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Editorial standards

Editorial guidelines

The standards every article, calculator and data point on CostToWork is held to — written so readers can hold us accountable to them.

Content creation standards

Every article we publish must answer a real question a worker is asking about the cost of going to work. We write in plain English, lead with the number that matters most, and never publish padding, paraphrased press releases or AI-generated filler. If a topic is not useful to commuters, hybrid or remote workers, we do not cover it.

Fact-checking process

Every numeric claim — fuel prices, average commute times, transit fares, tax rules — is traced to a primary source (government agency, peer-reviewed study, or official operator data). Editors verify each figure independently before publication and re-verify it on every scheduled update.

Research methodology

We document the formulas behind every calculator output. Assumptions, defaults and rounding rules are published on our Research Methodology page so any reader can reproduce or challenge our numbers.

Editorial review process

No article is published without a second editor reviewing structure, sourcing, and clarity. Long-form pillar pieces receive a third review focused on factual accuracy and reader usefulness.

Update policy

Pillar articles are reviewed at least once every 12 months and any time underlying data (fuel prices, transit fares, tax brackets, average wages) changes materially. The 'Last updated' date on each article reflects the most recent substantive review, not cosmetic edits.

Corrections policy

When we get something wrong, we fix it visibly. Material corrections are noted at the top of the affected article with the date and a one-line summary of what changed. Readers can flag errors via our contact page and we respond within five business days.