Editorial policy

Purpose

The Groundwork Review publishes plain-language research and analysis for people who own and run small businesses. Each paper takes one decision an owner faces, sets out what credible sources say about it, and turns that into steps the owner can test in their own business.

Sources we use

We prefer, in order: peer-reviewed research and university publications; government and public-agency data and curricula (for example the U.S. Small Business Administration, FDIC and Census); primary legal texts and recognized legal references; and industry surveys that publish their date, method and sample size. We name every source in a numbered reference list, link to it where it is public, and give its date.

Evidence levels

Every paper keeps three kinds of statement apart:

• Cited findings are reported by a named source and marked with a reference number.
• Groundwork working rules come from Groundwork's internal decision models. We label them as ours, describe them as working rules, not guarantees, and apply them alongside an owner's own numbers.
• Illustrations (worked examples, hypothetical businesses and exercises) show the arithmetic or the method. They are labeled and are never presented as data.

Where data is old or comes from a narrow sample, the paper says so next to the figure.

Review before publication

Each paper is researched, checked against the sources it cites, and approved by the author before it is published. Statistics are confirmed against the original publisher, not a secondary summary, wherever the original is available.

Corrections

If we get something wrong, we fix it and say so. Corrections are added to the end of the paper with the date and what changed. To report an error, email maverick@groundworkbusinessadvisory.com with the paper title and the source that shows the problem.

Conflicts of interest

The Groundwork Review is published by Groundwork Business Advisory LLC, which sells fixed-fee advisory services and business documents. Papers link to related Groundwork services, and that relationship is the reason the Review exists. We do not accept payment, sponsorship or advertising from anyone to publish, mention or link to a product, and we do not name clients or use confidential client information.

Not professional advice

Papers are general information. They are not legal, tax, accounting or financial advice. Laws and tax rules vary by state; for decisions with legal or tax consequences, consult a licensed professional.

Citing the Review

Every paper ends with a ready-made citation. Please link to the paper's page rather than copying its text.