Editorial Policy

This Editorial Policy describes how content on the Dating Standards Calculator is researched, written, reviewed, and corrected. We publish it because trust should be earned in the open, and because readers deserve to know how the numbers and words on this site are produced.

Our commitment

We commit to accuracy, transparency, and usefulness. Every statistic we publish is tied to a named public source, every method is documented, and every article is written to inform rather than to mislead. When we are uncertain, we say so plainly. When we are wrong, we fix it and note the change.

Who produces our content

Our articles and data tables are produced by an editorial team with backgrounds in statistics and data journalism. Authors are named on the pieces they write, each with a short biography and, where relevant, their areas of expertise, so you can see who stands behind the work and reach them if you need to. A named author is a form of accountability, and we take it seriously.

How we choose sources

We prefer primary sources over second-hand summaries. For United States figures, that means the US Census Bureau, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For other countries, we use the national statistics office wherever possible, such as the Office for National Statistics, Statistics Canada, the Australian Bureau of Statistics, and Destatis. We favor measured data over self-reported data, and we record the source and the year of every table we use.

How we fact-check

Before a piece is published, its key figures are checked against the original release, and its method is reviewed for statistical soundness. We cross-check numbers that look surprising, and we clearly flag any figure that is an estimate rather than a direct measurement. Claims that cannot be supported by a credible source do not get published, no matter how appealing they might be.

Accuracy and corrections

We aim to get things right the first time, but no publisher is perfect. When an error is found, we correct it promptly, and for anything material we make clear that a correction was made. If you believe something on the site is inaccurate, please tell us through the contact page, and we will investigate and respond.

Keeping content current

Demographic data changes, and content can age. We review our figures when new government releases become available and update our tables and articles accordingly. Each page shows when it was last updated so you can judge how fresh the information is at a glance.

Independence from advertising

Our editorial decisions are made independently of any advertiser. Advertising helps keep the site free, but advertisers do not influence which topics we cover, what our data shows, or the conclusions we draw. Advertising is always clearly distinguishable from editorial content, and a sponsored placement is never dressed up as an article.

Conflicts of interest

We disclose any relationship that could reasonably be seen to affect our coverage. We do not accept payment to alter a statistic or to reach a predetermined conclusion, and we do not let commercial partnerships shape our analysis. The data leads, and the writing follows it.

Use of tools and human review

We use software to help compile and check data, and to draft and edit efficiently. Every published article and figure is reviewed by a person before it goes live. Technology speeds up the work, but it does not replace human judgment or accountability, and a named editor is responsible for what appears on the site.

Our standards for tone

Some of our content uses humor, and the calculator offers playful and blunt result tones. Even when we are being funny, we do not target individuals, use slurs, or shame anyone. The joke is always about the math, never about a person, and we hold our writing to that line.

How we present statistics responsibly

Numbers can mislead even when they are correct, so we take care with how we frame them. We give context for a figure rather than dropping it in isolation, we distinguish between a measured value and an estimate, and we avoid implying precision the data does not support. When a statistic carries an important caveat, such as being self-reported, we say so next to the number rather than burying it in a footnote.

Sourcing the calculator engine

The calculator is only as good as the data behind it, so the same standards apply to the tool itself. Each distribution the engine uses is drawn from a named survey, tagged with a version, and documented on the methodology page. When we change a table, we record the source and the year, so a result today can be traced back to exactly the figures that produced it.

Reader privacy in our reporting

Our reporting never depends on tracking individuals. We write from public, population-level datasets, not from anything a reader enters into the site, and the calculator inputs stay on the visitor's device. Good statistics do not require surveillance, and we would rather earn trust than harvest it.

Independence of the delusion score

The delusion score follows a fixed, published formula. It is not tuned to flatter anyone or to produce a particular headline, and it does not change based on who is asking. The same inputs always return the same score, and the method is open for anyone to inspect on the methodology page.

Balance and fairness

We apply the same method to every group and every question, and we run the identical engine for men and for women. We do not tilt a result to favor one side of a debate, and we present what the data shows even when it is unflattering or surprising. Fairness here means consistency, not softening the numbers.

Feedback and complaints

We welcome feedback, corrections, and questions about our methods. The fastest way to reach the editorial team is through the contact page. We read every genuine message and reply to those that raise a substantive point about our data or our writing, because good feedback makes the site better.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Editorial Policy as our process evolves. The date at the top of this page reflects the current version, and material changes will be described there.