Content Review & Editing

1. Editorial Workflow for Harm-Reduction Content

Every piece of content on Psilobase — whether a new species profile, a microdosing protocol, or a single paragraph update — moves through a defined pipeline. Skipping stages is the most common cause of published errors on harm-reduction sites, so each stage has a named owner and a concrete exit criterion.

The Full Pipeline

1. Ideation
   Owner: any team member. Trigger: a gap in coverage identified through search queries, reader questions, new research publication, or legal change. Output: a one-paragraph brief stating the page objective, target reader, and primary question to answer. The brief goes into the content backlog before any writing starts.
2. Research
   Owner: assigned writer. The writer assembles at least three primary or peer-reviewed sources before drafting. For safety and dosage content, every claim must be traceable to a specific source (not "general knowledge"). Sources are logged in a comment at the top of the draft file: <!-- sources: DOI:xx, NHS URL last-verified 2025-06, Erowid 2024 -->. No draft begins without a completed source list.
3. Drafting
   Owner: writer. Draft is written in a feature branch following the naming convention content/page-slug-YYYY-MM. The writer self-checks against the style guide (section 2) and language standards (section 3) before flagging the draft as ready for review.
4. Internal Review
   Owner: second team member (not the original writer). Focus: factual accuracy, completeness, and structure. Reviewer leaves inline comments in the PR. This stage catches logical gaps and unsupported claims before specialist eyes see the draft.
5. Safety and Legal Check
   Owner: designated safety reviewer. Triggered by: any page that discusses doses, drug interactions, contraindications, emergency procedures, legal status, or therapeutic claims. Checklist: (a) every dose range is within established safety literature; (b) every interaction warning is present; (c) medical disclaimer appears above the fold; (d) legal statements include a jurisdiction qualifier and a last-verified date. This stage is non-negotiable for safety content; it cannot be combined with internal review.
6. Copy Edit
   Owner: copy editor or writer using a fresh read. Focus: sentence-level clarity, grammar, consistency with the style guide vocabulary list, and paragraph length limits. A page that passes internal review may still fail copy edit if it contains jargon, passive constructions, or sentences over 25 words in safety-critical sections.
7. Accessibility Check
   Owner: any team member using the accessibility checklist. Minimum checks: all images have descriptive alt text; heading hierarchy is correct (one H1, H2 before H3, no skipped levels); all links have descriptive text; colour contrast passes WCAG AA; interactive elements are keyboard-reachable; no content relies on colour alone to convey meaning.
8. Publish
   Owner: person with merge rights. Merge to main triggers deployment. Immediately after publish: confirm the page loads without errors, the canonical URL resolves, and the breadcrumb is correct.
9. Monitoring (first 30 days)
   Owner: writer. Watch for reader questions, comments, or corrections submitted through the site. If a factual error is reported within 30 days, treat it as a P1 fix: correct within 48 hours, document in CHANGELOG, and note the source of the error for process improvement.
10. Refresh Cycle
    Owner: content lead. Cadences: safety and legal pages — quarterly; dosage and interaction pages — every six months or after a significant new publication; species profiles — annually or after a major taxonomy revision; general educational content — annually. A page that has not been reviewed within its cadence is marked "needs review" in the content dashboard.

Editorial Workflow Table

What Triggers an Unscheduled Review

• A peer-reviewed study significantly changes established dosage safety ranges.
• A government body (FDA, EMA, NHS, DEA) issues new guidance on psilocybin.
• A jurisdiction changes the legal status of psilocybin-containing mushrooms.
• A reader or expert submits a correction backed by a credible source.
• A broken link checker flags a cited source as unavailable.
• A major harm-reduction organisation (DanceSafe, Zendo Project, MAPS) updates a protocol we reference.

2. Style Guide for Psilobase

Tone

Psilobase aims to be informative and warm without being promotional, clinical without being cold, and cautious without being alarmist. The ideal tone sits between a knowledgeable friend who happens to be a pharmacologist and a public-health leaflet written by a human being. Readers come with genuine questions and sometimes genuine fear; the tone must respect both.

• Informative: lead with facts, cite sources, distinguish between established evidence and emerging research.
• Warm: use second person ("you") rather than passive constructions; acknowledge that readers have real concerns.
• Non-judgmental: never imply that curiosity about psilocybin is irresponsible. Harm-reduction presupposes that some people will use substances regardless of legal status; our job is to help them do so as safely as possible.
• Evidence-based: every efficacy or risk claim is backed by a citation. Anecdotal evidence is clearly labelled as such.
• Appropriately cautious: risk information is never minimised, but it is also never presented in a way designed to frighten rather than inform.

Vocabulary Standards

Numbers and Measurements

• In article prose, spell out doses in full: "two grams of dried mushrooms", "three hundred and fifty micrograms of psilocybin".
• In tables, comparison boxes, and quick-reference callouts, shorthand is acceptable: 2 g, 350 µg.
• Always specify fresh versus dried: potency differs by roughly a factor of ten and the distinction is safety-critical.
• Use SI units (grams, milligrams, micrograms, millilitres). Avoid non-standard units ("a cap", "a stem") in dose descriptions.
• When citing a study dose, include the source: "Carhart-Harris et al. (2021) administered 25 mg of synthetic psilocybin".

3. Language Standards

Avoiding Sensationalism

Harm-reduction content loses credibility as soon as it sounds like either a scare campaign or a promotional brochure. Both extremes produce the same result: readers stop trusting the information and seek it elsewhere, often from less careful sources.

The following language is prohibited in harm-reduction content on Psilobase:

• "Mind-bending", "reality-shattering", "consciousness-expanding" — these phrases function as marketing copy, not information.
• "Miraculous", "life-changing", "transformative" as unqualified adjectives for therapeutic outcomes — these are outcome claims without evidence thresholds.
• "Terrifying", "dangerous beyond imagining", "permanent brain damage" — these overstate risks in ways that erode trust with readers who have direct experience.
• Superlatives: "the most powerful", "the safest", "the only". There is almost always a more precise claim available.

Balancing Risks and Benefits

Every benefit claim on Psilobase requires a corresponding risk acknowledgment in the same section, and vice versa. This is not a legal formality; it is an editorial principle that reflects the actual state of the evidence. The following structure is required for any section that discusses efficacy:

1. State what the evidence supports, at what level of confidence, in what population.
2. State the known risks, contraindications, or conditions under which the benefit has not been demonstrated.
3. Provide the reader with a practical action: what to discuss with a healthcare professional, where to find more information, what to do if things go wrong.

Minimising and Maximising Language

Two categories of language are especially dangerous in harm-reduction content and must be caught at copy-edit stage:

Minimising language around risks — words that make a risk seem smaller than the evidence supports:

• "just" ("just a mild increase in anxiety") — delete "just"
• "merely" ("merely psychological") — delete "merely"; psychological distress is real distress
• "only" ("only affects a small percentage") — reframe: "affects approximately X% of people in controlled settings"
• "shouldn't be a problem" — replace with the actual probability if known, or "risk is low but not absent"

Maximising language around benefits — words that overstate what the evidence shows:

• "will" ("psilocybin will reduce depression") — replace with "may", "has been associated with", "in trials showed"
• "proven" — replace with "supported by evidence from [study type]"
• "guaranteed" — remove entirely; no outcome in pharmacology is guaranteed
• "always works" — never accurate; replace with effect sizes from specific trials

4. Medical Disclaimer Placement Guidelines

Where Disclaimers Are Required

A medical disclaimer must appear at the top of every page — above the first section heading, before the reader encounters any health information — on pages that discuss any of the following:

• Dosage (including microdosing schedules, threshold doses, or macrodose ranges)
• Drug interactions (with SSRIs, MAOIs, lithium, or any other substance)
• Contraindications (personal or family history of psychosis, cardiovascular conditions, pregnancy)
• Therapeutic applications (depression, PTSD, addiction, end-of-life anxiety)
• Emergency procedures (difficult experience support, overdose concerns)

Disclaimer Wording Template

Variations are acceptable for specific page types:

• Legal pages: replace "medical" with "legal"; add "laws vary by jurisdiction; verify the current status in your location".
• Interaction pages: add "If you are currently taking any prescription medication, speak with your prescribing doctor before combining it with any substance."
• Emergency pages: the disclaimer must not delay access to emergency information; place it after the emergency action steps, not before.

What Disclaimers Must Not Do

• Appear only at the bottom of the page. Many readers do not scroll to the footer; a disclaimer that lives only in the footer provides no meaningful notice.
• Be styled to blend into body text. The disclaimer must be visually distinct: use the warning callout box style.
• Be so long that it displaces the actual information. The standard template above (approximately 40 words) is the maximum length for a page-top disclaimer; longer legal text belongs in the Privacy Policy or Terms of Use.
• Replace the actual safety information. The disclaimer is not a substitute for writing accurate, complete risk information.

5. Editing for Clarity Under Stress

Emergency pages — pages covering difficult experience support, overdose concerns, crisis contacts, and 911 or 988 guidance — are read by people in states of acute fear. They may be on a phone with shaking hands. They may be trying to help someone else who cannot speak clearly. Every editorial decision on these pages must be made with this reader in mind.

Sentence Length

Maximum sentence length on emergency pages: 15 words. This is not a target; it is a ceiling. If a sentence requires more than 15 words to make its point, split it into two sentences. Count every word including articles and prepositions.

Sentence Structure

Action-first phrasing is mandatory on emergency pages. The action goes at the beginning of the sentence; context goes after, if at all.

• Correct: "Call 988. Tell them someone is having a difficult experience."
• Incorrect: "You may want to consider contacting the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline if you feel the situation has become serious."
• Correct: "Stay with the person. Do not leave them alone."
• Incorrect: "It is generally recommended that you remain present with the individual experiencing distress."

Structure Requirements for Emergency Pages

1. Emergency phone numbers appear in the first visible screen, styled as large tap targets (minimum 44 × 44 px touch area, href="tel:...").
2. Steps are numbered. Never use bullet points for emergency procedures; numbered steps communicate sequence and allow someone to track where they are.
3. No jargon. "Psychological distress" is acceptable; "ego dissolution cascade" is not.
4. No embedded links within emergency step text. A link in the middle of a step sends a reader away from the instructions at the moment they most need them. Place all supplementary links after the numbered steps.
5. One idea per paragraph. Emergency pages have zero tolerance for compound paragraphs.

Tap Target and Phone Link Standards

All phone numbers on emergency pages must be coded as clickable links. Use this pattern:

<a href="tel:+19889889898" style="font-size:1.5rem;font-weight:bold;">Call 988</a>

Never display a phone number as plain text on an emergency page. A reader on a mobile device must be able to dial with one tap.

6. Formatting Standards

Heading Hierarchy

• H1: exactly one per page; matches the page title; appears in the <main> element, not in navigation or footer.
• H2: major sections; used for top-level topics that a reader might navigate to directly (e.g., "Dosage", "Interactions", "Legal Status").
• H3: subsections within an H2 topic; never appears without a preceding H2.
• H4 and below: use sparingly and only when H3 subsections genuinely require further subdivision. Do not use heading levels as styling shortcuts.
• Never skip heading levels. H1 → H3 without an H2 in between fails accessibility audits and disorients screen-reader users.

Lists

• Use <ul> for unordered information: features, characteristics, things to consider, vocabulary lists.
• Use <ol> for sequences, steps, and ranked items where order matters.
• Do not use lists for items that form a continuous thought — write them as prose instead.
• List items should be parallel in structure: all noun phrases, all imperative sentences, or all complete sentences — not a mix.
• Maximum recommended list length before considering subdivision: eight items for unordered lists, ten for ordered lists. Longer lists are usually a sign the information needs restructuring.

Tables

Use tables when the information has two or more attributes per item and readers benefit from scanning across rows or down columns. Do not use tables for information that is naturally a list or a paragraph. Every table must have:

• A <caption> element describing the table's contents.
• Appropriate scope attributes on header cells (scope="col" or scope="row").
• A container <div style="overflow-x:auto;"> for mobile responsiveness.
• No merged cells unless the merge communicates a meaningful relationship that cannot be shown any other way.

Callout Boxes

Three callout types are in use on Psilobase. Each has a defined purpose; do not use them interchangeably.

Paragraph Length

In harm-reduction content, maximum paragraph length is five sentences. Three to four sentences is the ideal range. A paragraph that runs to eight or ten sentences creates a visual barrier for readers who are scanning for specific information — which is most readers, most of the time. Break long paragraphs at the point where a new idea begins, not at an arbitrary word count.

7. Link Verification Process

Internal Links

Internal links are checked monthly using an automated link-checker tool run against the live site. The tool reports 404 responses, redirect chains longer than one hop, and links that resolve to the wrong page (renamed pages that no longer serve the expected content). Results are reviewed by the content lead; broken links are fixed within five working days of the report date.

External Links

External links to cited sources are reviewed quarterly by the writer who originally cited the source. The review confirms that:

• The linked page still exists and serves the content being cited.
• The content at the URL has not been materially changed in a way that invalidates the citation.
• The source organisation still exists and maintains its original credibility standing.

DOI Links

For academic sources, use a DOI link rather than a direct journal URL wherever one exists. DOI links are more stable than journal-specific URLs, which change when publishers update their platform or a journal moves host. Format: https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx. Do not use dx.doi.org (deprecated) or the publisher's own link unless no DOI exists.

Government and Official Health URLs

Links to government sources (.gov, .nhs.uk, who.int, .gov.uk) must be annotated with a last-verified date immediately after the link in the source comment or footnote, and in the visible citation text if the page uses a citation list. Format: "(NHS, last verified 2025-06)".

Government URLs are subject to restructuring with no redirects when governments change their website architecture. Do not assume a government URL will remain stable longer than six months without verification.

External Link Behaviour

All external links open in a new tab and carry rel="noopener noreferrer". This is both a security measure (prevents the new page accessing window.opener) and a usability decision (readers researching harm-reduction information benefit from keeping the source page open). Template:

<a href="https://example.org/study" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Study title (Author, Year)</a>

8. Image Caption Standards

When Captions Are Required

All non-decorative images require a caption. Decorative images (purely aesthetic, conveying no information) should have an empty alt attribute (alt="") and no caption. When in doubt, treat the image as non-decorative and write a caption.

Species Identification Images

Captions for species identification photographs must include:

1. Latin binomial name in italics: Psilocybe cubensis.
2. Common name(s) in parentheses: (Golden Teacher, Cubes).
3. One sentence describing the identifying features visible in this specific image: "Note the golden-brown, umbo-centred cap and the dark purple-brown spore print on the paper beneath."

Caption length limit: two sentences. If more information is needed to explain the image, it belongs in the body text, not the caption.

Research and Study Images

Captions for charts, graphs, or brain scans sourced from research must include:

• Study name or author(s) and year.
• What the image shows (not what it proves — the caption states what is depicted, not conclusions).
• The data source if different from the study: "(Adapted from Carhart-Harris et al., 2021, via Imperial College London.)"

Infographic Captions

Infographics created by Psilobase must include in the caption: the primary data source(s) and the date the data was current. Example: "Data: Global Drug Survey 2023; infographic created by Psilobase, June 2024."

Alt Text vs Caption: The Distinction

Alt text and captions serve different audiences and different purposes. Understanding the difference prevents the common mistake of writing the same text for both.

9. Cross-Linking Strategy

Pillar Pages and Their Spokes

Psilobase is organised around five pillar sections. Each pillar page links to all its spoke pages, and each spoke page links back to its pillar. This creates a navigable hub-and-spoke structure that helps both readers and search engines understand the site's information architecture.

Contextual Links

Every mention of a specific species by name in article body text links to that species' profile page on the first occurrence. Do not repeat the link on subsequent mentions in the same article — once per page is sufficient for contextual links (navigation links already provide ongoing access).

Every mention of a microdosing protocol by name links to the protocol page. Every discussion of a preparation method (lemon tek, tea, capsules) links to the corresponding preparation guide.

Integration Links

Every protocol page — whether a microdosing schedule, a macrodose preparation guide, or a therapeutic context overview — must link to at least one integration resource. Integration is the process of incorporating insights from a psilocybin experience into daily life; it is a safety and effectiveness consideration, not a supplement. The link must appear in the body of the article, not only in a sidebar or footer.

Link Text Standards

Descriptive link text is mandatory on Psilobase. The reader must be able to understand where the link goes without reading the surrounding sentence. This is both an accessibility requirement and a usability principle.

• Correct: "read our guide to psilocybin drug interactions"
• Correct: "detailed instructions for lemon tek preparation"
• Incorrect: "click here", "learn more", "read this", "more information"
• Incorrect: a raw URL used as link text: "see https://psilobase.com/safety/"

In lists of related links (such as a "Further reading" section at the end of an article), use the full page title as the link text rather than a shortened description.

10. Version Control for Content Updates

Git Commit Message Format for Content Changes

All content changes on Psilobase are tracked through git. Commit messages for content changes follow a specific format that allows future editors to understand what changed, why, and what source supported the change — without reading the diff.

Format:

content: [action] [what changed] in [filename] — source: [source name and date]

Examples:

• content: update dosage ranges in golden-teacher.html — source: Erowid dose chart 2024
• content: add MAOI interaction warning to interactions.html — source: DOI:10.1016/j.tips.2021.xx
• content: correct legal status for Germany in legal-overview.html — source: BtMG amendment 2024-04
• content: refresh cadence review — safety/contraindications.html — source: quarterly review 2025-Q1

The action word in the commit message should be one of: add (new content), update (changed existing content), correct (error fix), remove (deleted content), rewrite (substantial restructure), refresh (cadence-triggered review with minor changes).

Tagging Major Content Versions

When a section of the site undergoes a major revision — defined as changes to more than 20% of the content in a section, or changes to core safety recommendations — create a git tag in the format content/section-name/vN. Examples: content/safety/v2, content/microdosing-protocols/v3. Tags allow the team to compare the current state of a section against its previous major version without scanning through individual commits.

CHANGELOG.md per Major Section

Each major section directory maintains a CHANGELOG.md file that records significant content changes in reverse chronological order. The format is:

## [date] — [action summary]
- Changed: [specific change]
- Source: [source]
- Reviewer: [reviewer initials]

The CHANGELOG is not a commit log duplicate; it records changes at a higher level of abstraction, readable by non-technical team members and useful for audit purposes. It does not need to record every typo fix — only changes that affect the factual content, structure, or safety guidance of the section.

When to Redirect vs Update in Place

This distinction matters for both reader experience and search equity. Use the following decision criteria:

Frequently Asked Questions

The first three questions are answered openly below. Additional questions are expandable.

How often should safety pages be reviewed?

Safety pages are reviewed on a quarterly cadence as a minimum. An unscheduled review is triggered immediately by any of the following: a new peer-reviewed study that materially changes established dosage or interaction guidance; a government or regulatory body issuing updated guidance; a significant adverse event in the harm-reduction community that is relevant to the topics covered; or a reader correction backed by a credible source. The quarterly cadence is a floor, not a ceiling.

What is the correct way to handle conflicting sources?

When credible sources conflict on a factual claim — for example, when two peer-reviewed studies report different effective dose ranges — the correct approach is to present the range, name both sources, note the reason for the discrepancy if it is known (different population, different administration route, different outcome measure), and avoid making a definitive claim that one source has "settled" the question. Readers are better served by honest uncertainty than by false confidence. If the conflict is significant enough to affect safety guidance, escalate to the safety reviewer before publishing.

Can personal experience reports be included on Psilobase?

Yes, with conditions. Anecdotal reports and first-person experience accounts can appear on Psilobase when they are clearly labelled as such ("one person's experience", "anecdotal report"), when they are not presented as evidence for clinical claims, when they are accompanied by appropriate safety context, and when they add genuine value that peer-reviewed evidence cannot provide (for example, a qualitative description of what a difficult experience feels like, which helps readers prepare). Anecdotes must never be used to support dosage recommendations or interaction claims.