SoundDBMeter.com publishes browser-based sound tools and educational content about decibels, sound pressure, acoustic measurement, noise exposure and hearing awareness. These Editorial Guidelines explain how we select topics, evaluate sources, test technical claims, review content, use AI-assisted tools and handle updates or corrections.
Addito, the founder of SoundDBMeter.com, is responsible for the site’s editorial direction and final publishing decisions. Our objective is to create useful, understandable content while being transparent about uncertainty, professional limitations and what browser-based tools can reasonably determine.
Our Editorial Principles
Our editorial work is guided by five principles:
- Accuracy: Claims, figures, formulas and source interpretations should be checked before publication.
- Transparency: We disclose important limitations, uncertainty, AI assistance and potential commercial relationships.
- Usefulness: Content should answer a genuine reader question and provide practical context.
- Independence: Advertising or commercial interests must not determine our conclusions.
- Responsibility: Health, hearing and occupational-noise information requires careful wording and appropriate professional guardrails.
These principles describe the standards we work to maintain. They are not a guarantee that every page will always be error-free. When a supported error is identified, we review and correct it.
What We Publish
SoundDBMeter.com publishes three main types of content.
Tool pages explain the purpose, inputs, outputs and limitations of browser-based tools. Where relevant, they also describe permissions, formulas, calibration assumptions, privacy considerations and appropriate uses.
Acoustic and sound-education articles explain subjects such as decibels, sound pressure level, frequency, weighting scales and the logarithmic nature of sound measurement.
Noise-exposure and hearing-awareness content discusses publicly available occupational and public-health guidance. Because readers may act on this information, these pages receive additional attention to source quality, jurisdiction, uncertainty and professional limitations.
We do not intend our content to replace medical advice, certified acoustic measurement, workplace assessment or legal and regulatory guidance.
Who Creates and Reviews Content
Addito researches, writes, reviews and maintains the site’s core educational content and tool documentation. He is responsible for deciding whether a page is ready for publication and whether a reported correction is supported by sufficient evidence.
We do not present Addito as an audiologist, physician, certified acoustician or occupational hygienist. If a qualified external specialist reviews or contributes to a page in the future, that person’s name, relevant role and contribution should be disclosed on the affected content.
Anonymous opinions are not presented as professional review. If additional writers or editors contribute, their involvement should be identified when it is material to understanding who created or verified the content.
Research and Source Standards
We aim to use the most authoritative and direct source appropriate to each claim.
For regulations, official limits and institutional recommendations, we prioritize original publications from the responsible organization. Examples include NIOSH noise and hearing-loss guidance and OSHA occupational-noise information.
For acoustic and technical subjects, sources may include:
- government and research institutions;
- recognized standards organizations;
- peer-reviewed research;
- official technical documentation;
- established scientific and engineering references;
- high-quality secondary sources that accurately summarize the evidence.
A source is evaluated according to its authority, relevance, publication date, applicable jurisdiction and ability to support the specific claim being made. We do not rely on a source simply because another website cites it.
Primary sources are preferred for exact thresholds, formulas, requirements and official recommendations. Reliable secondary sources may be used to explain context, compare evidence or make technical material easier to understand.
Important claims should be supported near the relevant passage whenever practical. The References page provides additional information about frequently used sources but does not replace page-level citations.
Fact-Checking Process
Depending on the subject, our review may include:
- checking figures against the original publication;
- confirming source dates and current versions;
- verifying units, formulas and calculation examples;
- distinguishing recommendations from enforceable requirements;
- identifying the country or jurisdiction to which a rule applies;
- checking that a citation supports the surrounding statement;
- comparing a tool description with its current interface and behavior;
- reviewing health and safety wording for unsupported certainty;
- checking consistency with related trust, methodology and legal pages.
We avoid presenting a single study, guideline or measurement as universally applicable when the broader evidence does not support that conclusion.
Tool Testing and Technical Transparency
Browser-based tools can behave differently across devices, microphones, operating systems and browsers. Consumer microphones may apply automatic gain control, noise suppression or other processing that affects a result.
When documenting a tool, we aim to explain:
- what the tool is designed to do;
- which inputs or permissions it uses;
- how the result is calculated or estimated;
- what factors may affect the output;
- whether calibration is possible or necessary;
- which uses are appropriate;
- when calibrated equipment is required instead.
Our Testing Methodology explains how tools and calculations are evaluated. The Accuracy and Limitations page describes the broader limitations of browser-based measurement.
A calibration adjustment may improve agreement with a reference under similar conditions, but it does not certify a consumer device or make it equivalent to a Class 1 or Class 2 sound-level meter.
Health and Safety Content
Information about hearing risk and noise exposure must be presented with appropriate context.
Our editorial standards require us to:
- consider both sound level and exposure duration;
- avoid describing any exposure as universally safe;
- distinguish general guidance from individual medical advice;
- distinguish estimates from certified measurements;
- present NIOSH recommendations separately from OSHA requirements;
- identify jurisdiction-specific guidance where relevant;
- avoid diagnosing hearing loss or another medical condition;
- recommend qualified support when symptoms, compliance or certified accuracy is involved.
An online hearing or microphone tool cannot confirm a diagnosis, rule out hearing loss or replace an evaluation by a qualified hearing-care professional.
AI-Assisted Content
SoundDBMeter.com may use AI tools to assist with tasks such as outlining, drafting, organizing information or improving language.
AI output is not treated as an authoritative source. It may contain inaccurate figures, invented citations, outdated information or unsupported interpretations. Material produced with AI assistance must therefore be reviewed before publication.
Our standards require that:
- important claims are checked against appropriate sources;
- citations are opened and reviewed rather than accepted automatically;
- figures, quotations and regulatory limits are independently verified;
- fabricated experience, expertise, testing or quotations are not published;
- tool descriptions are checked against actual functionality;
- Addito remains responsible for the final published content.
AI assistance does not replace source review, human judgment or practical tool testing.
Originality and Reader-First Standards
Content should serve a clear reader need rather than exist only to target a keyword.
We aim to provide original value through clearer explanations, practical examples, useful comparisons, documented calculations or observations from tool testing. We avoid copied competitor structures, repetitive filler, keyword stuffing and unsupported claims of first-hand experience.
Illustrative values, demonstrations and hypothetical examples should be identified as such. They must not be presented as real measurements or research findings.
Reviews and Updates
Content may be reviewed when:
- an authority revises relevant guidance;
- new evidence materially changes an interpretation;
- a tool’s interface, calculation or output changes;
- browser technology affects tool behavior;
- an important source becomes outdated or unavailable;
- a credible error is reported;
- related pages become inconsistent.
A visible “last reviewed” or “last updated” date should reflect a meaningful review. Minor formatting, spelling or design changes should not be used to create an artificial freshness signal.
Corrections
Readers can report factual errors, outdated sources, unclear explanations or unexpected tool behavior by emailing contact@sounddbmeter.com or using the Contact page.
A helpful correction report includes:
- the page URL;
- the specific statement, figure or result in question;
- the reason it may be inaccurate;
- a relevant source or technical detail, if available.
Reports are assessed against the available evidence. Verified errors are corrected. Minor spelling or formatting changes may be made without a public notice, while a material factual correction may receive a visible correction note.
Editorial Independence
Editorial conclusions should not be determined by advertisers, sponsors, affiliate partners or other commercial relationships.
If sponsored material, affiliate links or another paid relationship is introduced, it should be clearly disclosed where readers will see it before acting on the content. Payment must not guarantee favorable coverage, alter safety information or allow a commercial partner to approve independent editorial conclusions.
Contact
Questions about these guidelines may be sent to contact@sounddbmeter.com or submitted through our Contact page.
For additional context, visit About SoundDBMeter.com, learn more about Addito, or review the site’s Disclaimer.
Last reviewed: August 21, 2026