Editorial Standards

This page describes the standards we aim to follow. They are commitments about process, not claims about awards, rankings, or outside endorsement.

Sources

We aim to base factual claims on sources we have actually opened and read, favoring universities, peer-reviewed journals, government and intergovernmental agencies, museums, libraries, and reputable reference works. Each article lists its sources. We write in our own words, and direct quotations are kept short, attributed, and checked against a source page. We do not invent statistics, experts, or quotations. Where a source cannot be confirmed, we leave the claim out.

Corrections

We want to know when we are wrong. If you spot an error, an outdated claim, or a broken link, tell us through the contact page, naming the article and the passage. We intend to check the report against the sources, fix confirmed errors promptly, and update the article’s modified date. Where a correction changes the meaning of an article, we plan to note it on the page.

Uncertainty

We try not to overstate. In psychology and neuroscience we separate correlation from causation and flag findings that rest on a single study, small samples, samples drawn mostly from wealthy Western countries, or results that have been hard to replicate. In history we show where scholars disagree and distinguish the earliest surviving evidence from the first occurrence. Health topics are educational, not medical advice.

AI assistance

Articles on this site are drafted with the help of AI tools. A human editor is intended to review content before publication, checking claims against the listed sources. AI assistance does not change who is responsible: the Why Humans Editorial Team is the named author, and responsibility for the content rests with the site. We do not state that any named expert has reviewed our content, and we do not present AI-generated text as the work of a person.

Generated imagery

Illustrations on the site are original or AI-generated artwork meant to convey ideas, not photographs or documentary records of real events. Where an image is generated, we label it as an illustration and describe it in alternative text. Illustrations should not be mistaken for evidence of what people, places, or objects looked like.

Sponsorships & affiliate links

At the time of writing, no sponsorships, paid placements, or affiliate relationships are disclosed on this site, and none are assumed. If that changes, we will mark any sponsored content or affiliate link clearly at the point where it appears, and keep editorial decisions independent of those relationships. Some pages link to outside resources. We include links because they seem useful to readers, not because we are paid.