Editorial checklist
A recommendation needs a reason.
Six questions for understanding the evidence, context and limitations behind a recommendation.
No product has been assessed on this page. Use this checklist to understand what a recommendation should explain. These are our editorial requirements, not sample findings or a product verdict.
Who is it for?
State the intended reader, use case and market. Explain the circumstances in which a different choice—or no purchase—would be more appropriate.
What is the evidence?
Identify whether the piece is based on hands-on testing, documented research or both. Record the exact product version, sources and dates. For testing, describe acquisition, conditions and meaningful limitations.
What worked, and what did not?
Describe observed strengths and trade-offs with evidence. Separate measured results from subjective impressions. Do not fill missing evidence with a score or an invented verdict.
What should the reader verify locally?
Check version, availability, seller, warranty, returns and any ongoing costs in the relevant market. Prices, if used in a future review, need a currency, source and checked date.
What is the commercial context?
Disclose gifts, loans, sponsorships or affiliate arrangements beside the relevant content. A recommendation must not be published without its evidence and a responsible human editor’s approval.
What changed?
A published review needs publication and review dates, a correction history and a monitored corrections route. None of those fields should imply a review has taken place when it has not.
Start with your own buying brief, then use these questions to identify gaps in the evidence. For sourcing, AI assistance and corrections, see our Editorial Methodology.