Go to the Source
4 min readUpdated 3 Aug 2026Required for every piece
Readers should be able to check anything you state as fact. Link the document, dataset or study the fact comes from, not a story about it.
Use the best source you can reach, in this order:
- Primary: the data, the law, the budget table, the study itself.
- Secondary: reporting or reviews that cite primary sources you've checked.
- Commentary: fine for opinion, never as the only support for a fact.
In Practice
Press releasesLink the report the release is about, and quote its numbers.
Paywalled studiesLink the journal page and a free working-paper version if one exists.
Dead linksAdd an archived copy; the editor warns you when a link breaks.