Editorial Policy
This page explains how we choose topics, research and write our guides, keep them current and fix mistakes, and how money does and does not influence what we publish.
In short
- We write for people choosing a certificate, course or career step, and we start from their questions.
- We favor official and primary sources, and cite them where a number matters.
- Affiliate income exists, but companies cannot buy a better write-up.
- We correct errors openly and show an “Updated” date on each guide.
What we publish and why
VillanovaU publishes guides on certifications, courses and career skills, such as project management, Six Sigma, human resources, nursing careers and leadership. Each page aims to answer one practical question well: what something is, what it costs, what it takes and what to do next.
We pick topics from the questions people ask when they are deciding, and we do not write about a topic only because it pays well.
How we research
- Official sources first. For exam rules, fees and requirements, we use the exam body or provider. For jobs and pay, we use government statistics, such as the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. For health-care workforce numbers, we use agencies and professional bodies.
- Numbers come with context. We name the source and the year inline, and we say when a figure is a projection or an average.
- We flag what we could not confirm. If a claim cannot be checked, we hedge it or leave it out.
- We separate fact from example. Sample budgets, scenarios and documents are labeled as our illustrations.
How we write
We use plain language, short paragraphs and concrete examples. We explain trade-offs, including cost, time and what a credential does not do, and we try to say when a free option is enough. We write in American English.
Independence and money
We earn mainly through affiliate commissions. You can read how that works in our affiliate disclosure. These rules apply to everything we publish:
- Companies cannot pay for a higher place in a list, a better rating or changes to what we say about them.
- We write the guide before we add links, and we do not run display ads.
- Commission rates do not decide which options we include. We mention free and non-affiliate options where they are the better fit.
- Where we receive a free trial or review copy, we will say so on the page.
- We never invent reviews, testimonials or ratings.
Updates and corrections
Each guide shows when it was last updated. We re-check fast-changing facts, such as fees, exam formats and salary data, and update pages when something material changes. Updating a date does not mean we rewrote the page; we change it when we have reviewed the content.
If we find or are told about a mistake, we fix it promptly. If the error was significant, we add a short note on the page saying what changed.
Use of AI tools
We may use AI tools to help with research, outlining and editing. A person reviews every page before it is published and is responsible for what it says. AI is not used to invent sources, reviews or quotations.
What we are not
We are not a school, a university, an exam body or a career counselor, and our guides are general information, not personal advice. We are not affiliated with Villanova University or any other university. See our disclaimer.
Tell us what we got wrong
Corrections and feedback are welcome at contact@villanovau.com. Please include the page address and, if you can, a link to the source that shows the correct information.