How WAC research is made
How our research is written, checked and funded, what it is and is not, and how to tell us when we get something wrong.
Evidence first
Every factual claim comes from a source that was opened and read, and is listed with a link.
Checked separately
A reviewer who did not write the paper checks every number, name and quote against its source.
Not for sale
Members, partners and sponsors cannot buy a finding or approve a draft.
Corrected in public
Confirmed errors are fixed on the page, with substantive changes dated.
Four kinds of publication, one set of rules
Each kind has its own job. All of them show their sources.
White papers and reports
Evidence reviews from the four Focus Centres, with a framework and recommendations. See also the annual reports.
Spotlight
Shorter analysis of a current question, built on the same evidence rules.
WAC Signal
Each episode is written only from published WAC papers and reports, and lists its sources.
WAC News
Sourced summaries of education news. News is reporting, not WAC research.
Desk research, stated plainly
WAC papers synthesize published evidence. Each paper explains its own method and limits.
✓What it is
- Syntheses of published studies, official statistics, regulator and institutional reports, and quality journalism.
- Researched and written by the WAC editorial team using AI-assisted research and writing tools.
- Fact-checked against every source before publication.
- Practical: each paper ends with a framework and recommendations.
✕What it is not
- Original surveys, trials or datasets. We never present WAC figures as research findings.
- Peer-reviewed in the academic sense.
- An accreditation, certification or endorsement of any institution, programme or product.
- Influenced by members, partners or sponsors.
Six steps, from topic to publication
The same process for every white paper and annual report.
Topic
WAC plans its papers across the four Focus Centres, on questions institutions face. Topics are chosen by WAC, not by members or sponsors.
Research and drafting
Every factual claim must come from a source opened and read for the paper. Anything that cannot be found in a source is left out.
Independent fact check
A reviewer who did not write the paper confirms every number, date, name, quote and finding, and corrects or removes what does not hold.
Fairness
Papers say who found what, with what limits; separate trials from observational studies and company claims; and include the strongest counter-evidence.
Quotes and wording
Written in our own words, with at most a few short, attributed quotes. Our own calculations are marked as such.
Publication
Each paper carries its publication date, a methodology section, its limitations and a full reference list with links.
What members, partners and sponsors cannot do
WAC is funded by memberships, services and partnerships. These rules keep that funding apart from our findings.
No commissioned findings
Members, partners and sponsors cannot commission a finding, approve or review a draft, or have a conclusion changed or removed.
Paid items are labelled
Member news in WAC News, partner features, sponsored sessions and featured directory listings say what they are.
Partner papers are marked
A co-branded paper with a Strategic Partner is labelled, names the partner and follows the same rules. The partner does not control its conclusions.
Connections are disclosed
When a publication discusses an organization that funds WAC, or that shares owners or leadership with WAC, the connection is disclosed in it.
Coverage is not endorsement
Being covered in WAC News, Spotlight or a paper is not an endorsement.
Not an accrediting body
Nothing we publish, and no membership or partnership, is an accreditation or a certification.
Found an error? Tell us.
We check every report. Confirmed errors are corrected on the page, and substantive corrections to a paper are noted in it with the date of the change.
- 1Name the page and the passage.
- 2Send the source that shows the error.
- 3We check it and reply, and correct the page if the error is confirmed.
Questions about these standards: connect@worldassessmentcouncil.org. See also Work with WAC and Membership.