✦ How we source
The rules we follow, written down.
We would rather show our working than ask you to trust a byline. This is how sources get onto a SugarPlumb article, and what our citations do and do not claim.
Every source on this site carries a PubMed identifier. If a reference cannot be traced to a published record, it does not appear.
What we cite
- Peer-reviewed literature indexed in PubMed, in English, in human populations.
- We prefer systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and guidelines from bodies such as the AAP and EAACI, then randomized trials, then narrative reviews.
- Each reference is labelled with its study type so you can weigh it without reading the paper.
- Landmark older work is kept where it remains the best available evidence.
What our citations claim
The reference list on an article is the body of literature that topic rests on. It is not a footnote attached to each individual sentence. We think stating this plainly is more useful than implying a precision we have not done the work to earn.
What we do not do
- We do not put a clinician’s name on an article outside their scope of practice.
- We do not cite press releases, supplement marketing, or single-arm studies as if they settled a question.
- We do not present findings as advice for your child. SugarPlumb is educational; your pediatrician knows your child.
Where the evidence is weak
Some topics parents care about most have thin literature behind them. Where that is true we would rather say so than dress up a small study. A study-type label of “Research article” rather than “Meta-analysis” is a signal worth reading.
Why “Plumb”
A plumb line is a weight on a string. It has been how builders find true vertical for thousands of years, and it works because gravity has no opinion about what you were hoping to find. We spell the name that way on purpose: the job is to tell you what is actually true about your child’s day, not what merely looks right.
The sugar plum half is for the child. The plumb half is for the evidence.
Corrections
If you find a source that does not support what we wrote, tell us and we will fix it. Write to support@sugarplumb.com. You can browse every journal we cite in the source ledger.