Last Updated: September 1, 2024
Why We Have This Policy We believe every investigation deserves to be handled with care, fairness, and thoroughness. This policy guides how we get to the truth while treating everyone involved with respect.
Who This Affects This applies to every investigation we conduct – whether we’re looking into a complaint, doing an audit, or responding to regulatory questions.
Our Core Principles When we investigate, we commit to:
- Staying neutral and avoiding any conflicts of interest
- Being clear about how we reached our conclusions
- Giving everyone involved a chance to tell their side of the story
- Keeping sensitive information confidential and secure
How We Investigate We follow a careful process:
Getting Started We don’t launch investigations without good reason. When we receive credible information or a formal complaint, we take a close look to decide if and how to proceed.
Gathering Information We collect all relevant evidence – from documents and data to conversations with witnesses and expert opinions. Think of it as putting together all the pieces of a puzzle.
Finding the Truth We step back and look at everything we’ve gathered with fresh eyes. Our team analyzes the evidence carefully, following where the facts lead us.
Making Decisions An independent panel reviews our findings to ensure fairness. They recommend what should happen next based on what we’ve discovered.
Sharing Results We document everything clearly and share our conclusions with those who need to know, while still protecting confidential information.
Who Does What
- Our investigators work independently to uncover the truth
- The editor-in-chief makes sure we follow all the right legal and procedural steps
When Things Go Wrong
- Not following our investigation process can lead to disciplinary action
- If an investigation isn’t handled properly, it may need legal review
- Anyone unhappy with investigation results has the right to appeal
Keeping Current We review this policy every year to make sure it still works well and meets all legal requirements. When things need to change, we update it.