How RefDat sources, ranks, and corrects the data we publish, and how readers can hold us to it.
RefDat is an independent Australian open-data publication. We pull from authoritative public sources, build ranking frameworks where useful ones did not exist, and explain what the data actually means. This page documents how we do that work, who is accountable for it, and how readers can hold us to it.
RefDat does not publish individual names. The decision is deliberate.
Our NDIS Trust Index work has named providers operating questionably across more than 26,000 organisations. Journalists and researchers who do similar work in this space have faced sustained harassment, doxxing, and physical threats. We protect contributors by keeping them anonymous. The trade-off is that readers cannot verify our credentials by individual name.
We substitute the byline signal with something we think is stronger: every framework is published with full methodology, every claim ties back to a named primary public dataset, and every ranking is reproducible by anyone who follows the documented method. The work is auditable even when the people behind it are not named. If a number on this network is wrong, anyone can demonstrate that with the source data and the published methodology, and we will correct it.
Google quality raters explicitly recognise that some content domains require anonymity, particularly investigative reporting on subjects where attribution creates safety risks. RefDat sits in that category by design.
If you need to reach the editorial team, the address is admin@refdat.com.
We publish reference data and rankings about real people, real organisations, and real places. If we get something wrong, we want to know.
Email admin@refdat.com with the claim, the page URL, and the source data that contradicts what we published. We aim to acknowledge within five business days and to correct or remove the disputed content within ten business days of confirming the error. Significant corrections are logged publicly. For NDIS Trust Index changes specifically, the audit trail lives at ndis.refdat.com/methodology/.
Corrections do not get silently overwritten. If a page changed materially in response to a correction, the change is noted on the methodology log so the record is preserved.
We use primary public datasets first, and we name them on every methodology page. The sources currently in production:
Secondary sources are cited where used. Wikipedia is a navigation aid, never a citation. Press releases are sources for the press release, not for the claim it makes.
RefDat earns revenue from two sources, and only two:
What we do not do: no sponsored content. No paid product placements. No brand partnerships. No payment for inclusion in best-of lists. No exchange of editorial coverage for access. No advertorial. No "as seen on" badges sold to advertisers.
Revenue scale is modest. RefDat is currently a self-funded independent publication. If that changes (a research grant, a substantial donation, an institutional partnership), it will be disclosed here.
RefDat is not a government agency. We are independent of the bodies that publish the data we use. We do not accept funding from any of the data publishers we cite.
We do not provide medical advice. The Gluten Guide is reference data, not clinical guidance. The Weather Comfort Score is liveability research, not a health warning. For medical, financial, or legal decisions, consult a qualified professional.
admin@refdat.com is the address for everything: corrections, methodology questions, source disputes, missing data, broken pages, anything. Replies are slower than a newsroom but faster than a government department.