How we review

What this edition names

Reviews for South Africa name Advertising Regulatory Board (Advertising self-regulation, with the ASA of South Africa code); SAHPRA (Medicines and health products); HPCSA (Practitioner conduct and registration) when a claim is an advertising or product-regulation question.

Three types, and only three

Every review, comparison and ranking names its method.

• Research summary. Published research and official guidance.
• Specification assessment. Stated specifications, labels and policies, compared with a checklist.
• Hands-on tested. A named reviewer used the product and recorded the method, including how long. Hands-on reviews are the only type that involves product use.

What the byline shows

You will see the author, the medical reviewer if one is assigned, the date last reviewed and the date last updated. Last reviewed means a person went through the page again. Last updated means the words changed. They are not the same date unless both things happened together.

Scores and prices

We do not publish a score unless the method produced one and we can show the scale. A published price names its source and its date. Empty is better than invented.

What these pages cover

Supplements and wellness, health tech, and health services such as tests and screening are where the reporting is concentrated. Health and science, health insurance, and fitness and lifestyle are part of the publication. Insurance pages are information only.