Encyclopedia editorial policy

The Trade Encyclopedia is an independent commercial reference published by Trustmark Trades. It is not a government service, a standards publisher, a trade registration body or a scheme which verifies a contractor’s competence.

Useful explanations, not pages for the sake of volume

Entries explain a real term, distinguish it from commonly confused concepts, and provide practical questions or checks. Synonyms should share one canonical entry unless there is a genuinely distinct meaning. We do not create a page simply because a keyword variation exists.

Sources and territorial scope

Regulatory and numerical statements need identifiable original sources. We prioritise GOV.UK, the HSE, legislation.gov.uk, public standards summaries and relevant official scheme information. England’s Building Regulations guidance is not presented as a single UK-wide rule. Where a requirement differs by nation or changes over time, that distinction must be made clear.

Review and limits

A last-reviewed date records an editorial check, not a professional certification. Entries are researched from the public sources listed on each page and checked editorially. They are not individually certified by a qualified professional, and we welcome corrections from practitioners. No reviewer identity or qualification will be claimed without their actual review and consent.

The library is general reference. It is not a substitute for inspection, project design, specialist training or advice on a particular legal, tax or safety matter. We avoid hazardous step-by-step instructions which could encourage unqualified work.

Corrections

If an entry appears wrong or outdated, use the Trustmark Trades contact page and identify the term, the passage and any supporting official source. Substantive corrections should be logged and the review date updated only when the check has actually taken place.

Citation

Every entry offers an optional plain HTML citation. Readers are not required to link, exchange links or use a particular anchor text. Citation boxes are references, not a backlink trading scheme.

How the library grows

New entries are added in batches. The larger term inventory is a research and production queue, not thousands of completed or published articles.

Last editorial check: 8 November 2026.