Editorial Standards
WhereNext is a data-driven publication. These are the standards we hold ourselves to so the rankings, reports, and articles you read are accurate, source-cited, and correctable.
Source-approval policy
New data sources are added only when they meet all four criteria:
- Primary source.The dataset must come from the publishing agency directly — not a re-aggregator or a paid intermediary.
- License compatibility. The license must permit redistribution and attribution-based re-use. Crowd-sourced platforms and paywalled datasets are not eligible inputs to public composite scoring.
- Coverage. The source must cover at least 30 of WhereNext's 95 indexed countries (with modeled fallback acceptable for the remainder).
- Methodology transparency. The publisher must document its own methodology, sample sizes, and update cadence.
See the live inventory at /sources.
Update cadence
- Composite indices— refreshed quarterly. The current rebuild stamp appears on each /data page.
- Live API adapters(REST Countries, Open-Meteo, World Bank, WHO GHO) — cached 12 hours.
- Static institutional indices(HDI, Global Peace Index, PISA, EF EPI) — refreshed when the upstream publisher releases a new edition. We log the upstream year on every page that cites them.
- Researched layers(golden visas, digital-nomad visas, healthcare cost) — quarterly review with date-stamped
wn_last_verified.
Confidence tagging
Every metric carries a confidence indicator that reflects the quality of the underlying data:
- [Data]— sourced directly from a primary institutional dataset.
- [Estimated]— derived from a heuristic model or proxy. Direction is reliable; precision is not.
- [Verify]— we suggest independent confirmation before acting. Common in jurisdiction-specific tax, visa, or property questions.
Composite country scores additionally carry a confidence_scorein the 0–1 range that reflects how much real data backs the score. Where direct data is unavailable, modeled estimates fill gaps and the confidence score drops accordingly.
Correction policy
We correct errors quickly and visibly. If you find an inaccuracy, email hello@getwherenext.com with:
- The page URL where you saw the error
- A description of what's wrong
- A primary source (URL or citation) supporting the correction
We aim to acknowledge corrections within 48 hours. Substantive corrections that change a ranking or a published number trigger:
- An immediate fix to the page in question.
- A line in the changelog on /methodology with the date and nature of the correction.
- IndexNow re-submission so search engines refresh the cached snippet within 2–7 days.
Retraction policy
If a claim is found to be materially false (not just imprecise), the affected page is updated to:
- Remove the false claim from the live page.
- Add a correction notice at the top of the page describing what was retracted and when.
- Preserve the historical version in our git history so the change is auditable.
We do not silently delete content. Retractions are logged in the methodology changelog with the same transparency as additions.
Fact-check workflow for new content
New articles, country pages, and city pages go through a multi-step verification workflow before publication:
- Drafted from source. Every numeric claim must trace back to a primary source URL, recorded in the page's source citations.
- Cross-validated. Where possible, claims are cross-validated against a second independent source (e.g., immigration ministry + embassy guidance).
- Confidence-tagged. Claims that cannot be primary-source-verified are tagged [Estimated] or [Verify].
- Schema-validated. JSON-LD structured data is generated and validated before deploy.
- Tested in production. Pre-deploy tests check that source citations render, that dynamic numeric claims match the seed data, and that no broken cross-links exist.
AI-assisted writing disclosure
WhereNext uses large language models for drafting and synthesis, but never to invent data. All numeric claims, dates, regulations, and source citations originate from the institutional datasets and researched layers documented at /sources. AI is used to translate structured data into readable narrative; AI is not used to generate the underlying numbers.
Conflict-of-interest disclosures
- Independent. WhereNext is an independent publisher. We are not a relocation consultancy, broker, law firm, or mortgage originator.
- No paid placement. Inclusion in any ranking, calculator, or composite score is never influenced by payment.
- Affiliate links. A small number of clearly disclosed affiliate links (insurance, banking) defray hosting and dataset licensing costs. Affiliate relationships never affect rankings, recommendations, or scoring.
- Paid reports. Our paid Decision Brief, School Fit, Tax & Relocation, and Starter Brief reports are personalized synthesis services. They use the same public data and the same composite scoring as the free site.
Limitations & legal disclaimers
WhereNext provides data-driven research; it is not legal, tax, financial, or immigration advice. Tax and visa figures are directional estimates — not filing-grade. For decisions with legal or financial consequences, consult qualified professionals in the relevant jurisdiction.
Questions, corrections, or feedback? hello@getwherenext.com. See also our methodology · data sources · about page.