Corrections
A site that teaches people to check claims has to be checkable itself. This page explains how to report an error and what we do about it.
How to report an error
Write toinfo@arac-international.org with the word "correction" in the subject line, or use the contact page.
Reports are handled fastest when they include:
- The address of the page.
- The specific sentence or claim at issue, quoted.
- What you believe is wrong about it.
- A source, if you have one.
You do not need to be certain, and you do not need to provide a source. "This does not look right and here is why" is a useful report.
What happens next
- Acknowledgement. We aim to acknowledge within five working days. This is a small initiative and that is a target rather than a guarantee.
- Assessment. We check the claim against its source and against our editorial standards, and decide which of four categories it falls into.
- Action. As described below, according to the category.
- Reply. We tell you what we concluded, including when we conclude that the page was right.
The four categories
- Correction
- A factual error. The page is fixed, a dated correction note is added at the foot of the page describing what was wrong and what it now says, and the update date changes. The original error is described, not silently removed.
- Clarification
- The page was accurate but could reasonably be misread. The wording is improved and a dated note records the change. The update date changes.
- Update
- The page was accurate when published and circumstances have changed. New information is added with its own date. This is not a correction and is not recorded as one.
- No change
- We examined the claim and concluded the page is right. We tell the person who reported it why, with the reasoning, so they can disagree with something specific.
Serious errors
If an error is substantial enough that the page's conclusion no longer holds, we do not quietly edit it. The page is corrected, the correction note explains what changed and why the original was wrong, and where the material has been distributed in printed form we note the version number that is affected.
If a toolkit resource is corrected, its version number increases and the review date changes, so anyone holding a printed copy can tell whether theirs is current.
Correction log
No corrections have been issued for material on this site. This section will list every correction with its date, the page affected, and a summary of what changed, once there are any to list.
An empty log is not a claim of accuracy. It reflects the fact that this is the initial published version of the site.
Related
Our editorial standards set out what we hold material to, and our method describes how it is produced.