Editorial Policy

Accuracy and Scope#

• State the canonical definition narrowly enough to preserve legitimate source criticism.
• Distinguish a common textbook classification from specialist scholarly alternatives.
• Use “commonly traced to” where priority or coinage has not been conclusively established.
• Label fictional examples and avoid implying that invented people or studies are real.
• Treat false medieval well-poisoning accusations as persecution history, never as legitimate allegations.
• Do not publish instructions about literal poisoning or contamination.

Source Standards#

Historical quotation and phrase-origin claims should begin with the primary text. Specialist questions should use peer-reviewed or authoritative scholarship. General definitions may use reviewed reference works.

Citations belong beside the claim they support and should include a useful locator where possible. The full bibliography identifies author, work, publication, year, pages or section, DOI or stable URL, and source type.

Authorship and Review#

Content uses the transparent organisational byline “Poisonwell Editorial Team.” The site does not attribute work to invented people or claim credentials it cannot document.

Review checks definition, logical classification, historical claims, example boundaries, citations, media licences, accessibility, internal links, and agreement between visible content and structured data.

Corrections and Revisions#

Documented corrections are prioritised when they affect the core definition, a historical statement, a source locator, an image licence, or classroom guidance. Significant changes update the modification date and page revision note; cosmetic edits do not create fake freshness.

Readers can submit corrections through the contact page. The editorial team evaluates evidence rather than changing a claim merely because it is disputed.

AI Assistance#

AI tools may assist with drafting, organisation, code, or checks. They are not treated as sources. Factual claims must be verified against the cited material, and the site operator retains responsibility for the published result.

AI-generated filler, invented quotations, fabricated bibliographic fields, fake credentials, and unsupported claims of expertise are prohibited.

Search and Link Integrity#

• Write for a distinct reader need, not a word-count or page-count quota.
• Do not hide text, links, fields, or keywords from readers.
• Do not create doorway pages for near-identical queries.
• Do not buy links, manufacture mentions, or stuff internal anchors.
• Keep Slopernet links visible, relevant, restrained, and separate from evidence citations.
• Never promise inclusion in Google Search, Gemini, or an AI Overview.

Independence and Commercial Context#

Poisonwell.com currently carries no advertising or sponsored editorial content. If sponsorship, affiliate relationships, analytics, or paid placements are introduced, the relevant policy and page disclosures must be updated before publication.