Editorial Policy

Research and sourcing

We prioritize primary research, systematic reviews, government and university publications, recognized taxonomic databases, and specialist mycological organizations. Commercial pages and unsourced summaries are not used as the sole support for safety, taxonomy, or health claims.

Source-to-claim checks

A reference is included only when it is relevant to the nearby claim or to the article’s stated scope. Editors check that the cited species, fungal material, preparation, population, outcome, and conclusion match the wording on the page. A long bibliography does not compensate for an unrelated citation.

Identification and health content

Mushroom identification and health information receives extra scrutiny. We avoid declaring wild mushrooms safe to eat remotely and do not present educational material as medical advice. Laboratory mechanisms, animal experiments, food-composition data, observational studies, and controlled human trials are described as different levels of evidence.

Publication requirements

A published guide must include an original descriptive image, visible image provenance, topic-specific FAQs, multiple relevant sources, and intentional links to related MushroomScope material. Category-specific structured fields must also be complete before the content system permits publication.

Topic clusters and internal links

Topic hubs organize related pages around broader reader tasks such as identification safety, nutrition evidence, beginner growing, easy recipes, and oyster mushroom learning paths. Hub pages are maintained as navigational and editorial context; they do not replace the more specific guide pages they connect.

Image and AI-use boundaries

Images are used for visual context, recipe presentation, or educational illustration. A generated or editorial image is never evidence that a wild mushroom has been identified. We do not publish AI-generated mushroom images as specimen proof, and image notes disclose when a picture is contextual rather than a field record.

Review labels and updates

Pages display publication and update dates. Health pages also display the date of their latest editorial or expert review. “Editorially reviewed” means the organizational team checked clarity, source relevance, uncertainty, and safety language; it does not imply review by a clinician, dietitian, or mycologist. Named expert review is shown only when it actually occurred.

Corrections

Readers can report a possible error through our contact page. Confirmed errors are corrected promptly and the page update date is revised when the change is substantive. Reports should identify the page, disputed statement, and supporting source where possible.

Independence and advertising

Advertising does not determine our editorial conclusions. Sponsored or affiliate relationships, if introduced, will be clearly disclosed. Advertisers do not receive approval rights over health, identification, or safety language.