Start here · 1 of 410 min read · Beginner · Updated Sep 2026
What CitePep records, and why
Most "expert reviewed" labels on the web can’t be checked. CitePep replaces the label with a record, a named person, a role, a date and the exact work, accepted by whoever controls the page. This guide explains what goes into a record, what never does, and why the rules are drawn where they are.
Nameda verified person, not "our team"
Datedwhen it was accepted
Checkablethe exact change and its source
1The problem with badges
A page that says "Medically reviewed" asks the reader to trust something they can’t see: who reviewed it, how recently, and what they actually checked. The label looks the same whether a specialist spent an afternoon on it or nobody opened it.
A typical label"Reviewed by our expert team." No name, no date, no link.
A CitePep recordReviewed by Reviewer A, endocrinologist, 2 Jul 2026, 14 claims checked, 1 corrected, source cited.
2What one entry contains
Every accepted contribution becomes one entry in the page’s public history. Here is a real-looking one, with what each field is for.
WhoContributor AVerified identity, linked to a public profile
RoleReviewedOne of five roles, each with its own meaning
What14 claims checked; 1 change proposed and acceptedThe work itself, not a summary of it
When3 Jul 2026The date the publisher accepted it
Accepted bywhennotesfly.comA verified publisher with editorial control of the page
EvidenceBefore/after + the vendor migration guide WG1, ch. 9What a reader needs to check it
3The life of a contribution
Work moves through four states. Only one of them is public.
ProposedA contributor submits work on a page.
PendingVisible to the publisher only.
AcceptedJoins the public page log and the contributor’s profile.
DeclinedKept privately for integrity. Never shown, never scored.
The publisher, not CitePep, decides what is accepted. CitePep makes sure the decision is recorded faithfully and can’t be quietly changed later.
4What is never public
Kept privateWhy
Declined contributionsPublishing rejections would punish honest attempts and invite pile-ons.
Pending workIt hasn’t been decided yet.
Paid pre-submission reviewsThey belong to the author. Only the reviewer’s completed count and on-time rate are public.
Reader behaviourThe attribution block sets no cookies and tracks no one.
5Who uses the record
ReadersCheck who stands behind a page before acting on it.
PublishersShow the care taken, and find specialists by topic authority.
ExpertsCarry a portable record of accepted work across every site.
Journals and editorsSee a reviewer’s track record before inviting them.
6Why these rules
Each rule closes a specific loophole. Accepted-only stops anyone padding a profile with unreviewed work. Named contributors stop anonymous authority. Dated entries stop stale reviews passing as current. And the fact that nothing is ever erased, a correction to a correction is simply a new entry, means the history can be trusted as a history.
In one sentence- A CitePep record is a publisher-accepted, named, dated and checkable account of who did what to a page.
