Editorial Standards

At Alphabet Guides, we produce concise, evidence-based articles about health, welling, fitness, and nutrition. Our goal is to translate the complicated research into practical guidance.

We like to keep things transparent, so this page explains how we produce content, what evidence we use and how we maintain editorial independence, consistency and accuracy.

Scope

At Alphabet Guides, we publish:

• Free articles that summarise the best available evidence.
• Premium articles that are paywalled and are designed to be practical, effective and evidence-based.
• All our content is organised by topic on our index page that you can browse.

Our Mission & Independence

Our editorial mission is to present clear, practical, and factual summaries of health and fitness research that help readers make informed decisions about their own lives. 

We maintain editorial independence from commercial interests: authors and editors make content decisions based on relevance, the quality of evidence, and reader value. We do not take money from sponsors or advertisers. All our revenue comes from our paid subscriptions.

Evidence Standards: What We Rely On

We prioritise quality evidence and context. When forming recommendations or describing health effects, we look for:

1. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of high-quality studies.
2. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs), if available.
3. Observational studies (cohort, case-control) that meet Bradford-Hill Criteria when high-quality RCTs are not available.
4. Authoritative guidelines from respected public-health institutions or professional bodies.
5. We tend to avoid mechanistic or non-human lab studies, but may use them every now and again where no better evidence is available. 

We don't base our recommendations on single small or low-quality studies, non-peer-reviewed claims, or anecdotes. Where evidence is limited or conflicting, we apply logic, state the uncertainty plainly and avoid definitive claims.

Sources and Citations

• All factual claims that are not common knowledge usually include a numbered superscript citation linking to the source material in the full reference list (example¹)
• Transparency and accuracy are important to us. The full list of all the source material we use can be found at the end of our articles. 
• Where the full source material is available in another article, we may just link directly to it instead of repeating it.  
• We prioritise open-access, citable material like peer-reviewed articles, guidelines, and reputable public health institutions.
• We try not to link to fully hidden paywalled content or secondary "recycled" sources (other than our own).

Roles

• Authors: All content is written by contributors with relevant subject knowledge (e.g., research, training, and/or professional experience). Where authors want to be identified, they'll be credited within the content with their contribution clearly defined (usually at the top and/or end of the article).
• Editors & Reviewers: Editors and reviewers are responsible for verifying accuracy and completeness. Editors are there to check clarity, tone and structure of the content, and ensure that it follows our editorial standards. 

Acknowledgements of who did what are provided at the end of each article or guide. Content may be authored, reviewed and edited by the same expert using a structured editorial process and fixed standards. 

Editorial Process

We select topics based on:

• What we think readers want
• What we find interesting
• Where we think there's a knowledge gap
• Where we think the content might fit well

Authors draft content by researching the subject area and citing primary studies and reviews from PubMed or the journal's website. Reviewers check that the content and the primary sources are accurate. Editors then review the content for clarity, accuracy and tone.

Content is then published with credits, citations, sources and a publication date. We then monitor feedback and new evidence. Content may be updated periodically where relevant and appropriate. 

Corrections & Updates

Readers who identify errors should contact us at hello@alphabetguides.com. Please provide a concise description of where the error is or a link to the article, and any relevant supporting evidence. We'll correct factual errors as soon as possible.

We aim to review content at least every 24 months. The review cadence may vary by topic. For high-change fields, we review more frequently.  

Conflicts of Interest & Disclosures

We require all authors, editors and reviewers to disclose relevant conflicts of interest, including:

• Financial relationships with companies related to the article topic.
• Paid consultancies, sponsorships, or research funding.
• Significant personal interests that might influence judgment.

Disclosures are summarised within the content if relevant. If a piece is funded or supported by an external organisation, we disclose that funding and explain what role (if any) the funder had in content development.

Sponsorship, Advertising & Partnerships

We keep editorial content separate from any advertising and commercial partnerships. Our principles:

• No advertising within editorial content. Any promotions are clearly labelled and located away from editorial pages.
• Sponsorships or paid partnerships are disclosed clearly on the relevant pages. Sponsors do not control editorial content.
• Affiliate links (if any) are disclosed and should not be the primary reason for content.

If a partner or sponsor proposes content, it undergoes the same editorial process and is clearly identified as sponsored or partnered content.

How to Cite Our Content

If you wish to reference our material in journalism or research, please ensure that you clearly cite our work or contact us for permission to republish longer excerpts. For formal use, include the article title, "Alphabet Guides" as the publisher, the URL, and the publication date. 

Collaborations & Contributions

If you want to suggest a topic for us to write about or would like to submit an article of your own, please send it to hello@alphabetguides.com.

If you like our content but want answers to specific questions, we can provide consultancy services or create content at competitive rates. Get in contact with us to find out more.