Editorial policy
How to use this archive.
A record's presence shows that it has been preserved and made discoverable. It does not, by itself, authenticate every claim in the record or make that claim FPP's editorial position.
01
Keep three layers separate
The historical object
A scan, facsimile, quoted text, recording or transcription. Read it in its original context where possible.
The archive description
Title, date, attribution, provenance, topics and collection information supplied to make a record findable.
FPP's framing
Introductions, excerpts, features, selections and links that explain why a record has been published or grouped.
02
What the labels mean
- Article
- An authored or editorial work. Its argument belongs to the named author, not automatically to every person or institution mentioned.
- Document
- A primary or third-party record. Check the source and provenance note to understand who created it and why.
- Letter or diary
- A personal record whose statements reflect the writer's knowledge and perspective at the time.
- Book
- A complete edition, chapter or extract. Publication details should be checked before citation.
- Feature or collection
- An editorial route through related material, not a new historical source.
03
Read the date label, not just the year
A historical archive needs more than one clock. FPP distinguishes:
- Original or historical date: when a letter, diary entry, document or event originated.
- First published: when an authored work or edition originally appeared.
- Added or updated: when the digital archive record was created or materially revised.
Approximate, inferred and disputed dates should be labelled as such. A historical date must not be presented as the date that FPP published an item online.
04
Attribution, transcription and provenance
“Attributed to” is not the same as independently authenticated. Where provenance is incomplete, the record should say so. A transcription makes text searchable but can introduce errors; for exact wording, handwriting, seals, annotations or page order, consult the facsimile.
Citations downloaded from FPP are generated from archive metadata. They are a starting point, not a substitute for checking the original source and the requirements of your publisher, court or institution.
05
Contested and difficult material
The collection includes polemical writing, discriminatory language and historical claims that are disputed or rejected by other historians, institutions or courts. Such material may be retained because it is part of the publishing and documentary record. Inclusion is not validation.
Where a record is central to a public dispute, FPP aims to make relevant judgments, expert reports, contrary evidence and source documents discoverable alongside it. Readers should compare those materials rather than treat an archive excerpt as a settled conclusion.
06
What editors may change
Editors may correct metadata, remove imported website boilerplate, repair broken formatting, add an accessible title, or write a concise archive description. Those changes should not silently alter the meaning of the underlying historical text.
Editorial imagery is separate from source media and should be credited. A modern illustration must not be presented as documentary evidence. See the image credits for homepage material.
Commercial material is separately and clearly labelled. Irving Books house advertisements are network promotions, not part of an archive record or its editorial framing. FPP and Irving Books are operated by Focal Point International LLC; placement does not determine archive selection or treatment.
07
Search, synthetic audio and machine answers
Search ranking, generated citations, synthetic narration and question-answering tools are research aids. They are not historical sources and can omit context or make mistakes. Synthetic readings are labelled and are not original recordings of the author or speaker.
Always follow a machine-generated answer back to the cited record and read the relevant passage in context.
08
Reader comments and moderation
Reader comments are reviewed before publication. Approval means that a comment is suitable for the discussion; it does not mean that FPP has verified or endorsed the comment's claims. Published comments reflect their authors' views.
Editors may decline or remove comments that are irrelevant, repetitive, abusive, unlawful, promotional, contain excessive links or disclose personal information. There is no guarantee that a submission will be published.
09
Corrections and review
Send a correction request to [email protected]. Include the exact URL, the disputed field or passage and the best available supporting evidence.
Verified display and metadata errors are corrected. Material changes should be noted where practical; errors present in a preserved source may remain in the source while being explained in an archive note.