Methodology

Below are the rules for choosing topics and working with data, along with the limits of the approach stated out loud.

Where topics and evidence come from

Topics come from questions readers actually ask, not from a list of popular queries. Conclusions rest on data whose owner and date can be named.

Limits of applicability

What is written here is not individual advice. A reader situation may differ from the one described, and only a specialist who knows the details can check that.

Reviewing what is published

We come back to a text when the figures or rules it describes go out of date. Cosmetic edits do not count as an update.

Editorial policy

Material on this site is prepared and checked by Claire Ashford.