This page explains how Deserts of the World selects, reviews, updates, and credits the information used across the website.
The purpose of this policy is to help readers understand where our information comes from and how corrections are handled.
Last updated: July 11, 2026 ·
Contact: support@desertsoftheworld.com
1) Editorial Approach
Deserts of the World is managed by a single editor. Articles are prepared by comparing scientific publications,
official datasets, government resources, academic references, and established geographic sources.
Information that cannot be traced to a reliable source is not published as fact.
Estimates, disputed measurements, historical figures, and values that differ between sources are identified in the article
whenever those differences are relevant to the reader.
2) Preferred Sources
Sources are selected according to the subject of each article. Priority is generally given to:
- Peer-reviewed scientific journals and academic publications.
- Universities and recognized research institutions.
- Government geological, meteorological, hydrological, and environmental agencies.
- International organizations such as UNEP, NASA, USGS, ESA, and WMO.
- Official protected-area authorities and conservation organizations with transparent documentation.
- Open geographic datasets with identifiable publishers, dates, and licensing terms.
3) Secondary Sources
Historical archives, reference books, museum collections, news reports, travel publications, and other secondary sources
may be used to provide context. These materials are not treated as substitutes for scientific or official evidence when
describing measurements, boundaries, climate records, or environmental conditions.
4) Source Review Process
Before publication, the editor checks whether important factual statements can be supported by the sources listed for the article.
Measurements are reviewed together with their units, geographic scope, measurement method, and publication date.
Measurements produced by different methods are not presented as directly comparable unless the distinction is clearly explained.
For example, satellite-recorded land-surface temperature is separated from official air temperature measured by weather stations.
When two reliable sources provide different figures, the article explains the difference or uses a clearly stated range.
A value is not selected only because it is larger, newer, or more widely repeated online.
5) Source Check Dates
Articles should include a source review or last checked date. This date shows when the main references, external links,
and important numerical claims were most recently reviewed.
A recent review date does not mean that every source was published recently. Historical and long-term scientific sources
may still be used when they remain relevant and authoritative.
6) Geographic and Map Data
Coordinates, boundaries, elevations, and map layers may be obtained from sources such as Natural Earth, OpenStreetMap,
government mapping agencies, scientific publications, and protected-area authorities.
Desert boundaries are not always universally agreed upon. Some sources describe a physical desert, while others describe
a wider arid region, basin, plateau, dune field, protected area, or desert-like landscape. These classifications should be
identified separately rather than treated as the same type of geographic entity.
7) Licensing and Credits
Links to original datasets and publications are provided whenever practical. Data, image, and map licenses are identified
when the licensing information is available and relevant to reuse.
Credits may appear below an image or map, in its caption, or in the sources section of the article.
Third-party material remains subject to the terms established by its original publisher.
8) Corrections and Updates
Errors may occur despite the review process. When a factual error, duplicated section, inconsistent measurement,
incorrect classification, or broken source link is identified, the affected page is reviewed and corrected.
Significant changes may be recorded in the article’s revision history or update notice. Minor spelling,
formatting, and accessibility corrections may be made without a separate public notice.
9) Reader Feedback
Readers are encouraged to report inaccurate information, conflicting figures, broken links, unclear classifications,
or missing attribution. Please include the page URL, the disputed statement, and a supporting source when possible.
Correction requests can be sent to
support@desertsoftheworld.com.