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Editorial Policy

Our Mission

The Setubal Encyclopedia is a free, community-driven knowledge base dedicated to the city of Setubal, its history, culture, nature, and people. Our goal is to make comprehensive, reliable information about Setubal accessible to everyone — residents, visitors, researchers, and anyone with an interest in this remarkable city.

All content is published under an open-access model. There are no paywalls, mandatory registrations, or barriers to reading.

Neutrality and Fact-Based Coverage

We strive for neutral, fact-based coverage in every article. This means:

  • Presenting documented facts supported by credible sources whenever possible
  • Including diverse perspectives on topics where viewpoints may differ
  • Not taking editorial sides on political, social, or cultural debates
  • Respecting the right of readers to form their own opinions based on the information provided

We believe that every well-reasoned question has the right to be heard, provided it does not violate the law or intentionally cause harm.

Content Markers

We use a system of markers to help readers assess the reliability of specific claims:

[FOLKLORE]

Indicates information rooted in local tradition, oral history, or popular belief. These claims may lack formal academic verification but represent an important part of Setubal’s cultural heritage. Folklore markers do not imply the information is false — they signal that readers should consider the traditional nature of the source.

[DISPUTED]

Marks claims where credible sources present conflicting information, or where historians and experts hold differing views. When we use this marker, we aim to present the major viewpoints fairly and let readers draw their own conclusions.

[UNVERIFIED]

Applied to information that comes from a single source or has not been independently confirmed. Unverified claims are included when they add meaningful context but should be treated with appropriate caution.

Sensitive Topics

Some articles address topics where opinions may strongly differ — matters of identity, politics, religion, social justice, or historical memory. These articles carry a special notice at the top, indicating that:

  • Multiple perspectives exist on the subject
  • We present facts and viewpoints without taking sides
  • Disputed claims are clearly marked
  • Constructive feedback is welcome

The presence of a sensitive-topic notice does not mean the article is less reliable. It means we acknowledge the complexity of the subject and invite readers to engage thoughtfully.

Sources and Verification

We cite our sources in each article’s metadata. Sources may include:

  • Academic publications — peer-reviewed research and historical studies
  • Official sources — government documents, municipal records, statistics
  • Journalistic sources — reporting from established news outlets
  • Web sources — reliable websites, institutional pages, verified databases
  • Local knowledge — interviews, oral histories, community contributions

Each article includes a confidence level (high, medium, or low) reflecting the overall strength of available evidence.

Feedback and Corrections

We welcome constructive feedback, corrections, and suggestions. If you believe an article contains an error, presents a biased perspective, or omits important information, we want to hear from you.

You can reach us at:

All feedback is reviewed and, where appropriate, incorporated into article updates. We value transparency and will acknowledge significant corrections.

Future: Authored Contributions

We plan to introduce authored articles — opinion pieces and analyses clearly attributed to their authors. These will be distinctly marked to differentiate them from our standard encyclopedic content. Authored articles will represent the views of their writers, not the encyclopedia as a whole.

Use of Automated Tools

In the interest of transparency and in compliance with the EU AI Act (Article 50), we disclose that automated tools are used in parts of our editorial workflow. Specifically:

  • Research assistance — automated tools help gather, compare, and summarize information from public sources
  • Translation support — initial drafts of multilingual content may be prepared with automated translation, then reviewed and edited by human contributors
  • Formatting and consistency — automated checks help maintain consistent formatting, metadata, and cross-references across articles

All content published in this encyclopedia is reviewed by human editors before publication. Automated tools assist the editorial process but do not make final decisions about what is published. Every article includes reviewed_by and review_date metadata fields indicating the human reviewer responsible.

Commitment

We are committed to:

  • Legality — ensuring all content complies with applicable laws
  • Respect — not intentionally offending or provoking
  • Openness — welcoming collaboration and critique
  • Accuracy — continuously improving our content based on new evidence
  • Accessibility — keeping all information free and open to everyone