Sources and dates

On this plate (5 sections)

A history site is only as good as its sources. This page sets out the rules the editors follow, so that a reader can judge how far to trust any plate.

How sources are chosen

Preference goes to primary and official sources: the text of a law or treaty, a government or intergovernmental agency such as the World Health Organization or the United Nations, national health services, and public pages from professional bodies. For history, the editors use peer-reviewed histories, museum, library and archive pages, and university pages. Every source is opened and read before it is cited. If a page cannot be opened or does not support a claim, the claim is dropped.

How things are dated

Laws, guidance and services change. Statements about them are made "as at" the date of the page the editors read, and the plate says which country or system it describes. Where sources disagree on a date or a number, the plate says so or takes the more cautious reading. The timeline gives a source under every entry for this reason.

Contested history

Much of this history is argued over. Deinstitutionalization, for example, is described by some sources as a reform and by others as a failure of follow-through, and people who use services use different words for themselves. The plates try to show the argument fairly; see deinstitutionalization and community care and the consumer/survivor movement.

What the plates do not do

They do not diagnose, recommend treatment or give legal advice. They do not rank services or name providers to use. Crisis information on each plate points to official pages and was checked against them on 11 October 2026; the NHS page it points to carries a review date of April 2023 with a next review due April 2026, so readers in the United Kingdom should check that page for the current position.

Corrections

If a plate is wrong or out of date, write to the editors with the page, the sentence and a public source. Corrections are made on the page and the update date changes. There is no hidden archive of earlier wording.