Editorial standards
How we source, fact-check, attribute, disclose, and correct. The working methodology behind every story on animalcollar.ai.
Sourcing
Every factual claim in a flagship post traces to a primary source — a company press release, a regulatory filing, a peer-reviewed paper, a named on-record interview, or a directly-observed product experience. We cite these inline and list them in a Sources section at the foot of the piece.
When a source can't be verified, we say so. "We've reached out and will update" or "this number is unverified" are honest disclosures; we use them.
Fact-checking
Every flagship post is read in full by a second pair of eyes before publication. Specific numbers (prices, accuracy claims, ship dates, funding amounts) are checked against primary sources at the moment of publication and again whenever a post is materially updated.
Attribution
Named-author posts are written and signed by the listed author. "Editorial team" posts are multi-author or include contributions where attribution to a single person would be misleading.
We never use AI to draft editorial content. We do use AI tools for research support, summarization of long primary sources, and spell-checking. Any AI-assisted research is verified against the underlying source before it appears in a published piece.
Conflicts of interest
We have no equity holdings, paid consulting relationships, or family ties at any company we cover. If that ever changes, we disclose it inline on every relevant post, and update our disclosure page.
Free product units
We sometimes receive review units at no cost. When that happens, we disclose it inline at the top of the review. The product goes back to the manufacturer after testing, or is donated, or — if the company declines its return — disclosed publicly.
Affiliate links
We use affiliate links to retailers (Amazon and direct manufacturer sites). They never influence verdicts. We publish skeptical reviews of products even when it costs us affiliate revenue. Full breakdown on our disclosure page.
Updates
Posts get updated when the underlying facts change. Major updates (new verdict, new pricing, new product version) are dated and summarized at the top of the post. Minor edits (typos, clarifications) aren't called out individually but are reflected in the post's modified date.
Corrections
If we get something wrong, we correct it visibly. A corrections note appears at the foot of the post explaining what was wrong, what changed, and when. We don't silently rewrite history.
To report a correction, email editor@animalcollar.ai with a link to the affected post and a primary source for the correct version.
Privacy of subjects
We don't publish personally identifying information about consumers without consent. Sources who request "on background" treatment get it. Public figures and corporate spokespersons are quotable in their capacity as public actors.
This page is versioned
When we change anything substantive on this page, we'll publish a note in the Weekly Brief so subscribers know.