People use our guides to make real decisions about their careers and money, so we hold our content to clear standards. This page explains how we choose topics, research and write articles, keep them up to date and fix mistakes.
How we choose topics
We write about the questions people ask before starting a trade or healthcare career: how to get in, how long it takes, what it costs, how to get certified or licensed, and what the job pays. We prioritize careers that can be entered without a four-year degree, and we give extra attention to topics where misleading information is common, such as program costs, repayment contracts and inflated salary claims.
Our sources
We rely on primary and official sources wherever possible, including:
- The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, for wages, employment and job outlook data
- The U.S. Department of Labor, the Department of Education and Federal Student Aid
- Federal regulations and agencies such as the EPA and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
- State licensing boards and agencies
- The organizations that set and administer certification exams
- Industry surveys and research from established organizations, clearly attributed
We link to our sources within each article so you can check them. When we can’t confirm a figure with a reliable source, we leave it out or explain the uncertainty. When sources disagree, we say so rather than picking the most attractive number.
How we use AI
We use AI tools to help research topics, organize information and draft articles. AI does not replace verification: facts, figures and requirements in every article are checked against the original sources before publication, and charts are built from the cited data. Our articles are not bylined to individual writers, and we don’t invent author profiles or credentials. Responsibility for everything we publish rests with TradePath Guide.
Keeping content up to date
Each article shows the date it was last reviewed. Wage data and job projections are updated by the government once a year, and exam fees and licensing rules can change at any time, so we review our guides regularly and prioritize articles whose figures are most likely to change. Articles with a year in the title are updated when new data is released.
Corrections
If we get something wrong, we want to fix it. You can report an error through our contact page. We review every report, correct confirmed errors promptly and update the article’s review date. If a correction changes a key fact or recommendation, we note the change in the article.
Independence and advertising
TradePath Guide is funded by advertising. Advertisers have no say in what we write, and we don’t accept payment from schools, employers or training providers to be included in or excluded from our articles. Ads are served automatically by Google and are kept visually separate from our content. If we ever use affiliate links, we’ll disclose them clearly on the pages where they appear.
To learn more about who we are, see our About page.