The short version
Every article on michelle.net.au is researched and written by the site’s editor against a fixed set of rules: no invented figures, no therapeutic claims, no medical advice, and no hidden commercial influence. Where a question needs a doctor, pharmacist or other health professional who knows your own situation, we say so rather than guessing. If we get something wrong, tell us and we will correct it in public.
Who writes this site
michelle.net.au is researched and written by its editor. We do not buy syndicated articles, we do not republish content from other sites, and we do not run guest posts placed for links.
We are researchers writing about health and healthy ageing for everyday readers. We are not doctors, pharmacists, dietitians or other health practitioners, and we do not present ourselves as any of those things. That limit is the reason for most of the rules below.
The rules every article is held to
1. No invented figures. We do not publish a statistic, percentage, dose range or “research shows” claim unless it is genuinely sourced and checked. Where we cannot verify a number, we describe the pattern in words instead. We would rather say that the evidence is limited or mixed than manufacture a figure that looks authoritative and means nothing.
2. No therapeutic claims. Nothing on this site diagnoses, treats, prevents or cures any disease or condition. We follow the spirit of Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) advertising rules, which strictly limit the health claims that can be made about medicines and supplements, and we apply the same standard for readers everywhere. When we discuss a supplement, food or practice, we describe what the research actually tested and what it did and did not find. We do not claim that any product will cure, fix or reverse anything.
3. No medical advice. Our articles are general education, not advice for an individual. We do not tell any reader what to take, how much to take or what to stop taking. Before you start, stop or change a supplement, medicine, diet or exercise programme, talk to your doctor or pharmacist, especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, take regular medicines, or live with a health condition.
4. Evidence first, and honest about its limits. We draw on sources such as national health bodies, medicines and food regulators, and peer-reviewed systematic reviews. We prefer reviews and guidelines over single studies, and we say when the evidence is early, small, mixed or based on people quite different from the reader. Sources are named in plain text so you can look them up yourself.
5. No promised outcomes. Health is individual. We use language that reflects that, such as “may help”, “was linked with” and “the trials tested”. We do not write “guaranteed”, “proven to cure” or “in two weeks you will”.
6. Written for readers everywhere. Our readers are worldwide. Rules on supplements, medicines, labelling and health services differ between countries, so where something genuinely varies we say so and point readers to their own country’s health authority or regulator rather than describing one market as if it were universal.
7. Commercial content is separated and disclosed. This site may carry advertising and affiliate links. Neither ever influences a conclusion, and no advertiser sees an article before it is published. Any commercial relationship is disclosed. See our Affiliate Disclosure for the detail.
How articles are produced
Each article is planned around one real question a reader actually asks. It is researched, drafted, then checked against the rules above line by line before it goes anywhere near publication. Checks specifically look for unverified numbers, anything that reads as a therapeutic claim or individual medical advice, any guarantee of outcome, any undisclosed commercial angle, and any claim that would only be true in one country.
Nothing publishes automatically. Every article is fact-checked against named sources before release, and publication is approved by the site’s publisher.
Where our limits are
We will not answer, by email or in an article, any of the following. Each of them needs a health professional who knows you.
- What is causing a specific symptom you are experiencing
- Whether you need to see a doctor urgently in a particular case
- Which supplement or medicine you personally should take, or at what dose
- Whether a supplement is safe alongside your own medicines or health conditions
- An individual diet, exercise or treatment plan
For those, please speak to your doctor or pharmacist. If you think you are having a medical emergency, contact your local emergency number straight away.
Corrections
We would rather be corrected than be consistent.
If you find an error, tell us through our contact page, giving the page and the problem.
- Minor fixes such as typos and broken links are made quietly.
- Factual corrections are made to the article and noted at the foot of the page, with the date and what changed.
- Substantial corrections, where the original information could have led a reader to do the wrong thing, are noted clearly at the top of the article as well.
We do not silently delete articles to make an error disappear.
Reviews and updates
Health guidance and regulations change. Articles are revisited periodically and updated where the evidence or the rules have moved on. Where an article has been materially updated, the page will show it.
A note on this page
This policy describes how we work, not a professional qualification we do not hold. michelle.net.au publishes general educational information about health and healthy ageing for readers worldwide. It is not medical advice and never a replacement for a doctor, pharmacist or other health professional who can assess your own situation.