The Young Dentist aims to verify material factual claims before publication using sources appropriate to the subject, significance and potential consequences of the information.
Verification runs through research, drafting, editorial review and post-publication correction.
Our Verification Process
- Identify what needs verification. This may include names, dates, quotations, statistics, research findings, clinical claims, regulatory information and product specifications.
- Select the appropriate source. The strongest source depends on the claim being checked.
- Check the primary source where possible. Important claims should be traced to underlying research, documents or official records where reasonably possible.
- Check names, dates, numbers and quotes. Basic factual details should be verified where relevant.
- Review higher-risk claims. Health, patient-safety, regulatory and serious reputation-related claims may require additional confirmation.
- Conduct final editorial review. Sourcing, limitations, context and headline accuracy may be reviewed before publication.
- Continue verification after publication. Credible new evidence or correction requests may justify further review.
Evaluating Source Quality
- Proximity
- Does the source have direct knowledge of the information?
- Authority
- Is the source responsible for or qualified to speak to the specific issue?
- Transparency
- Can the underlying data, document or methodology be checked?
- Independence
- Does the source have relevant commercial, professional or personal interests?
- Currency
- Is the source current enough for a claim that may change over time?
Clinical, Research and Product Claims
Clinical claims may be checked against clinical guidelines, systematic reviews, peer-reviewed research, regulatory information and professional guidance.
Research reporting should consider population, study design, sample size, outcomes, limitations, funding and whether conclusions match the underlying data.
Manufacturers may be authoritative for first-party product facts such as specifications and intended use, while claims about effectiveness, diagnostic accuracy, safety or superiority may require independent evidence.
Statistics, Quotes and Jurisdiction
Statistics should be checked against reliable source material and interpreted with the relevant population, geography and time period. Quotations should accurately represent the speaker's meaning.
Clinical guidance, licensing, regulation and product availability may differ between jurisdictions. Where location materially affects a claim, the relevant jurisdiction should be identified.
Anonymous Sources and AI
The Young Dentist rarely uses unnamed sources. See the Unnamed Sources Policy.
AI-generated output is not treated as an authoritative factual source. See the AI Use Policy.
Post-Publication Verification
If reliable evidence shows that published information is incorrect, materially incomplete or misleading, the article may be corrected or updated.
Potential errors can be reported to corrections@theyoungdentist.com. See the Corrections Policy.
Related Editorial Standards
Verification is part of the wider standards described in the Editorial Policy, Publishing Principles and Ethics Policy.