Editorial method

Topic selection

Topics are chosen because they answer a real, useful question about an everyday object. We deliberately stay away from medical, financial, legal, and safety-critical advice; entries explain terminology and design, and defer to manufacturer safety instructions where relevant.

Source hierarchy

Claims are checked against the most primary source available, in this order:

1. Manufacturer technical documentation and catalogs
2. Patent records and standards organizations
3. Museum and library collections
4. Trade associations and industry references
5. Reputable secondary writing, used only to confirm, never as a primary basis

Every entry lists its sources with access dates. A claim that cannot be traced to a source is either removed, rewritten as explicit uncertainty, or not published.

Review and corrections

Each entry is read by a human editor before publication and carries a last-reviewed date. Readers can report errors through the contact page; material corrections are made and the review date is updated.

Images and licensing

We use our own photographs and original diagrams wherever possible. Third-party images are used only with a clear license, and every figure credits its creator and source. No image is copied from e-commerce listings, manufacturer advertising, or social media.

AI assistance

Some drafts may be prepared with research and language-assistance tools. Every published entry is selected, checked, edited, and signed off by a human editor. We cite sources for factual claims and correct material errors when readers report them.

AI tools may help with questions, research notes, English phrasing, and drafts. They never select facts, invent sources, or publish anything automatically.