Editorial Standards

Field Notes follows a source-first workflow. Each article begins with a distinct reader need, uses at least one authoritative institutional source and shows those links in a visible Sources section. The internal provenance ledger records access dates, supported sections, writing assistance and cover origin.

Writing and attribution

Articles are original editorial writing checked against the cited pages. They are not scraped, reported interviews or licensed reproductions. Quotations are avoided unless exact wording is necessary. Uncertainty, cultural restrictions and the limits of visual identification are stated rather than filled with speculation.

Images and corrections

Article covers use locally stored editorial photographs selected through Openverse, with the original provider page, creator and reuse license retained in the cover-source ledger. Only reusable licenses are selected by the acquisition script. When a documentary photograph is unavailable or insufficiently specific, the site may use a locally stored illustrative cover. Such an image is not documentary evidence. Factual corrections require rechecking the affected source and recording a substantive update date. A public correction channel remains disabled until the publisher supplies a verified address.