Editorial policy

How we curate.

How entries get picked, who writes them, what we reject, and what happens when we get something wrong.

Who writes the entries

Entries are written by named editors. The editor reads or watches the source in full before drafting. The finished entry carries their byline and the date. The current editors are on the About page.

What we curate

Articles, videos, papers, and handbook excerpts that teach something useful about swimming, rescue, CPR, or water safety. The source must be identifiable. Claims must be verifiable.

We lean towards:

  • Coaches with visible résumés and live athletes.
  • National and international lifesaving bodies (ILS, RLSS UK, SLSS, USLA, Royal Life Saving Australia).
  • Sport science research with clear methodology, preferably peer reviewed.
  • Video where you can actually see the technique being performed.
  • Working coaches and lifeguards writing about their craft.

What we reject

  • Anonymous listicles and SEO filler with no named author.
  • Unsourced claims, especially around water safety.
  • Articles that contradict established lifesaving practice without evidence.
  • Content that exists only to sell a product.
  • Anything that would put a reader at risk if followed.

How an entry is written

  1. The editor reads or watches the source in full.
  2. They check it against their own practice and, where relevant, against governing-body standards.
  3. They draft an editorial card: what the source covers, who it helps, and its honest limit.
  4. Claude helps format and tighten the draft. It does not replace the editor's reading.
  5. The card goes live under the editor's name, with the date.

Disclosure on AI

Claude helps us format and tighten drafts. It does not replace the editor reading the source. If that ever changes, for example if we use AI to review a paper, we will say so on the relevant page.

Corrections

If an entry has an error, or if a source turns out to be misleading, we update or remove the card. A dated note stays on the page explaining what changed. Send corrections to hello@swimminglifesaving.com.

CPR and first aid

CPR and first-aid entries are held to a harder standard than swimming technique. Sources must be Red Cross, American Heart Association, Resuscitation Council, ILCOR guideline material, or an equivalent national authority. No YouTube coach is sufficient here. Every CPR and first-aid entry says, in the take, that reading is not training, and links to the Get trained page.

What we are not

This site does not teach swimming, rescue, or CPR. Those are physical skills, learned in a pool or a training room with a qualified instructor. Use the library to decide what to learn. When you are ready, see Get trained.