Editorial policy

Choosing topics

We prioritize enduring questions that connect to everyday understanding of health. Reader usefulness, available evidence and the risk of misunderstanding guide commissioning. Search interest may inform wording, but it does not determine the conclusion.

Topics involving diagnosis, medication, treatment, vulnerable populations or potentially harmful advice require additional clinical review before publication.

Checking evidence

We start with relevant systematic reviews, meta-analyses and current clinical guidelines, then examine the studies behind key claims. Randomized controlled trials are valuable for intervention questions; observational and qualitative evidence may be more appropriate for other questions.

Government and university resources help explain context. Institutional reputation alone is not proof: we check methods, dates, population, conflicts of interest and consistency with other evidence. Preprints and single studies are identified as such.

Writing and review

Writers must link factual claims to sources they have read. Absolute risks, study limitations and the difference between association and causation should be explained when relevant. Opinion is labeled; speculation is not presented as a finding.

A source-backed draft is not automatically medically reviewed. Clinical review follows the separate medical review policy. AI is not a source. A human checks the underlying sources and claims. Automated drafting or checking tools do not replace this work or accountable human approval. Fact-check and specialist credits appear only after the actual work is confirmed.

Updates and corrections

Review an article when material new evidence, changed guidance or a credible error report affects its interpretation. Set an updated date only when a substantive change is made, and explain that change in the update note.

Assess correction reports against the underlying sources. Significant corrections should describe what was wrong and what changed; minor typographic edits do not need to imply a new evidence review. Our corrections policy explains the process. Report corrections to hello@goodandsteady.com; see Contact.

Commercial independence

The current site has no advertising, affiliate links or sponsored articles. Any future commercial relationship would require a separate review and clear disclosure. Payment must not determine an evidence conclusion.