Editorial Standards

Last Updated: February 14, 2026

Editorial Standards

Oahu Underground reporting follows an evidence-first process.

Core Practices

  1. Primary-source documentation comes before narrative claims whenever possible.
  2. Claims are labeled by evidence class (public records, direct testimony, analysis, or inference).
  3. Material updates are timestamped and incorporated with visible revision history.
  4. Conflicts of interest are disclosed when relevant to the reporting scope.
  5. Anonymous sources are used only when disclosure could cause retaliation or legal risk.

Evidence Discipline

  • Public records are linked directly where available.
  • Quotations are checked against source material before publication.
  • For technical claims, reproducible references are preferred over secondary summaries.
  • Firsthand reports are labeled as firsthand reports, not adjudicated facts.
  • Sealed-record-dependent claims are identified as dependent on authorized review of sealed audio, exhibits, filings, or transcripts.
  • Legal and structural conclusions are labeled as analysis or inference unless an adjudicative body has made the finding.
  • Article pages may be revised when records, source responses, or official dispositions clarify the facts.

Source Archive Policy

  • Public source links are preserved where possible through direct links, citations, and archived copies.
  • Local archival copies are used to preserve public records, not to imply that every archived source proves every claim on a page.
  • Sealed, confidential, private, or unlawfully obtained material is not published merely because it would be useful to a narrative.
  • When a page describes sealed or non-public records, it should state what authorized review would be needed to confirm or falsify the claim.

Right of Reply

Named people, institutions, and organizations may send corrections, clarifications, or responses. Responses are reviewed for factual relevance and may be incorporated, summarized, linked, or noted in-page when they materially clarify the record.

Contact

Questions about standards can be sent to [email protected].