Editorial policy
Commercial relationships may fund PHASE, but they do not purchase editorial conclusions.
EDITORIAL / Independent judgment
Reporting, analysis, reviews and criticism are editorial decisions. A commercial partner cannot purchase a favourable conclusion, the suppression of criticism, fabricated rankings or undisclosed coverage.
COMMERCIAL / Clear identification
Advertising, supplier placements, referrals, newsletter sponsorship and partnerships may be accepted when clearly identified. Editorial and commercial responsibilities remain distinct even when handled by the same operator. Paid material must carry a visible label and a nearby explanation of the relationship.
Facts, claims and interpretation
Factual claims should be supported where practical. Manufacturer claims are attributed as such. Opinion, commentary and uncertainty are identifiable. Rumours are labelled as rumours; public demonstrations are not proof of general capability.
Testing and review methods
Every review must state whether it is hands-on, a public-information analysis, first impressions or a specification comparison. A HANDS-ON label requires actual physical testing. Free, loaned, discounted or review-supplied products and relevant conflicts must be disclosed.
Sources and original work
Prefer original analysis and paraphrasing with attributed links. Identify primary evidence, secondary reporting and author analysis. Avoid substantial copying of copyrighted passages.
Corrections and publication history
Preserve original publication dates and URLs. Record genuine updates separately. Substantial corrections include a dated explanation on the affected article; editing must not erase the earlier correction record.
PHASE SHIFT
The index is an editorial assessment, not a scientific measurement, objective probability, countdown or guaranteed forecast. Each published reading must link to its reasoning and retain the methodology in force at that time.
No fabricated content
Do not fabricate articles, testing, interviews, quotations, citations, readers, comments, subscribers, traffic, partners, supplier authorisations, market data or index readings.
AI-assisted editorial work
PHASE may use AI for live-source research, drafting and clearly labelled editorial illustrations. Generated material is saved privately for human review. The editor remains responsible for checking claims against sources, image provenance, disclosures and limitations before deliberately publishing. AI does not automatically publish articles or change PHASE SHIFT. Automated validation is a review aid, not a guarantee of factual accuracy.
Images and permitted uses
Images need a recorded basis for reuse, source information and accurate credit. Article, homepage thumbnail, machine catalogue and social uses are assessed separately. A fair-dealing assessment is a documented human editorial decision for a particular article and placement, not an automatic checkbox or AI verdict. Credit alone does not establish permission. Uncertain cases may require legal review. Documentary photographs retain their accurate colours; generated illustrations are labelled.