Editorial Policy

This page explains how TerminalRow researches, writes, fact-checks and updates content.

Byline and authorship

All articles are published under the TerminalRow Editorial Team byline and link to the About page. We do not create fictional individual authors, photos or credentials. Content is researched by the editorial team and reviewed for technical accuracy before publication.

Source types, in order of preference

  1. Manufacturer datasheets and product manuals — cited with model number, publisher and access date
  2. IEC, ISO, NFPA and NEC standards — cited by standard number and year of edition
  3. Peer-reviewed publications and established technical references
  4. Reputable trade publications (Control Engineering, Automation World, ISA) for news and trend context
  5. Practitioner forum discussions (r/PLC, PLCtalk, Eng-Tips) — paraphrased and noted as practitioner accounts, never quoted as authoritative fact

Fact-checking process

Before any article is published, the editorial team compiles a fact-check table mapping each verifiable claim to a source URL. Any claim that cannot be verified against a primary source is removed from the article. Prices and model-specific data are verified at the time of writing, noted as "as of [Month YYYY]" and linked to the source.

AI-assisted research and writing

We use AI tools (including large language models) to assist with research, drafting, and content quality checks. All AI-assisted content is reviewed by the editorial team for technical accuracy. AI tools are never used to generate specifications, prices, part numbers or standards requirements without verification against primary sources. The "How we researched this" note at the bottom of each article states the basis for the content.

Vendor neutrality

TerminalRow does not accept sponsored content, vendor payments for editorial coverage, or free products in exchange for reviews. When recommending products, we state the selection criteria, show trade-offs, and name who each option is not for. We do not claim hands-on testing unless explicitly stated; the basis for recommendations (manufacturer datasheets, published pricing, practitioner accounts) is always disclosed.

Affiliate links

TerminalRow currently carries no affiliate links. If this changes, affected articles will carry a clear disclosure at the top of the page, and affiliate links will use rel="sponsored nofollow".

Update schedule

Articles with perishable content (prices, model lineups, regulations) are reviewed at least quarterly. The "Last updated" date shown on an article only changes when content is materially updated — not for minor copy edits. The dateModified in structured data matches the visible updated date.

Corrections

We correct factual errors promptly. If you find an error, please use the corrections page to report it. Significant corrections are noted at the bottom of the affected article.

Out-of-scope topics

TerminalRow belongs to a group of five sites with non-overlapping scopes. Topics out of scope for this site — robot arms, CNC machining, compressors and pumps, MES/ERP/CMMS — are covered by sister sites and linked to when relevant. No content is duplicated between sites.