Rankings are useful only if people trust them.
These principles apply to every property in the portfolio. Commercial relationships may influence clearly labelled commercial placement. They do not quietly alter independent factual information.
Accuracy before completeness
A smaller dataset that is right beats a larger one that is guessed. Where a value is unknown, it is left empty rather than filled in.
Sources and dates
Records carry where a value came from and when it was last checked, because a price or specification without a date is not information.
Ranking methodology
Factual rankings follow a stated method. If the method changes, the change is visible on the property that uses it.
Editorial independence
Factual comparisons are produced independently of who is buying advertising.
Sponsored placements
Paid positions exist, and they are labelled as paid every time they appear. A sponsor buys a marked position, not a better factual result.
Affiliate disclosure
Where a link earns a commission, that is disclosed on the property using it.
Corrections
When data changes or we get something wrong, the record is corrected. Being right later is better than being consistent.
Data maintenance
Records are reviewed and refreshed as markets move, rather than published once and left to rot.
Conflict separation
Commercial conversations are kept apart from factual data work, so nobody has to choose between an advertiser and an accurate record.