Editorial standards

These standards govern everything published on Ainaptic. They exist so readers can judge our work, and hold us to it.

Human review is required

No article is published automatically. Research, source monitoring and drafting may be assisted by automated tooling, but every piece is read, verified and approved by a human editor before publication. An editor is accountable for every claim on this site.

Disclosure of AI assistance

We use software to monitor sources, gather documentation and prepare drafts. We do not publish machine-generated text as though a person wrote it unaided, and we do not present synthetic quotes, fabricated sources or invented benchmark figures. Where automation materially shaped a piece beyond routine research, we say so in the article.

Sourcing

• We prefer primary sources: documentation, release notes, filings, papers, source code and named on-the-record interviews.
• Claims made by a vendor about its own product are attributed to that vendor, not stated as fact.
• We link to what we cite so readers can check it themselves.
• Anonymous sourcing is used only where there is a clear public interest and a real risk to the source. An editor must know the source’s identity.

How we test tools

Reviews are based on hands-on use against realistic tasks. We state what version we tested, when we tested it, and the conditions. We say what we could not test. Scores and verdicts reflect that testing, not vendor briefings.

Reporting and opinion are separated

Opinion and analysis are labelled as such. Reporting does not carry the author’s view of what should happen.

Conflicts of interest

Contributors disclose any financial interest, employment, consulting relationship or personal connection to a company or project they cover. Where a conflict cannot be avoided, it is disclosed on the article. See our ethics policy.

Advertising and commercial content

Advertisers, sponsors and affiliate partners have no input into editorial decisions and no advance sight of coverage. Any sponsored or affiliate content is clearly labelled and visually distinct from editorial. A commercial relationship never buys a review, a rating or a place in our directory.

Accuracy and corrections

We correct errors promptly and visibly rather than quietly editing them away. Our corrections policy explains how.

Right of reply

Where we make a significant critical claim about a company or person, we seek comment before publication and publish the substance of any response.

Questions

If you think we have fallen short of these standards, write to [email protected].