Editorial Policies

Our reporting is evidence-first. Stories begin with what the underlying material actually shows, and interpretation is labeled as interpretation rather than smuggled in as fact. We prefer the primary scientific literature to any account of it, and we treat preliminary results as preliminary — promising or striking findings are reported with their evidentiary weight attached, not inflated into conclusions.

Uncertainty is part of the story, not an embarrassment to be edited out. Where a result is small-sample, model-bound, unreplicated, or contested, the story says so, early and in plain language.

Technically complex stories are reviewed before publication by our Scientific Review Editor, who checks methodological descriptions, quantitative claims, and the accuracy with which we characterize experimental systems. Where a story exceeds in-house expertise, we consult outside researchers before publishing.

This internal editorial review is not academic peer review, and we do not represent it as such. It is an additional editorial check on accuracy and framing, conducted on journalism about science — not a certification of the underlying research itself.

Substantive errors are acknowledged. When a significant factual correction is made, an editor's note is appended to the article describing what changed and when. Minor typographical and formatting fixes may be corrected silently, but any change that affects meaning, emphasis, or factual content is always noted.

Correction requests can be sent to standards@verdantsignal.com with the passage in question and the supporting evidence.

Contributors must disclose relevant financial, institutional, or professional relationships before assignment. Editors do not cover organizations, companies, or products in which they hold a financial interest, and disclosed conflicts are evaluated by the Managing Editor before a story proceeds.

Editorial decisions are made by editors. They are not determined by advertisers, sponsors, vendors, manufacturers, or commercial research suppliers. Verdant Signal accepts no payment for coverage, sells no research materials, and maintains no affiliate relationships with suppliers of the materials we cover.

Our reporting prefers, in order: peer-reviewed papers; preprints, clearly labeled as preprints; primary documentation from laboratories and institutions; direct interviews with researchers; institutional material; and regulatory documentation where relevant. Secondary accounts are used for orientation, not as the evidentiary basis of a story.

Anonymous sourcing is rare and requires an editor's approval and a documented reason. Claims attributed to unnamed sources are independently corroborated wherever possible.

Automated tools may assist our workflow in limited ways: transcription of interviews, organization of research material, and internal drafting aids. They do not report, write, or publish stories at Verdant Signal.

Every factual and scientific claim we publish is reviewed by human editors before publication. We do not describe automated tools as authors, and no story is published on the strength of machine-generated text alone.

Verdant Signal publishes educational and editorial material concerning scientific and preclinical research. Nothing on this site is medical advice, diagnosis, treatment guidance, or prescribing guidance, and nothing here is a substitute for consultation with a qualified healthcare professional.

Readers with health questions should direct them to a clinician. We do not answer requests for personal medical guidance.

Preclinical evidence does not establish safety or efficacy in humans. Findings from animal studies, cell culture, and other laboratory systems should not be automatically extrapolated to clinical outcomes, however consistent or striking they appear.

Experimental findings require appropriate context and validation, and our coverage aims to supply the context rather than the extrapolation. Where we describe early-stage research, we identify the system it came from.

Our servers keep basic technical logs — such as IP addresses and browser information — for security and operational purposes. If you voluntarily subscribe to The Dispatch, we retain the email address you provide for as long as the subscription is active, and delete it when you unsubscribe.

We do not sell subscriber personal data, we do not share it with marketers, and we do not operate advertising trackers or cross-site behavioral tracking.

Verdant Signal does not currently carry advertising or sponsored material. If that ever changes, sponsored content would be clearly and conspicuously labeled, and sponsors would have no ability to approve, preview, or influence editorial conclusions. Editorial judgment is not for sale under any arrangement.

All original reporting, writing, illustration, and design on this site is © 2026 Verdant Signal. All rights reserved. Brief quotation with attribution and a link is welcome. For republication or syndication requests, contact editorial@verdantsignal.com.

Questions about these policies, correction requests, and standards inquiries: standards@verdantsignal.com.

Editorial matters: editorial@verdantsignal.com. General inquiries: hello@verdantsignal.com.