EDITORIAL PRACTICE · PRIVACY · ACCOUNTABILITY
Editorial Policy, Privacy & Corrections
Written In The Genome is an independent publication dedicated to evidence-based genetic genealogy, archival family history, and bio-historical analysis. This page explains how the work is framed, revised, and kept privacy-aware.
Publication commitment
We write from a culturally grounded perspective that centers Afro-Indigenous and African-diasporic agency, traditional knowledge systems, oral traditions, and restorative history. We do not treat institutional records as neutral simply because they are official, and we do not replace rigor with sentiment. Interpretive claims should remain proportional to the available evidence.
What readers can expect
Clear evidence weighting
Claims are framed as primary-source confirmed, strongly supported, oral tradition or community memory, or working hypothesis where appropriate.
Source-aware writing
Records, transcriptions, indexes, later summaries, and DNA evidence are not treated as interchangeable. The form of evidence matters.
Respect for living people
Public work omits specific names and identifying biographical details for living relatives unless a clear and necessary public-interest basis exists.
Privacy-first tools
Genotype Scout is designed for local, client-side analysis so raw DNA files do not need to be uploaded to third-party servers.
Corrections, updates, and retractions
Genealogical research is iterative. New documents, improved transcriptions, record context, and carefully interpreted DNA evidence can alter a conclusion. When a material claim changes, the relevant dispatch should be revised and marked with an update note that identifies the nature of the change.
Readers with a source lead, a correction, or a well-supported alternative interpretation should use the project’s public contact pathways listed under Links & Resources. Please identify the relevant page, the specific claim, and the underlying record or source whenever possible.
Privacy and sensitive material
Family history can contain personal data, inherited trauma, and records created under coercive or discriminatory conditions. The publication does not present sensitive details for spectacle. Living individuals are generalized or omitted, and research examples should minimize disclosure of raw genomic data, account details, home addresses, or other unnecessary identifiers.
For technical details about Genotype Scout’s zero-upload design, consult its privacy engineering note. For the full legal terms and privacy policy, use the policy page linked below.
