Many signals, one accountable judgment
Sources are evidence, not decoration. We use the source that fits the claim, preserve the difference between fact and interpretation, and avoid naming sources inside the prose when a clean citation can do the job.
Primary sources
For core facts
Reviews
For patterns
Citations
Exact URLs
Source hierarchy
- Official venue, organizer, government, transport, or rights-body information for direct facts.
- Independent local journalism and established queer or travel publications for context.
- Current review platforms, forums, and community accounts for recurring experience signals.
- Queer Atlas community submissions after moderation and confidence review.
How reviews may be used
Reviews can help describe patterns such as queue pressure, staff warmth, tourist mix, accessibility, dress expectations, or how a night changes by weekday. We look for repetition across time and sources, and we paraphrase rather than copy reviewers' wording.
Attribution and links
Factual claims should link to the most specific useful page, not a generic homepage. Source names belong in the evidence layer or reference list unless naming the source is important to the story itself.
Commercial and user-generated sources
Promotional copy is treated as a claim by the operator, not independent confirmation. Community material may add valuable lived experience, but it remains labeled and moderated rather than being silently converted into verified fact.