Contributor guidelines
Short version: disclose what you hold, say what you actually think, show your work, and stand behind it.
Disclose your position and any compensation
If you hold a position in a security you write about, say so on the note. The same goes for any payment, sponsorship, or other consideration you have received relating to it, from the company or from anyone else. Every note carries a standardized disclosure built from the position fields, so this is a matter of filling them in honestly.
This is your opinion and analysis, not advice
You are publishing research and commentary. Nothing you write here is investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell, and it should not read as though it were.
Do your own work and show it
Cite sources where you can, link to filings and primary documents, and make it clear which parts are fact and which are your interpretation. Readers should be able to check the reasoning rather than take it on trust.
You are responsible for what you submit
Accuracy is on you. Check your figures, your dates and your claims about companies and people before submitting. A note that takes a position is dated and priced on publication, and it stays on the record whether it works out or not.
The site owner has the final say
Submissions are reviewed before publication. Think Noted may edit, decline, or remove any submission, and may revoke contributor access, at its discretion.
What you confirm when you submit
Submitting a note for review asks you to tick one box. It says:
I confirm I have disclosed any position and any compensation, this is my own opinion and analysis and not investment advice, and I've read the contributor guidelines.
That confirmation is recorded against the submission, with who made it and when, so there is a clear record for both of us.
These guidelines set the standard for publishing here. They are not a contract, and they do not replace the site disclosures, which apply to every note.