Editorial Policy
Last reviewed: June 2026 · Next scheduled review: December 2026
Sourcing Standards
Every empirical claim must be sourced to a verifiable, publicly accessible primary or secondary source. Anonymous sourcing is not permitted. Where a source is paywalled or restricted, a full citation must be provided. Editorial notes distinguishing factual claims from analytical interpretation are required on all briefings.
Review and Sign-Off
All Library records are reviewed by at least one editorial board member before publication. Briefings require sign-off from the Deputy Editor or Editor-in-Chief. News items and Voices posts are reviewed by the managing editor.
Corrections Policy
Corrections are published openly at the top of the affected article within 48 hours of confirmation. The original error is not deleted — it is struck through and replaced with the corrected text, with a datestamp. Substantive corrections are noted in the weekly bulletin.
Counterarguments
All five principal objections to recognition are addressed in their strongest available form. We do not publish strawman versions of opposing arguments. Counterargument pieces from sceptical or opposing scholars are actively solicited for the Voices section.
Contributor Verification
All named contributors are verified for affiliation and credentials before publication. Guest contributors submit a brief professional biography and at least one sample of published work. Pseudonymous or anonymous contributions are not accepted.
Conflict of Interest
Contributors must disclose any funding, employment, or advisory relationship with the Government of Somaliland, the Somali Federal Government, or any government with a direct stake in the recognition question. Disclosures are published alongside the author byline.
Rights of Reply
Any individual or institution named critically in a published piece has the right to submit a written response of equivalent length. Responses are published in the Voices section with a link from the original piece.
Editorial Independence
The editorial board operates under a published charter. No funder, government, or external party may direct, delay, or suppress publication. The Editor-in-Chief has final authority on all editorial decisions and may not be dismissed except by a two-thirds vote of the full editorial board.