Editorial Policy

Chemistry Fundamentals publishes only reviewed, sourced, learner-appropriate content. The site uses git as the content workflow (no separate CMS), typed Content Collections, and strict publication gates. Drafts are excluded from public routes, navigation, related-content blocks, search, feeds, and sitemaps — not merely labelled "draft" on a live page.

Source hierarchy

We prefer the most direct authoritative source suitable for each claim, current versions, and we record access/review dates. In order:

1. IUPAC recommendations, terminology, and Gold Book
2. CIAAW / IUPAC standard atomic weights (intervals and bracketed mass numbers preserved)
3. NIST Chemistry WebBook and CODATA 2022 constants
4. PubChem records for identifiers and carefully scoped property summaries
5. Primary standards bodies / government scientific agencies
6. ACS educational / safety material (RAMP)
7. OSHA, NIOSH, GHS-aligned / current SDS sources for safety context
8. Peer-reviewed literature for specialized claims
9. Established university / open educational resources for pedagogy where primary data does not explain at learner level
10. Curriculum frameworks such as NGSS — for curriculum mapping only, never a substitute for chemical data

We do not cite search-result snippets, low-quality SEO pages, anonymous answer sites, AI-generated text, or circular copies of another encyclopedia as primary evidence. Wikipedia may help locate sources but is not the final authority for disputed numerical data.

Source record model

Each source has a stable ID (its filename in src/content/references/), title, organization/authors, publication/container, URL or DOI, source type, publication/update year, access/review date, scope note, license/attribution note, archive link where lawful and useful, status (active / replaced / unavailable), and replacement/source-version link where appropriate. Content records reference source IDs rather than repeating inconsistent citations; pinpoint notes cover the section, table, or property field where needed.

See Sources and methodology for the live table and conflict rules.

Property-level provenance

For datasets (elements, compounds, reactions) we support field- or grouped-property-level provenance: canonical value, unit, uncertainty/range where published, measurement conditions (temperature, pressure, phase, isotope, allotrope, scale), source ID with pinpoint, last verified date, and transformation/rounding note if display differs from source. We never imply false precision and never silently average conflicting sources.

Conflict-resolution rules

1. Confirm that quantities use the same definition, unit, state, temperature, pressure, isotope, allotrope, and scale.
2. Prefer the recognized current standard/reference source for the exact property.
3. Preserve standard intervals and bracketed mass-number conventions.
4. If defensible sources differ, show a qualified range or choose one with a visible method note.
5. Mark unknown / not established rather than inventing a value.
6. Log the decision and reviewer (in dataset provenanceNotes or page change note).
7. Escalate safety-critical conflicts instead of auto-resolving them.

Editorial workflow and roles

Allowed statuses: draft → in_review → changes_requested → approved → scheduled → published → archived. Transitions are enforced by src/lib/content/filter.ts and src/lib/content/editorial-workflow.ts. Git is the workflow; no account system unless separately authorized.

Publication gates (must all pass for a public item)

• Unique ID/slug and valid schema
• Target audience, prerequisites, and learning objectives (where applicable)
• Complete body — no placeholder sections
• Verified formulas, equations, units, examples, and answer keys (balanced equations, dimensional checks)
• Appropriate citations and source IDs
• Chemistry review status and date (lastReviewedAt + reviewer)
• Safety review for experiments, hazards, or handling claims
• Accessibility checks for figures, tables, notation, and interactions
• Working internal/external links
• Metadata, canonical, and indexability decision correct
• No plagiarism or unlicensed copied media
• No automated claims that were never reviewed
• Drafts excluded from public routes, navigation, related blocks, search, feeds, and sitemaps

Content-type checklists

Defined in src/lib/content/checklists.ts and referenced by reviewers:

• Lessons: IUPAC terminology, difficulty-matched examples, misconceptions repaired accurately, equations balanced and notation accessible, objectives align with practice.
• Calculators: formula and assumptions cited, unit conversions/constants verified, significant figures documented, worked example independently recalculated, domain restrictions/error states tested, result not presented as experimental certainty.
• Element / Compound data: definition and conditions match source, missing values honest, identifiers verified, safety summaries do not replace SDS, uses/history have direct support.
• Reactions and practice: equation + phases verified, answer unambiguous or tolerance explicit, distractors map to real misconceptions, no encouragement of unsafe experimentation, model simplifications stated.
• Blog/editorial: fact vs interpretation vs opinion separated, real publish/update dates, time-sensitive claims reviewed, no fake views/comments/popularity/credentials.

Experiment & demonstration policy

Stricter schema (learner level, supervision, hazard summary, RAMP assessment, materials/concentrations, PPE/ventilation, waste, emergency considerations, prohibited substitutions, reviewers/dates, jurisdiction disclaimer, source procedure). Unreviewed experiments remain unpublished; simulations preferred where hazard is meaningful. See /safety.

Last reviewed semantics and change notes

`lastReviewedAt` means a real editorial/chemical review occurred on that date, not a trivial code deployment. Substantive scientific updates get a visible change note or correction entry; routine deployment does not alter review dates.

Last reviewed: 2026-08-23 · Publisher: Chemistry Fundamentals Editorial Team · See Sources and Corrections.

Related

• Sources and methodology
• Corrections & report an error
• Safety (RAMP)