Editorial standards

A few principles guide everything we publish.

Evidence and sources

Statements about health rest on published research and trusted sources: peer-reviewed studies, government health agencies such as the NIH and CDC, leading medical centers and established health organizations. Each piece lists its sources at the end, with links, so that you can follow the thread yourself.

We do not invent studies, figures or statistics. Where the evidence is thin, we say so.

Tone

We avoid sensational headlines, capital letters and exclamation marks. Health is serious enough without them. Where a medical term is unavoidable, we explain it in plain language.

Health claims

• We never promise a cure.
• We never advise anyone to stop, start or change a medication; that decision belongs with your physician.
• Every piece notes when it is time to see a doctor, and when a symptom calls for urgent care.

Bylines and dates

Each piece carries a byline and the date and time of publication. When a piece is revised, the date of the revision appears beside it.

Revisions and corrections

Medicine moves, and our articles move with it: when the evidence changes, we revise the existing piece rather than publish a new one. If you believe we have made an error, please write to contact@thewellpaper.com, naming the piece and the passage in question. A corrected piece carries the date of its revision.

Products

A piece about a specific product always opens with a disclosure of our commercial relationship and the standard FDA statement for dietary supplements. We publish no testimonials, and we never claim that a product treats, cures or prevents a disease.