Editorial Standards & Publication Policy

Effective 9 November 2026. Version 1.0.

Webometrics is a UNIRANKS project dedicated to the development and application of webometric university evaluation and research. Webometrics.org is the project's dedicated public website and publication platform. This policy sets out the standards that apply to what Webometrics publishes on Webometrics.org, how content is checked and approved, and how errors are corrected. Background on the project is at https://www.webometrics.org/insights/about.

This policy applies from its effective date. Content published before that date was not produced under it; it is being reviewed against these standards progressively, and any article that does not meet them will be updated or corrected as described in Section 10.

1. Purpose and Editorial Mission

Webometrics is a UNIRANKS project dedicated to the development and application of webometric university evaluation and research. Through Webometrics.org, the project publishes university rankings, methodological information, research studies and analytical insights into institutional web presence, visibility, digital impact and performance. Its editorial mission is to provide accurate, evidence-based and clearly sourced information that universities, researchers, policymakers, students and the public can rely on, check and cite.

These standards exist so that readers can tell what a statement rests on, how a result was obtained, who is responsible for it and how to report a problem with it.

2. Editorial Scope

This policy applies to editorial content published on Webometrics.org, in particular the Research & Insights section (https://www.webometrics.org/insights/). Webometrics publishes five types of content:

• Original research: studies in which Webometrics defines a research question and collects or generates new data, for example by examining university websites, repositories or public records.
• Data-driven analysis: analysis of existing data, most often Webometrics ranking data, to describe patterns, distributions or comparisons.
• Research commentary: summaries and discussion of research or policy published by others, with Webometrics' interpretation kept separate from the source's findings.
• Educational and explanatory articles: guides and explainers based on authoritative published sources, such as technical documentation, standards and official guidance.
• Rankings and methodology publications: the Webometrics ranking editions and the pages that describe how the ranking is produced.

Editorial content explains and analyses the ranking; it does not change how ranking positions are determined. Webometrics publications describe web presence, digital visibility, openness and scholarly recognition. They do not assess teaching quality, accreditation status or graduate outcomes, and a Webometrics position is not an accreditation or a complete judgement of an institution's quality.

3. Research Integrity and Evidence Standards

• Every factual claim must be traceable to a cited source, to data Webometrics has collected and described, or to Webometrics' published ranking data. Statements that cannot be supported are removed or corrected before publication.
• Findings, interpretation and opinion are kept distinct. Articles separate what a source states, what Webometrics observed, what Webometrics infers from the evidence, and what remains a hypothesis.
• Estimates are labelled. Any figure that is estimated, modelled, rounded from incomplete data or derived from a sample is identified as such, with its basis.
• Correlation is not presented as causation. Associations are described as associations unless the evidence supports a causal claim.
• Limitations are stated. Original research and data-driven analysis include a section describing the constraints that affect the conclusions, such as sample size, collection date, classification choices or data coverage.
• No fabrication or manipulation. Webometrics does not invent data, sources, quotations, institutions or results, and does not alter images or data to change what they show.
• No unsupported promises. Articles do not state or imply that a particular action, product or service will change a ranking position, search visibility or citations.

4. Accuracy, Verification and Source Quality

Source quality. Webometrics gives priority to primary and authoritative sources: official documentation, technical standards, government and intergovernmental publications, research infrastructure registries, peer-reviewed literature and original institutional pages. Specialist press may be used to identify a topic, but claims are traced to and cited from their primary source. Blogs, forums and social media are not used as the basis of a conclusion.

Citations. Every article lists its sources. Each citation identifies the title, the publisher or author, and the publication or access date, and links to the source where it is publicly available. Quotations are reproduced exactly and attributed.

Numbers and statistics. Each statistic is reported with its denominator, unit, date and source (for example, "18 of 50 universities (36%), as observed on 4 October 2026"). Percentages, totals and positions are checked against the underlying data before publication.

Names and facts. Institutional names, country names, dates, URLs and titles are checked against an authoritative source, normally the institution's own website or the relevant official register.

Time-sensitive information. Information that changes over time, such as ranking positions, documentation or policies, is dated. Ranking positions are cited with their edition and the date they were read.

Verification. Automated checks may assist verification, for example of links and formatting, but they do not replace human judgement about facts, sources and conclusions.

5. Original Research and Data Transparency

Original research and data-driven analysis published by Webometrics disclose:

• the research question;
• the population studied and how any sample was selected, including exclusion rules;
• the data collection date or period;
• the variables or indicators used and how they are defined;
• the data sources and the method of analysis;
• the limitations of the study.

The research question and selection rules are set before data is collected or analysed. Results are not selected to support a predetermined conclusion, and findings that do not support an article's main argument are not omitted.

Data availability. Where the data underlying a study can be shared, Webometrics aims to make it available. Where it cannot, for example because it is licensed from a third party or forms part of internal ranking infrastructure, the article says so. Webometrics does not publish personal data about individuals beyond what is already public and necessary for the analysis.

Observations of institutions. Statements about a specific institution's website or records describe what was observed, on which page and on which date. They are written in neutral, measurable terms and are not generalised beyond the evidence.

6. University Rankings and Methodological Integrity

• Published methodology. The Webometrics ranking is described in the Webometrics methodology published on Webometrics.org (https://www.webometrics.org/insights/methodology). Editorial articles describe the indicators as that methodology describes them and do not add unpublished parameters.
• Editions. Webometrics publishes two editions each year, in January and July. Ranking positions quoted in articles are cited with their edition and the date they were read. Positions from different editions are not always directly comparable, and articles that compare editions explain the basis of the comparison.
• Methodology changes and review. The methodology is periodically refined. When Webometrics identifies a difference between the published description and the way an edition was produced, it investigates the difference and updates the description, the process or both, and documents the outcome.
• Separation from editorial content. Editorial articles report and analyse ranking results; they are not used to announce, adjust or negotiate any institution's position.
• Ranking data enquiries. Institutions that believe their ranking data or institutional details are incorrect can raise this through the contact page (Section 11). Such requests are handled separately from editorial corrections.

7. Editorial Review and Publication Approval

Webometrics is a UNIRANKS project, not a separate organisation or publisher. It does not have a standing editorial board, and its articles are not externally peer-reviewed unless an article explicitly states otherwise. Each new item of content goes through four stages before publication:

1. Preparation. A draft is prepared against these standards and Webometrics' internal editorial guidelines, together with its sources, data and limitations.
2. Evidence and citation verification. Factual claims, figures, citations, links and institutional details are checked against their sources and the underlying data.
3. Editorial quality control. The draft is checked for accuracy, originality, analytical value, clarity, consistency with the published methodology and compliance with this policy.
4. Final approval. An authorised UNIRANKS representative responsible for the Webometrics project reviews the draft and approves it for publication. Content that has not received this approval is not published.

Webometrics keeps an internal record of these stages for each item. Editorial responsibility for content published on Webometrics.org rests with UNIRANKS Inc. as the operator of Webometrics.

Where an article has been reviewed by an external expert, the article says so and describes the nature of that review. Webometrics does not describe content as reviewed or verified unless that review has taken place.

8. Independence, Objectivity and Conflicts of Interest

Commercial services. UNIRANKS, which operates Webometrics, also offers paid institutional services, including analytics, benchmarking, research intelligence, verification and consulting. These services are kept separate from the ranking and from editorial content:

• paid services do not influence ranking positions or editorial content;
• no institution can purchase inclusion in the ranking, a ranking position, coverage in an article, or changes to an article;
• a one-time administrative fee applies to the registration and verification of new institutions; it covers processing and verification only and does not purchase inclusion, a score or a ranking position;
• institutions are not given advance sight of, or approval rights over, articles about them.

Disclosure. Where an article discusses a UNIRANKS product or service, or an institution with which UNIRANKS has a commercial relationship relevant to the article, the article discloses that relationship.

Sponsored content. Webometrics does not currently publish sponsored content. If it does in future, such content will be clearly labelled and kept separate from editorial and research content.

Balance and tone. Articles describe institutions and higher education systems in neutral, measurable language and avoid sensational criticism or unsupported praise. Webometrics does not promote or disparage other ranking systems.

9. Authorship and Attribution

Project byline. Articles are published under the byline "Webometrics Research". This is a project-level attribution identifying content published by Webometrics under this policy. It does not denote a formal editorial department, research team or board. Responsibility for this content rests with UNIRANKS Inc., which operates the Webometrics project (see Section 7).

Named contributors. Where an identifiable person makes a substantial intellectual contribution to an article, such as designing a study, collecting or analysing data, or writing a substantial part of the text, they may be credited by name, with their consent and a description of their contribution. Webometrics does not attribute content to people who did not contribute to it and does not state titles, qualifications or affiliations that cannot be verified.

External authors. Content written by authors outside Webometrics is published under their own name, with their affiliation as they provide it and any relevant interests declared.

Use of others' work. The work of others is cited and attributed. Tables, figures or data reproduced from other publications are credited to their source and reproduced only where the source's terms permit.

Images. Images that are illustrations rather than records of real places, people or events are presented as illustrations. Photographs and figures from other sources are credited.

10. Corrections, Updates and Retractions

Webometrics reviews reported factual errors and makes corrections where warranted. Substantive corrections are documented to maintain transparency and research integrity.

• Correction. Where published content contains a factual error that affects its meaning, such as a wrong figure, name, date, attribution or finding, the text is corrected and a dated correction note is added to the article describing what was changed.
• Clarification. Where content is accurate but could be misunderstood, it is reworded and a dated clarification note is added.
• Update. Where content is revised because new information has become available, such as a new ranking edition or updated documentation, the article's "Last updated" date changes and, where the change is substantive, the update is described.
• Retraction. Where the main findings or conclusions of an article are found to be unreliable and cannot be corrected, the article is retracted. A retraction notice explaining the reason remains at the original address; the content is not silently removed.

Minor changes that do not affect meaning, such as spelling, formatting or broken-link repairs, may be made without a note. Each article shows its original publication date; publication dates are not changed to match a ranking edition or data period.

11. Reader Feedback and Research Inquiries

Readers, institutions and researchers can report errors, ask about a publication or its data, or raise concerns about this policy through the contact page: https://www.webometrics.org/contact-us.

To help us respond, please include the address of the page concerned, the passage or figure in question, and, where possible, a source supporting the correction. Questions about an institution's ranking data or institutional details should identify the institution and its official website.

Reports are considered on their merits and checked against the evidence before any change is made.

12. Policy Review and Maintenance

This policy is reviewed at least once a year, and earlier when the scope of Webometrics publications, its processes or relevant legal requirements change. Each revision is dated, and substantive changes are recorded in the version history below.

Version history