Editorial Standards & Content Process
Our Editorial Principles
- Accuracy first. Every factual claim, statistic, and legal citation on this site must be verifiable against a primary source, federal or state statute, regulatory guidance, peer-reviewed research, or reputable industry data. We do not publish material that cannot be traced back to a credible source.
- Compliance is non-negotiable. As a Consumer Reporting Agency, iprospectcheck operates under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), state fair-chance and ban-the-box laws, EEOC guidance, and other regulations. Every article that touches on these areas is reviewed for legal accuracy before publication.
- Independence from sales. Our editorial content is written to help readers make informed decisions, not to promote products. iprospectcheck’s services may appear where genuinely relevant, but articles are not shaped by commercial priorities.
- Transparency. We show who wrote each article, who reviewed it, when it was published, and when it was last updated. We correct errors promptly and publicly.
Who Creates Our Content
Our articles are written by iprospectcheck team members with direct experience in employment screening, compliance, and background investigation or by trusted external experts we vet before publication.
Every author on this site has a full byline that links to a public bio page detailing their credentials, professional affiliations, and areas of expertise. We do not publish anonymous content or content generated solely by AI without human expert review.
Meet our current contributors:
- Matthew J. Rodgers, Co-Founder & President (Advanced FCRA Certification from the PBSA, Criminal Research Provider Certification from the PBSA)
How We Research
Before we write, we source. Every article on this site is built on:
- Primary sources – U.S. Code, Code of Federal Regulations, state statutes, regulatory-agency guidance (EEOC, FTC, DOT, DEA, OIG, SAMHSA), and court decisions
- Industry data – Reports from the Professional Background Screening Association (PBSA), Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), Bureau of Labor Statistics, and peer-reviewed academic research
- Compliance Guidance – Resources Including the CRA Help Desk
- Operational data – Anonymized findings from the large number of background checks iprospectcheck has processed since 2009, used only where it adds unique insight and never in a way that identifies individuals or clients
- Working discussions with our compliance, operations and Quality Assurance teams – the people who work with FCRA, state laws, local laws and how to apply them to screening programs every day
We do not repurpose competitor content, use unattributed research, or cite sources we haven’t verified ourselves.
How We Review
Before an article is published, it passes through four checkpoints:
- Author draft – original research, writing, and internal fact-checking
- Editorial review – line-editing for clarity, structure, and readability
- Expert / legal review – accuracy check by a subject-matter reviewer with relevant credentials (JD, PBSA-accredited screener, or industry-certified professional). The reviewer verifies every statute citation, every regulatory reference, and every legal conclusion.
- Compliance sign-off – final check that the article does not conflict with FCRA, state fair-chance laws, or EEOC guidance
An article does not go live until all four checkpoints are complete.
How We Update
Employment law and screening regulations change constantly. Content that was accurate a year ago may be misleading today. That’s why:
- Every article shows both a “Published” date and a “Last Updated” date. These dates are honest – we don’t refresh dates cosmetically without meaningful content changes.
- Every article is reviewed at least twice per year on a fixed calendar, and immediately when a relevant law or regulation changes.
- State-specific articles are reviewed whenever the applicable state legislature passes relevant legislation or a governor signs a new fair-chance / ban-the-box law.
- Major federal changes – including FCRA amendments, EEOC guidance updates, DOT rule changes, and new SAMHSA testing requirements – trigger immediate review of every affected article.
Our content-refresh calendar is maintained internally and audited quarterly by the compliance team.
Use of AI
We use AI tools thoughtfully – for research assistance, drafting support, and formatting – but every article on this site is:
- Written or substantially edited by a named human expert
- Fact-checked against primary sources by a human
- Reviewed by a credentialed subject-matter expert before publication
We do not publish AI-generated content that hasn’t passed through human expert review. When AI is used in research or drafting, our authors and reviewers verify every claim, statistic, and citation before it appears on the site.
Sponsored Content and Affiliate Relationships
iprospectcheck does not accept payment for editorial coverage. We do not publish sponsored posts, guest posts from vendors, or affiliate content that would compromise our editorial independence. Any commercial partnership relevant to a specific article is disclosed prominently within that article.
Corrections Policy
If we get something wrong, we fix it – publicly and quickly.
- Report an error: Email editor@iprospectcheck.com with the article URL and a description of the concern
- Response time: We acknowledge every correction request within 2 business days
- How we fix it: Substantive corrections are updated in the article and noted at the top of the piece with the date and nature of the change; typographical or minor edits are corrected without a note
- Retractions: If an article contains an error significant enough that the piece as a whole is unreliable, we retract it and publish a replacement or clear notice
What We Don't Do
To keep this policy honest:
- We do not offer legal advice. Our articles are educational and should not be relied on as a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction.
- We do not adjudicate specific background-check results in our articles. Individual candidate or applicant decisions require case-by-case legal and HR review.
- We do not guarantee that any specific statute cited will remain in effect after the article’s Last Updated date. Always confirm current law before making a hiring or compliance decision.
Questions about our content, sources, or process?
- Editorial questions or corrections: editor@iprospectcheck.com
- Media and expert interview requests: press@iprospectcheck.com
- General inquiries: (888) 509-1979
This editorial policy was last reviewed in July 2026
Next scheduled review: January 2027