This policy explains how topics are selected, researched, written, reviewed, corrected, disclosed, and maintained by the Chip-Free Schools Editorial Team.
Our editorial mission
Chip-Free Schools aims to make discussions about student smartphone use, digital wellbeing, online safety, classroom focus, and school policy easier to understand. We prioritize practical explanations, balanced trade-offs, individual needs, and responsible use of evidence.
Authorship and editorial identity
Content may be published under the “Chip-Free Schools Editorial Team” byline when it is developed, revised, or maintained as publication-level work. We do not attribute invented degrees, jobs, school leadership roles, consulting histories, or firsthand experiences to an author.
Topic selection
Topics are chosen according to reader usefulness, common family and school questions, gaps in existing coverage, changing technology, and the need to explain complicated evidence or policy considerations. Search interest may inform planning, but articles should not merely repeat material already available elsewhere.
Research standards
We prefer primary or authoritative sources for laws, official school guidance, public-health information, technology features, safeguarding, and accessibility. Research papers and institutional reports are reviewed for population, method, date, limitations, and relevance. Secondary sources may provide context but should not replace stronger evidence where it is available.
Health and development claims
We avoid diagnosing students or presenting broad associations as proof of individual harm. Claims about attention, sleep, mental health, vision, posture, behavior, or development should describe uncertainty and encourage qualified professional support when appropriate.
School policy discussions
Policy resources should address implementation, communication, exceptions, accessibility, emergency procedures, storage, enforcement, equity, and review. We do not present a general template as legally compliant or suitable for every jurisdiction.
Digital and AI-assisted tools
Digital tools may assist with organization, language, formatting, or identifying areas that require research. They do not replace source checking, editorial judgment, or responsibility for published material. Fabricated sources, quotations, credentials, case studies, and personal experiences are not acceptable.
Recommendations and product mentions
Recommendations should explain selection criteria, limitations, intended audience, and trade-offs. We do not claim to have tested a product, app, policy, or intervention unless that is accurate and can be represented honestly.
Commercial independence
Advertising, affiliate programs, sponsorships, free products, or partnerships must not determine factual conclusions. Material relationships should be disclosed. Advertisers do not purchase favorable rankings or fabricated recommendations.
Images and media
Images should be original, properly licensed, used with permission, or legally available under applicable terms. Illustrative images must not be presented as documentary evidence of a particular school, child, event, or firsthand experience.
Corrections and updates
Factual errors should be corrected promptly. Material changes may receive an editor’s note or updated date. Minor grammar and formatting changes may be made without a separate notice. See our Corrections Policy.