Editorial Standards & Process
RathBiotaClan is committed to accurate, evidence-based science journalism. This page explains exactly how we source, verify, write, and correct our content — so you know precisely what standard every article on this platform is held to.
How We Work
Source Verification First
Every article begins with a peer-reviewed, primary source — a published study in a recognised journal (Nature, Cell, PNAS, PLOS ONE, etc.). We do not publish articles based solely on press releases or secondary media reports.
Direct DOI Links
Every article that cites a study links directly to the original paper via its DOI (Digital Object Identifier). Readers can independently verify every claim at its original source at any time.
Accurate Science Translation
We do not sensationalise findings. When a study is preliminary, small-scale, or has limitations, we say so. Headlines reflect what the research actually demonstrates — not what would get the most clicks.
Qualified Authorship
All content is written or reviewed by Shibasis Rath (M.Sc. Bioinformatics, B.Sc. Zoology). Specialist content in areas such as bioinformatics, genomics, and ecology is written from direct subject expertise.
No AI-Generated Content
Articles on RathBiotaClan are human-written. AI tools may be used to assist with research or formatting, but all scientific interpretation, writing, and editorial judgement is carried out by our editorial team.
Clear Distinction: News vs. Opinion
We clearly distinguish between news reporting (what the research found), explanatory content (what it means), and opinion/commentary (what we think). Each article type is labelled appropriately.
Our Editorial Limits
- We do not publish articles based on non-peer-reviewed sources without explicitly stating that.
- We do not accept payment to publish or promote specific research findings.
- We do not present correlation as causation without clear qualification.
- We do not publish research from predatory journals as if they were credible.
- We do not use misleading or exaggerated headlines to inflate clicks.
- We do not delete articles where we made errors — we correct them publicly (see below).
Accountability
We make mistakes. When we do, we fix them publicly and promptly. Our corrections policy:
Minor corrections
(spelling, grammar, minor factual errors) are fixed within 24 hours. A note is added at the bottom of the article stating what was corrected and when.
Significant corrections
(misrepresented findings, incorrect data) receive a clearly visible correction notice at the top of the article, with an explanation of what changed and why.
Retraction
If an article is found to be fundamentally inaccurate and uncorrectable, it is retracted and replaced with a retraction notice. We do not silently delete content.
Editorial Independence & Funding
RathBiotaClan is an independently owned science communication platform, founded and operated by Shibasis Rath. It is MSME-certified under the Government of India’s Udyam scheme.
The platform generates revenue through display advertising and an e-commerce store (shop.rathbiotaclan.com). No advertiser or sponsor has any influence over our editorial content. Advertisers are not informed of content in advance, and we do not accept payment for coverage of specific research, products, or organisations.
If we ever publish sponsored content, it will be clearly and prominently labelled as such — distinctly separate from our editorial content.
