Editorial Policy

Last updated: July 30, 2026

1. Our Mission
   CourseJournal exists to help readers make better decisions about online courses, software tools,
   certifications, and their careers. Every article we publish is written to answer one question: what would
   we tell a friend who asked us about this course, tool, or career path? If a product isn’t worth your money
   or time, we say so.
2. Editorial Independence
   CourseJournal is reader-supported and earns revenue through affiliate commissions when readers
   purchase products through links on our site. That revenue funds our work — it does not direct it. Our
   editorial standards are:

• Companies cannot pay for coverage, a positive review, a higher rating, or placement in a ranking.
  We do not accept payment to publish, alter, or remove editorial content.
• Writers and editors do not know or consider commission rates when evaluating products. A
  product with no affiliate program is eligible for the same coverage and rankings as one that pays a
  commission.
• Vendors never see reviews before publication and have no approval rights over our conclusions.
• If we recommend a product, it is because our testing and research support that recommendation
  — full stop.

1. How We Review and Rank Products
   Our recommendations are based on hands-on experience and structured research, following the testing
   process published on our Testing Process page. In practice this means:

• First-hand testing: we enroll in courses, use the software, and work through the material ourselves
  wherever possible. Reviews describe what we actually experienced, including screenshots and
  results from real use.
• Consistent criteria: products in a category are assessed against the same rubric — for example,
  content quality, instructor expertise, production value, pricing and refund terms, support, and
  outcomes — so comparisons are apples to apples.
• Secondary research: where our own testing has limits, we supplement it with verified user
  reviews, community feedback, instructor credentials, and vendor documentation.
• Honest tradeoffs: we state pros and cons for every product we cover, including the ones we
  recommend. No product is presented as flawless.

1. Fact-Checking and Sourcing
   Every article is checked before publication in line with our Fact Checking page. Our standards:

• factual claims — prices, feature lists, statistics, certification requirements — are verified against
  primary sources such as the vendor’s official site, official documentation, or the certifying body;
• statistics and studies are attributed and linked to their original source, not to secondary coverage;
• pricing and promotional details are checked at the time of writing and dated where practical, since
  vendor pricing changes frequently; and
• claims we cannot verify are removed or clearly framed as opinion.

1. Content Updates and Review Cadence
   Courses and software change quickly, so our content carries dates readers can trust. The published and
   last-updated dates on each article are accurate — we do not artificially refresh dates to appear current.
   High-traffic reviews and comparison articles are re-reviewed periodically, and materially outdated
   content is updated, marked as outdated, or removed. If a product we recommended significantly
   changes or is discontinued, we update the relevant articles as soon as we are able.
2. Authorship and Expertise
   Articles carry a byline identifying the writer, and author pages describe their relevant background and
   experience. Writers cover topics they have direct experience with — a certification prep guide, for
   instance, is written or reviewed by someone who has worked with that certification path. Where we use
   AI tools to assist with research or drafting, a human writer and editor remain responsible for testing
   claims, verifying facts, and approving every article before publication.
3. Affiliate Links and Advertising Disclosure
   Articles containing affiliate links carry a disclosure so readers know we may earn a commission,
   consistent with the FTC Endorsement Guides. Affiliate links never change what we write; they only
   determine whether we get paid when our recommendation helps a reader buy. We currently do not
   publish sponsored posts. If that changes, sponsored content will be clearly and conspicuously labeled
   and kept separate from editorial reviews.
4. Free Products and Review Access
   Occasionally a vendor may provide free access to a course or tool for review purposes. Free access never
   guarantees coverage or a positive review, and we disclose it in the relevant article. We do not accept
   gifts, travel, or other compensation in exchange for coverage.
5. Corrections
   When we get something wrong, we fix it. Significant factual errors are corrected promptly and, where
   the error was material to the article’s conclusions, noted in the article. To report an error, use our
   contact page or email [email protected] — please include the article URL and the specific
   claim in question. We review every report.
6. Feedback
   Reader feedback makes our coverage better. If you disagree with a review, have experience with a
   product we covered, or think we missed something important in a category, we want to hear from you
   at https://coursejournal.com/contact/.