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Editorial Policy

Last updated: September 4, 2025

1) Our Mission

TopicsMill helps students and educators quickly discover credible, well-organized topic ideas—and learn how to turn those ideas into solid outlines, theses, and speaking points. We publish people-first content that prioritizes usefulness, accuracy, and transparency over SEO tricks. Our goal is to be a practical, trustworthy starting point for academic work.

2) Who We Are

TopicsMill is an education-focused library of essay, research, speech, debate, and thesis topics, launched in 2019 and led by Loraine Walters (Founder & CEO) together with a rotating network of instructors and editors.

3) Scope of Content We Publish

  • Topic libraries & hubs (e.g., Psychology, History, Nursing) with explanations on how to choose/refine a topic, sample thesis statements, outlines, and key sources.

  • “How-to” guides on topic selection, narrowing scope, academic formatting (APA/MLA/Chicago), and presentation tips.

  • Tools & templates, such as title/idea generators and printable checklists.

  • Blog posts & FAQs about research strategies, speaking frameworks, and classroom use.

4) Editorial Standards

4.1 Evidence & Sources

  • Prefer primary sources, peer-reviewed journals, reputable associations, and major textbooks; avoid unverified claims.

  • Cite sources clearly; add a short “Further reading” list when useful.

  • Link externally only when it helps the reader; avoid low-quality or misleading pages. Sponsored/affiliate links, if any, are labeled and qualified (rel="sponsored"/nofollow).

4.2 Accuracy & Fact-Checking

  • Every evergreen article is reviewed by an editor for factual accuracy, clarity, and completeness.

  • Data points, definitions, and style rules (e.g., citation formats) are checked against authoritative manuals and/or publisher documentation.

4.3 Originality & Plagiarism

  • We publish original writing only. Quotations are marked; paraphrases are truly rewritten with attribution.

  • We do not condone academic dishonesty. Content on TopicsMill is for idea generation and skill-building, not for submitting as one’s own work.

4.4 Use of AI

  • Authors may use AI for brainstorming or outlining, not for unchecked drafting. Human editors verify facts, logic, structure, and references before publication—aligned with a transparent Who/How/Why approach to content quality.

5) Creation & Review Workflow

  1. Briefing: define audience, learning outcome, and search intent (student/teacher).

  2. Drafting: writer develops the topic set + how-to section (choosing, narrowing, sample thesis/outline).

  3. Editorial review: an editor checks pedagogy, usefulness, and source quality; broken/outdated links removed.

  4. Compliance pass: check for accessibility, tone, and link policy compliance (sponsored/nofollow where applicable).

  5. Publication: add byline, bio, and dates (published/updated) consistently on page and in structured data.

  6. Maintenance: see §7 (updates & versioning).

6) Transparency & Authorship

  • Each article shows author byline, a short bio with relevant experience, and “Last updated” date.

  • Pages that reflect collaborative work use the byline “TopicsMill Editorial Team.”

  • Our About and Contact pages provide background and a public contact channel.

7) Updates, Corrections & Versioning

  • Update cadence: evergreen libraries reviewed at least annually and after major curriculum/testing changes.

  • Change notes: material changes (new sections, major rewrites) include a brief “Updated on – What changed” note near the top.

  • Corrections:

    • Minor (typos, broken links): fix promptly.

    • Substantive (wrong definitions/data): add a Correction note with date and summary.

  • Visible dates must match structured data (datePublished / dateModified) to avoid confusion in search results.

8) Links, Advertising & Independence

  • We do not sell links. Any paid collaboration or sponsorship is clearly disclosed and does not influence our topic choices or conclusions. Sponsored/affiliate links, if present, are labeled and qualified (rel="sponsored" or nofollow).

  • Guest posts: we welcome expert contributions that meet our standards for originality, usefulness, and proper licensing of images (commercial-use allowed). Contributor instructions require commercial-use images and editorial pre-approval. We do not accept payment in exchange for placing “active” external links.

9) Image & Media Standards

  • Use only media with clear commercial-use rights; credit creators per license terms.

  • Prefer original diagrams/figures for structures like outlines and thesis frameworks.

10) Educational Integrity

  • TopicsMill content is for learning support: idea discovery, outlining, and practice.

  • Users should follow their institution’s honor code and citation rules. We encourage the correct use of APA, MLA, Chicago, and similar styles.

11) Accessibility & Inclusive Language

  • We aim for plain, student-friendly language, readable on mobile, with meaningful headings and lists.

  • Examples and topics should reflect diverse perspectives and avoid stereotypes.

12) Feedback & Complaints

Found an error or have a suggestion? Email [email protected]—we aim to acknowledge within 1 business day and resolve substantive issues within 5 business days.

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