Source & Citation Policy
Primary research is the factual foundation whenever it is available.
Source hierarchy
We begin with the original paper, report or dataset. We then check relevant federal sources—including PubMed/NCBI, NIH, ClinicalTrials.gov, CDC, FDA, NASA, NOAA, USGS, DOE/OSTI, NIST and other scientific agencies—for identifiers, registrations, government-funded reports, data and authoritative context. Press releases may help discovery, but they do not replace the research.
What we verify
We attempt to verify title, authors, journal, DOI or PMID, publication date, design, subjects, sample, institution, funding, disclosures, review status, access status and the primary URL. Missing information is marked Not available rather than guessed.
Government sources have different roles
A trial registry records what investigators planned; it does not prove efficacy. A repository helps locate research; it does not validate every conclusion. Agency surveillance or guidance can provide authoritative context without being direct evidence for a separate paper. We label these roles rather than grouping every link together as equivalent evidence.
Supporting sources
Background claims may use systematic reviews, clinical guidance, official mission pages or research-institution materials. Another science-news website is not used as the factual foundation when primary research is available.
Original language
Scientific facts, measurements and discoveries are explained in our own words. We do not copy journal abstracts, news releases or agency pages as article text. Direct quotations are exceptional, brief, clearly marked and attributed.