Editorial Standards

These editorial standards describe how Global Watchdog actually works — not a polished fantasy version of it. There is no newsroom here, no staff, no interns. Every word on this site is written by me, Dr. Alan Wood. That is the whole secret, and it is also the whole accountability structure.

Who Writes Here

Mostly me — Dr. Alan Wood. Every piece with my byline is mine: the writing, the judgment calls, the conclusions. I do not run sponsored content, or use AI to generate articles and stick my name on them. (I use research tools the way everyone uses search engines, but the writing, the judgment calls, and the conclusions are mine.) If a piece carries my name, I wrote it. Full stop. But this is not a closed shop: I welcome guest contributions. If you have expertise, original research, or a consumer story worth telling, pitch me through the Contact page. Guest articles run under the author’s own byline and get the same editorial standards: sourced claims, disclosed conflicts, no pay-to-play. Nobody has taken me up on it yet — the door is open. That is the first of these editorial standards, and the one everything else hangs on.

Corrections: How I Handle Mistakes

I get things wrong sometimes. Everyone who writes does. The difference is what happens next: I fix it promptly, and I say so. Substantive corrections get a visible note on the article explaining what changed and when. Typos and small formatting fixes do not get a drumroll, but anything that changes the meaning of a claim does.

If you spot an error, tell me through the Contact page. I will check it, fix it if you are right, and thank you for it. That is how the editorial standards here work in practice: readers keep me honest, and I say so when they do.

Editorial Standards for Sourcing

When I make health or science claims, I cite authoritative sources — peer-reviewed research, government health agencies, established medical references — and I link to them so you can check my work.

One important boundary: I am a consumer advocate, not a doctor, and I do not pretend otherwise. Nothing here is medical advice. For personal health decisions, talk to a qualified professional. And when the evidence is mixed or thin, I say that too. Certainty is cheap; honesty costs more.

Review Methodology: Compared, Not Lab-Tested

Product roundups on this site are comparisons, not lab tests. Here is the method: I pull the specs, read a pile of owner reviews (looking for patterns, not outliers), and check what expert reviewers found. Then I weigh all of it and rank accordingly.

Unless an article explicitly says I personally tested a product, assume I compared it. I do not have a test lab, a review-unit pipeline, or a budget for buying fifty air fryers. What I have is a lot of practice spotting which products actually satisfy the people who bought them.

Affiliate Disclosure, Every Time

This site is reader- and affiliate-supported. When you click a product link and buy something, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. That relationship is disclosed wherever it appears and in the full Affiliate Disclosure, following the FTC’s endorsement guidelines — plus one house rule on top:

A product that pays a commission and stinks still gets called out. Consider it one of the core editorial standards of this site: the money never picks the winners. The day affiliate money starts picking winners is the day this site stops being worth reading.

Opinion vs. Reporting

Some articles report facts; some are my opinions, argued at length. They are labeled clearly. News-style explainers stick to verifiable claims with sources. Essays and opinion pieces are me making a case — and you will know which is which because I will tell you. I do not do the thing where opinion gets laundered into reporting. That is not just a style choice; it is part of these editorial standards.

The Tipline: Confidential Sources Welcome

Got a tip about a shady product, a misleading claim, or something a company would rather keep quiet? The Tipline is open, and confidential sources are welcome. I protect sources. If you need to stay anonymous, say so upfront and we will work it out. Not every tip becomes a story, but every tip gets read.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions I get asked about these editorial standards — answered straight:

Do you accept guest posts?
Yes — gladly. Pitch me through the Contact page. Guest articles run under your byline with the same editorial standards: sourced claims, honest conclusions, no sponsored content. The bar is high and the editor is picky.

Do you use AI to write your articles?
No. I do not publish AI-generated articles under my name. The research, writing, and conclusions are mine — which is also why any mistakes are mine to fix.

Do you actually test the products you recommend?
Usually not — and I am upfront about it. Roundups compare products using specs, owner reviews, and expert reviews. When I have personally tested something, the article says so.

How do I report an error?
Use the Contact page. Substantive mistakes get fixed promptly, with a visible correction note on the article.

Can affiliate commissions influence your rankings?
They are not allowed to. Affiliate relationships are disclosed wherever they appear, and a bad product does not get a pass just because it pays a commission.

These editorial standards are not a wish list. They are how the site already runs — written down so you can hold me to them.

Freshness note: This page was last reviewed on September 29, 2026, and it describes how the site operates today.