can check the figure at its origin.

Facts, calculations and assumptions

We keep three things separate and labeled:

• Sourced facts, with the source named.
• Our own calculations, with the arithmetic shown.
• Scenario assumptions, which a reader can change.

Illustrative numbers are labeled as illustrative. We never present them as benchmarks, quotes or customer results. We do not write “studies show” or “manufacturers save on average” unless we have real data and can state the method.

Supplier and related-party data

Data from suppliers, or from businesses we have a commercial relationship with, is labeled and kept apart from independent data. See Disclosures.

What models can and cannot do

Our models are for comparison between options under stated assumptions. A payback figure from an article is a starting point for your own numbers, not a forecast of your result. They do not replace financial, tax, legal, safety or engineering review. Conclusions are allowed to go against buying equipment.

Updates

Our calculations rest on stated assumptions, and those can go stale. When wages, prices or rules change enough to alter a result, we update the article and show the new updated date.

Dates

Each article shows a published date and an updated date. We change the updated date only for a meaningful update. We never use a historical date as the publication date of new writing.

Expert review

A reviewer’s name appears on a piece only when a named, qualified person actually reviewed that piece. Otherwise we do not imply review. The default byline is “WonksAnonymous Editors”, and it means the editors, not a credentialed outside expert.

How we use AI

AI tools help with research, outlining, organizing sources, code and formatting. They do not replace fact-checking, original data, permissions or human review. We do not publish AI-generated images of factories, customers or test results as if they were real. Illustrations on this site are labeled illustrations.

Links

We link when a link helps the reader verify a fact or make a decision. Paid links use rel=“sponsored”. Purely promotional placements use rel=“nofollow”. User content uses rel=“ugc”. A commercial relationship with a linked business is disclosed next to the link. See Disclosures.

Corrections

If we get something wrong, we fix it and say so. See Corrections for how to report an error and how we record changes.