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Methodology

How we do data pieces.

Where our numbers come from, how we verify them, and the rules we follow when we cite or synthesize data.

Marketing publishing has a numbers problem. Most cited stats are old, secondhand, or invented. We do better than the average. These are the rules.

Sources

We use four kinds of sources, in this order of preference:

  1. First-party data from accounts we operate or audit. Anonymized, never re-identifiable.
  2. Vendor-published data from primary sources (a Google blog post, not a screenshot of one in a marketing deck).
  3. Peer-reviewed research for psychology, statistics, and behavior claims.
  4. Industry surveys from named publishers with disclosed methodology.

We don't cite anonymous LinkedIn posts, screenshots of unsourced charts, or "according to a recent study" without naming the study.

Sample sizes

When we report a percentage, we name the source it comes from and, wherever that source gives one, the sample size behind it. "55% of business-to-business (B2B) teams (n=412)" beats "55% of B2B teams." We don't publish a figure we can't attribute.

Heads up Any internal Mediovsky analysis under n=30 is reported as observational only, not as a benchmark.

Claims & citations

Every concrete claim links to the source. Three categories:

  • Direct quote/number → linked to primary source.
  • Synthesized claim from multiple sources → linked footnote listing all of them.
  • Opinion/argument → unlinked, signaled with we think, in our experience, etc.

Charts

All charts include: axis labels, units, time period, source, and sample size where applicable. If a chart is internal Mediovsky modeling, the caption says so explicitly.

We do not truncate y-axes to exaggerate differences. We do not use 3D effects. We do not use rainbow color scales for ordinal data.

Modeled numbers

When we model something (e.g., "signal loss across a 90-day conversion window in Performance Max") the article explains the model in plain English, lists the assumptions, and shows the result alongside the inputs.

We never present a modeled number as if it were a measurement. The word modeled appears in the caption.

When we get it wrong

We post corrections publicly (see corrections). Three rules:

  • The correction goes on the original article, dated, with a note explaining what changed.
  • The original wording stays visible, struck through. We don't quietly rewrite history.
  • If a number drove the headline of a piece and the number was wrong, we restate the conclusion at the top of the article.