How the register works
Methodology
How facts enter this database, what our labels mean, and the rules that keep the record independent.
Every fact traces to a source
Nothing here is written from memory or marketing copy. Each material fact — an accreditation status, a renewal cycle, a CEU requirement, a fee — is recorded as a claim linked to a source document with a URL and retrieval date. Records without evidence are refused at ingestion. Credential pages list their sources; you can check our work.
Sources are tiered. Tier 1 is an official provider or accreditor document — a certification handbook, a recertification policy page, an accreditor's own directory. Lower-tier sources may inform research but are never sufficient on their own: a record supported only by third-party sources stays unverified.
What “verified” means
verified
Credential information independently checked against official provider or accreditor sources by a human reviewer, with the check recorded as a verification event. It is a statement about the accuracy of the record — it is not an endorsement, a quality rating, or a recommendation of the credential itself.
Records still awaiting that human check are labeled pending review. They are research-backed and evidence-linked, just not yet signed off.
What “accredited” means
accredited
We do not repeat accreditation claims. A credential is marked accredited only when we independently confirmed the accreditation in the accreditor's own directory or official program list — with the accreditation expiry date on record where the accreditor publishes one. Provider self-claims we could not confirm are recorded as unknown, not as accredited.
Unknown is an honest answer
When official sources don't state a fact, we record unknown rather than guessing. Nine distinct credential types (certification, certificate program, specialization, license, and so on) are kept distinct — never collapsed into one bucket — because the differences are exactly what a careful reader needs.
Edge cases, handled explicitly
Facts change; history is kept
When a provider changes a fee, a renewal rule, or loses an accreditation, the old record is superseded — never overwritten. Proposed corrections move through a change-management workflow (evidence attached, verified, then approved by a human) before publication. A monthly automated audit re-checks accreditor directories and provider sources and files anything that moved for human review; automated runs can flag, but only a human verifies.
The facts are not for sale
The Credential Standard is independent of every certification provider. No provider can pay to be verified, to be ranked, to change a factual conclusion, or to be removed from the record. If we ever charge for anything, it will be for access, tooling, and analysis — never for the facts themselves.
Found an error? Every page cites its sources — if an official source contradicts our record, we want to know and will correct it through the change workflow above.
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