Sources and methods

The smogandsoot site gathers its news from a monitored selection of published feeds and indexes of established news publications across Asia. These sources are selected for their coverage of the site's core subject: the pollutant, and the city breathing or drinking it. Each automated process identifies relevant articles under sections such as Air, Water, and Health & policy. The original text of a story is then processed by automated systems which assist in summarising and rewriting the key points into a concise, plain-language format. Every resulting summary is clearly credited to the originating publication, maintaining a direct link to the primary source.

For factual claims within these stories, a specific protocol is followed. If a stated fact, such as a pollution level or a policy announcement, appears in only one publication from our monitored sources, it is flagged as unverified. Such information is not used as a foundational fact for our reference pages. It may be included in news summaries with a clear notation regarding its singular source, allowing readers to assess its reliability.

The site's permanent reference pages, such as those for a City profile or a specific Pollutant, are built differently. They are constructed from verified, stable facts that have appeared across multiple reputable sources or are drawn from official and vetted data. These pages centre on a factual table presenting core information, accompanied by a credited photograph. They are designed as objective references, stripped of narrative and opinion.

All content, both news summaries and reference pages, is subject to scheduled review and refresh cycles. News coverage is updated continuously as source publications issue new reports. The factual reference pages are reviewed and updated on a regular calendar to incorporate new consensus data, revised standards, or significant verified developments, ensuring the reference information remains current and accurate.