Editorial & Verification Policy
How Open Map Lab evaluates official government datasets, guarantees mathematical geodetic accuracy, and enforces human accountability.
1. Primary Scientific & Government Sourcing
We do not scrape or re-aggregate information from commercial blogs or secondary encyclopedias. All administrative boundaries, geographic definitions, and elevation datasets originate directly from authoritative primary bodies:
- US Census Bureau: Cartographic Boundary Files (generalized, 2017 edition) for counties and states, TIGERweb for city and ZCTA polygons at runtime, and Decennial Census datasets.
- US Department of Transportation: 49 CFR Part 71 and Uniform Time Act statutory rulings (15 U.S.C. §§ 260–267) for time zone boundary definitions.
- European Space Agency (ESA): Copernicus GLO-90 Digital Elevation Model (~90m DSM grid).
- Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA): Time Zone Database (`tzdata`).
- Natural Earth: International sovereign and maritime boundaries curated under NACIS cartographic review.
2. Human Review & Technical Accountability
Every tool, reference table, edge case, and FAQ published on Open Map Lab is audited and signed off by our editorial and geodesy team. Automated unit tests verify boundary calculations against known coordinate benchmarks across all 50 states, edge cases like the Four Corners Monument, split-time-zone counties under 49 CFR Part 71, and high-altitude/below-sea-level elevation extremes.
3. AI Assistance & Fact Verification Policy
While modern AI tools are used to assist in writing software and structuring editorial drafts, no generative AI model has unilateral publishing authority. Every legal citation, geodetic formula, and boundary description is cross-checked against primary sources before being made live. Hallucinated facts, phantom credentials, and fictitious institutional entities are strictly barred.
4. Corrections & Transparency
Administrative borders change, municipal boundaries annex parcels, and time zone laws evolve. If you detect any discrepancy, please email our editorial desk at [email protected]. Confirmed corrections are implemented within 48 hours and documented in our changelog.