About this guide
Where this comes from: how facts are checked
The rules the editors follow for sources, dates, corrections and the limits of a general guide, so you can judge how far to trust a page.
A guide about bodies and outdoor risk should show its working. This page explains where the information on Gentle Grade comes from, what the editors do with it, and where a general guide runs out of road.
The kinds of sources used
The editors prefer public bodies whose job is to publish accurate information: park and land agencies, accessibility standard setters, national and international health agencies, research institutes and national health services. Peer-reviewed reviews are used where they exist, and the page says when the research is small or mixed. Commercial pages are not used to support a factual claim, and no brand, product or provider is recommended.
The checking rule
Every number, date, rule and name on a page was read on the source page itself before it was written down. If a page could not be opened, or did not say what the editors expected, the claim was removed or made more general. The editors do not estimate, round up or fill gaps from memory. Where a source states a standard for new construction, the page says so, because a federal design standard is not a promise about a particular trail, campsite or boat ramp.
Dates and keeping pages current
Each page shows the date it was last reviewed. Park rules, accessibility features and health guidance change, so a page is a starting point for your own check with the place or agency in question, not a substitute for it. Where a page reports a figure from a guideline, the guideline's own name and year are given in the text or in the source list.
Medical limits
The guides on returning to activity, pacing and balance describe what public health bodies say in general terms. They do not describe what is right for one person. Your condition, medicines and history matter, and your clinician knows them. Where a source names symptoms that need prompt attention, the page repeats them and points you back to a professional.
Corrections
If you spot an error, an out-of-date rule or a source that no longer says what a page claims, write to the editors using the contact page. Corrections are checked against the source and, where they hold up, made on the page with the new review date. The editors cannot answer personal medical questions.
The short version
Facts here come from sources the editors opened, and anything they could not check is left out. Treat each page as a well-sourced starting point and finish the job with the place, the agency and your care team.