How we research and check every teardown

We build each teardown on primary sources, in roughly this order of preference:

• Manufacturer manuals, datasheets and service documentation
• Technical standards (for example IEC, UL and ISO) and patents
• Textbooks and reference works
• Peer-reviewed research
• Government and health authorities for anything health or safety related

Secondary sources such as news articles or encyclopedias can help us find a primary source, but they are never the only support for a claim. Every article lists its sources at the end, with links where they exist online.

• Every factual claim must trace back to a listed source.
• Before publishing, a person opens every listed source and confirms it supports what the article says.
• Numbers, units and safety statements get a second check.
• If a claim cannot be backed by a source, it is removed rather than softened.

We use research and writing tools, including AI, and a person checks every source before anything is published.

Our cutaways and animations are simplified illustrations made to show how something works. They are not to scale and may leave out parts that do not matter to the explanation. When an illustration simplifies something important, the text says so.

Some teardowns cover medical devices or things that can hurt you if handled wrongly. These explain how things work and nothing more. They are not medical, electrical or repair advice, they carry clear safety notes, and health topics include a link to our medical disclaimer. If a qualified professional reviews an article, their name and the review date appear on it.

We choose what to cover based on what readers want to understand. No one pays to be featured. If we ever publish sponsored content or use affiliate links, they will be clearly labeled where they appear.

Every article shows when it was last updated. We revisit articles when products, standards or evidence change, and when readers point out something that has gone out of date.

If you spot an error, please tell us through the contact form and choose "Report an error". Include the page address and, if you can, a source that shows the correct information.

We fix factual errors as quickly as we can. When a correction changes the meaning of an article, we add a note at the end of that article saying what changed and when. Small fixes such as typos are corrected without a note.