Corrections and right of reply

Adopted: [DATE] · Contact: [corrections@DOMAIN] (monitored on business days) · Owner: [Head of Research]

1. Principles

We get facts right, separate facts from opinion, show our sources, and fix mistakes quickly and visibly. Our scores and grades are opinions under a published methodology. We correct factual errors and methodology-application errors. We don't change opinions because someone dislikes them.

2. What counts as an error

• Factual error: a statement of fact that is wrong or materially incomplete (for example, a misstated reserve figure, a wrong date, a misattributed quote, a wrong licensing status).
• Methodology error: we applied our published methodology incorrectly (for example, a wrong input, a calculation error, a mis-weighted factor, a stale data point).
• Not an error: a reasonable opinion or judgment applied consistently under the methodology, even if the Issuer disagrees. These are handled through the right of reply (Section 5).

3. How to request a correction

Anyone, including subscribers, Issuers, vendors and the public, may email [corrections@DOMAIN] with:

1. the issue/date and the specific statement;
2. why it's wrong; and
3. supporting evidence (documents, links, on-chain references).

We acknowledge receipt within 2 business days.

4. Our process and timelines

• Two-person review: a reviewer who didn't write the original statement decides on the correction.
• Score impact: if a correction changes a score or grade, we re-run the methodology, publish the revised score with the date and reason, and send a correction notice to all subscribers.

5. Right of reply for assessed Issuers and vendors

5.1 Pre-publication factual-accuracy check. Before publishing any of the following about an Issuer or vendor:

• a first-time assessment;
• a downgrade of two or more grade steps;
• any grade of D or F;
• an NR – For Cause designation; or
• a statement alleging a specific legal violation, enforcement action, reserve shortfall, or redemption failure,

we send the Issuer a factual-accuracy summary listing the key factual premises and sources we rely on. We don't share the score or grade in advance. The Issuer has [3] business days to point out factual inaccuracies with evidence. In exigent circumstances (for example, an active depeg or a halted redemption), we may shorten this to [24] hours or publish first and offer the check immediately afterward, and we will say so in the publication.

5.2 Post-publication reply. An assessed Issuer or vendor may submit a written response of up to [500] words within [30] days of publication. We will link to or append it (edited only for length, legality and civility) next to the assessment, labeled "Issuer response," unless it is defamatory of third parties, unlawful, or promotional. We may add a short editor's note.

5.3 Contact list. We maintain a public-relations or legal contact for each covered Issuer, taken from its public materials. If we can't find one, we note that "no contact was available."

5.4 No commercial strings. Taking part in the fact-check or reply process doesn't require a subscription or payment, and never affects coverage or scores beyond correcting verified facts.

6. How corrections appear

• In the issue and archive: the corrected PDF or web version carries a dated "Corrected [date]" banner and a note describing what changed. We keep the original version in our archive for transparency.
• In the change log: every correction, score revision and Issuer response is listed publicly with date, asset, what changed and why.
• To subscribers: material corrections go to all subscribers by email. Minor corrections (typos that don't change meaning) are logged but may not be emailed.
• Public summary: if the error appeared in public materials (headline grade table, summaries, social posts), the correction appears there too, with the same prominence as the original.

7. Clarifications and updates

If a fact was right when published but has since changed (for example, a new attestation), we publish an update rather than a correction, with the new "as of" date.

8. Retractions

If a published assessment rested on a fundamentally false premise and can't be fixed by correction, we retract it, explain why in the change log, and mark the asset NR until a new assessment is published. A retraction (and any correction made in response to a retraction demand) is published or communicated in substantially the same manner as the original: to the same subscribers, through the same channels (issue email, archive, public grade table), with at least the same prominence. Drafting note: this tracks MCL 600.2911(2)(b) (Michigan; a timely retraction limits exemplary/punitive damages) and is good practice elsewhere. Attorney to confirm (legal-analysis.md §9A.4, Q12a).

9. Legal claims

Correction requests that include legal demands are referred to counsel. We still review the factual substance promptly. Engaging in this process isn't an admission of liability or error.

10. Records

We keep correction requests, fact-check correspondence, evidence files, and decisions for at least 5 years or as long as the related content remains available, whichever is longer.