Corrections Policy

What the Articled Corrections Policy Covers

Every document gets checked, but mistakes still happen. Edited text runs the risk of getting sourced material wrong, and numbers can be transposed in the editing process. One fact can be correct at the time you write it, but can later be out-dated. A corrections policy acknowledges that mistakes happen, and shows that the editor is not in denial of that fact.

This policy addresses errors regarding outdated statistics, misquotes, misattributions, and faulty citations. It addresses instances where individuals or organizations have been misrepresented. This policy applies to work we have done but have not yet published, work which we submitted with an error, as well as work which we relied on an external source to submit with an error.

We will not attend to disputes over the interpretation of facts. When a fact is inaccurate, it should be corrected. When a reader takes issue with an argument, that is a debate, not a correction, and we will state so, instead of subtly revising a defensible opinion that has generated a complaint.

• Wrong figures, dates, names or attributions
• Citations that do not support the claim made
• Quotes that misrepresent what someone said
• Facts that have since changed materially
• Not covered: disagreement with an argument we can defend

How the Articled Corrections Policy Works

To communicate a delivery error, you can email the delivery email or communicate through the contact page. You do not have to explain your rationale or prove your answer. Point out the sentence and indicate what is wrong. Clients do not have to be the ones who provide the rationale or the answer. We welcome readers contacting us to tell us about publishing errors.

We will acknowledge the case within one workday. We will get right to the investigation. If the mistake is validated, you will receive the error-free version of the file and a brief explanation of the mistake and how it happened. If we cannot validate the mistake, you will receive the evidence that we based our conclusion on so you can decide what you think.

Corrections are always free regardless of delivery time or if the revision window has closed. Charging to make corrections of errors we made ourselves would be an odd business to be in.

When the Articled Corrections Policy Applies

The policy applies from delivery onward with no expiry. A report is a report whether the piece went out last week or two years ago, and we’d rather fix an old error than claim it is too late to matter.

Where a piece is already published under your name, you have the option to decide the course of action, as we provide the corrected text and suggested correction note and you have the option to append, replace the page, or completely disregard our recommendation. We suggest the visible note as a course of action, as silently making the change to the text erodes value for readers who happen to notice the change.

Internally, we pass along confirmed errors to the writer and editor who made the mistake. This is not for disciplinary reasons, but as a way to signal that a pattern in mistakes is the best quality control system we have developed, and a policy that only addresses the published error never addresses the root cause.

Articled Corrections Policy FAQs