Editorial standards
How we decide what to publish, how we fact-check it, and what we do when we get something wrong.
piqued.today publishes a lot of short, cheerful articles. That doesn't change our obligation to get things right. If anything, we think it raises it — the kind of small facts we trade in only work if they're actually true. The following is how we try to make sure they are.
Accuracy
Every claim we publish — especially in our "facts" and "science" pieces — is verified against at least two independent, authoritative sources. Where possible, we link to primary research, not to summaries of it. Where the science is uncertain or genuinely contested, we say so in the piece rather than picking a side for tidiness.
For historical, cultural, or linguistic claims, we cross-check at least one academic source alongside any popular ones. We don't cite Wikipedia as a source; we use it as a starting point and follow its footnotes.
Sourcing
We avoid anonymous sourcing in lifestyle content entirely. In more sensitive reporting, we use it only when the information cannot be obtained otherwise and the source is in a position to know. We identify what we can about an anonymous source's relationship to the story — their role, their reason for speaking — even when we can't identify the person.
AI and writing assistance
Our articles are written by human editors. We occasionally use AI tools for research, transcription, or to catch errors in our own drafts — the same way an editor might use a dictionary or a spell-checker. We don't publish AI-generated articles, and any image that is AI-created is labeled as such in its caption.
Affiliate links and sponsorship
If we include a product link that pays us a commission when readers buy through it, we say so clearly on that page. We never promise a positive review in exchange for affiliate inclusion, and a commissioning relationship never determines what we recommend. Sponsored content — where a brand pays us to publish something — is labeled as such at the top of every piece, not buried at the bottom.
Corrections
We correct errors promptly and transparently. Minor corrections (typos, broken links, formatting issues) are fixed silently. Anything that changes the meaning of a piece — a wrong number, a misattributed quote, a misidentified person — gets a dated correction notice at the bottom of the article. If we get something substantially wrong, we say so clearly and explain what happened.
To report an error, email corrections@piqued.today or use our contact form. We read every message.
Conflicts of interest
If a writer has a personal, financial, or professional connection to a subject they're covering, it's disclosed in the piece. Staff don't hold stock in companies whose products we regularly review. Freelance writers are asked to disclose anything relevant before we commission a piece.
Independence
piqued.today is independently owned. No outside investor, advertiser, or affiliate partner has any influence over our editorial decisions, our writers, or our headlines. If that changes, we'll say so in this same spot.
Contact
Questions about any of the above? Think we've fallen short of it somewhere? Please get in touch — we genuinely want to hear it.