1 · Define the field and the rubric
Before scoring anything we fix the field (what’s in, what’s out and why) and pick the rubric — digital or services — then state the criteria weights up front. The weights are set by what actually decides the decision for a reader, not by what’s easy to measure. See how we score.
2 · Gather evidence
We work from primary sources first: official documentation and pricing, regulator and licensing databases, the operator or vendor’s own published material, and neutral third-party records. Where a claim can’t be traced to a checkable source, it doesn’t earn points. Marketing copy is not evidence.
3 · Score each criterion 0–100
Every candidate is scored on each criterion against the same evidence bar, then each criterion is multiplied by its weight and summed into The SR Score. The #1 in any ranking is simply the highest weighted total — not an editor’s favourite.
4 · Verify and date
Facts — prices, specs, licences, counts, dates — are verified at draft time and stamped with a verification date. Prices and availability move; the date tells you how fresh the check is.
5 · Publish the receipt
Each ranking ends with a methodology receipt: rubric, weights, evidence checked, and verification date. The standard the piece was held to is linked inline, every time.
6 · Revise in the open
When facts change or we get something wrong, we update the page and, if the verdict moves, log it on the corrections log. Our full editorial standard governs sourcing, independence, and conflicts.
On AI
We use AI tools for research assistance and drafting support. We do not publish unreviewed machine output: every ranking is scored, sourced, and fact-checked by the desk, and the publication stands behind it.