Editorial standards

How do we source a figure?

Every figure in Dwell Time is sourced, and the source sits next to it: a link where the number is used, and the full list at the end of the article. We prefer primary sources: government data, statutes and regulations, standards bodies, trade associations, venues’ and operators’ own published schedules, and manufacturers’ specification sheets. Established trade publications are used when no primary source exists.

We do not invent quotes, interviews, case studies, venues or measurements, and we do not imply data we do not have. When no public figure exists, the article says “No public data” rather than filling the gap.

How do we handle data?

• Method, date and sample size. Every data story prints all three, usually in a closing section called “How did we get these numbers?”. Tables state their sample size (“n = 16”).
• Venue-reported means venue-reported. Visitor counts supplied by venues are labeled as such. We do not adjust or invent data, and an estimate is always labeled as one.
• Medians for skewed data. Visitor counts are skewed by a few large venues, so we report medians and ranges, and we say which one we used. A result from one sample says “in this sample”.
• Snapshots carry their date. Listing figures describe the listings open on a stated day, such as October 5, 2026. The full snapshot is published as The Dwell Time vending location dataset.
• Worked examples show their inputs. Unless an article tests other values and says so, examples use the same inputs: $8 per serving, $1.80 cost of goods per serving (the figure fixed in the marketplace’s host agreements), a 40% venue share of net sales (the median across the listings) and a $100 monthly placement fee for a Standard location ($200 for Premium). Every example is labeled “an illustration, not a forecast”.

How do we use AI tools?

AI tools assist with research and drafting. The editor, Max Zulsky, reviews each article and checks every number against its source before publication, and the article’s desk is accountable for it. The photos on our articles are AI-generated too; the images section sets out how they are labeled.

How do we use images?

The photos on our articles are AI-generated depictions of typical scenes, and each one is labeled “AI-generated image” under its caption. They do not show specific businesses, venues or people, and they never carry data: the numbers are in the text and tables, with their sources.

How do we correct errors?

Request a correction through the form on our contact page (choose “Correction”), with the article’s address and the passage or figure in question. When we find an error we fix it in the article, and a dated note saying what was wrong and what is right appears in a Corrections block at the end of the article. Data posts are re-run when the underlying listings change materially, and the update is dated in the article.

When do articles get reviewed?

Every article ends with the date it was last reviewed and the date of its next review: within 90 days for data and money posts, within 180 days for Venue Files and other venue profiles. A review checks every source, figure and link, and updates the article when something has changed.

How do we handle conflicts of interest?

Nobody pays for coverage in Dwell Time: no paid placements, no sponsored articles and no payment for a mention or a link. An article that names a company links to it, and figures taken from a company are labeled with their source.

Figures from PinPoint Vending’s marketplace are labeled with their source and the date of the listings, for example “listings open on October 5, 2026”.

How do we use links?

External links are citations: they point to the source of a fact, open in the same tab and are not marked nofollow. Internal links connect an article to its section guide and to related Venue Files.