Verification Methodology

How every Maqalat article gets from "idea" to "published" — the exact steps, in the exact order.

1. Topic selection

We publish only when we can add real value to a topic — not to fill a content calendar. A topic passes the first gate when we can answer three questions honestly:

• Does a Saudi or Arab reader actually search for this?
• Are the existing top results incomplete, outdated, or misleading in a way we can materially fix?
• Do primary sources exist that we can cite for every material claim we plan to make?

If any answer is no, the topic is deferred until it is yes.

2. Source hierarchy

Not all sources are equal. We use them in this order:

1. Primary official sources — Saudi government authorities (Ministry of Finance, GOSI, MoH, ETEC, ZATCA, SAMA, CMA), international bodies (WHO, ACOG, CDC, NIH, NICE, Cochrane, Harvard T.H. Chan School), and authoritative academic references.
2. Peer-reviewed publications — journals indexed in Scopus / Web of Science / PubMed.
3. Reputable secondary sources — established news organisations (Reuters, Bloomberg, Saudi Gazette) for factual reporting, never as the sole source for a claim.

Social media posts, anonymous forums, and content-farm articles are not sources — they are, at most, leads to investigate through the hierarchy above.

3. What we never publish

• Fabricated statistics, quotes, or attributions.
• Health, legal, or financial claims without a primary source.
• "It is said" or "experts believe" without a named source.
• Prices, dates, or regulations without a link to the official issuing body.
• Recycled summaries of other articles — we always work back to the primary source.

4. AI transparency

We use large language models as a drafting assistant — for outlining, rephrasing, and language polish. We do not use AI to invent facts or generate citations. Every source cited on this site was checked by a human against the linked primary source before publication. When we cannot verify a claim, we omit it.

5. YMYL articles (health, finance, law, government)

YMYL ("Your Money or Your Life") articles carry the highest bar. In addition to the process above:

• Every clinical, legal, or financial claim is anchored to an inline citation, not a footnote list.
• A visible disclaimer clarifies that the content is educational and not a substitute for professional consultation.
• Interactive tools (BMI, pregnancy, zakat, salary calendar) are built on documented rules — we publish the rule and the source beside the tool.

6. Corrections and updates

A published article is not frozen. When a source changes (new law, new policy, revised guideline) or when a reader flags a mistake, we:

• Correct the article and update the "updated" date at the top.
• Note the substantive change at the end of the article.
• Credit the reader who flagged a material error, on request.

Email maqalatorg@gmail.com with the article link and the error — we respond within 48 hours.

7. Independence

Advertising (Google AdSense) may appear on the site. Ads do not influence content selection, tone, or recommendations. No article is paid, sponsored, or written to promote a specific product without disclosure. Affiliate links, when present, are labelled explicitly.

Last updated: 9/5/2026. This methodology is a living document — we update it whenever the process changes.