Editorial Policy

1. Sourcing standards

Every empirical claim published on the SRP — in briefings, library abstracts, tracker notes, or any other format — must be sourced. Unsourced empirical claims do not appear. Sources are ranked in the following order of preference: primary documents; peer-reviewed scholarship; reputable journalism; think-tank publications; government statements. Wikipedia and blog posts are not sources.

Citations follow the author-date format in running text and numbered footnotes in briefings and formal pieces. Citation export (APA, Chicago, Harvard, BibTeX, RIS) is provided for all library records and briefings.

2. Engagement with counterarguments

The SRP does not avoid the objections to Somaliland recognition — it addresses them directly. The five principal objections (the AU Cairo Declaration of 1964; the precedent concern; the Las Anod/SSC-Khaatumo question; Mogadishu's sovereignty claim; the regional instability argument) are each presented in their strongest available form on a dedicated page, followed by the portal's sourced analytical response.

The library includes critical, sceptical and anti-recognition material where it meets the quality threshold. Including strong opposing work is editorial policy, not oversight. It is what makes the library authoritative.

3. Register and tone

The SRP writes for a senior reader who is intelligent, time-limited, and sceptical. Not hostile — uncommitted. The register is sober, analytical and professional. No hyperbole. No hostility towards Mogadishu or the African Union. No emotional appeals. Disagreement is registered analytically.

Prohibited: "undeniable", "overwhelming", "clearly", "obviously" in analytical contexts. Required: specific figures and dates over vague generalisations; named actors over "stakeholders" or "the international community".

4. Editorial sign-off

All original SRP commissioned briefings require two-editor sign-off before publication. The names of both editors are published in the article footer. Guest contributions require one editor's approval. Discussion board posts by approved contributors are published subject to post-publication review within 24 hours.

5. Corrections policy

Corrections are published openly. When a factual error is identified in any SRP publication — whether by staff, contributors, or readers — the correction is issued transparently. The correction is linked from the corrected item. A corrections log is maintained at /corrections and lists all corrections with the date, the original text, and the corrected text. Corrections to significant errors in briefings are announced in the newsletter.

6. Independence from the Government of Somaliland

The SRP does not take editorial instructions from the Government of Somaliland. Government documents are treated as primary sources and are cited as such. Government ministers may be quoted and interviewed. Current officeholders do not serve on the editorial board. The SRP does not accept funding from the Government of Somaliland or any government with a direct stake in the recognition question.

This independence is structural, not aspirational. It is enforced through the governance documents of the founding institution and published in full.

7. Contributor standards

All content on the SRP is attributed. No anonymous material is published. Approved contributors have been verified by the editorial board. Guest contributors are verified before publication. Contributor profiles are public and include institutional affiliation.

Contributors are expected to disclose any conflicts of interest relevant to their subject matter. The editorial team may add an editorial note to any piece noting relevant affiliations or funding relationships.

8. Accuracy and the right to respond

Named individuals and institutions whose views are represented in SRP publications have the right to request a response or correction. Response requests should be directed to editorial@recognise-somaliland.org. The editorial team commits to acknowledging requests within 48 hours and responding substantively within five working days.