The Vessel is a publication about psychology, philosophy, spirituality, and the questions people return to about how to live well. This page describes the editorial standards that apply to everything we publish.
What we cover
The Vessel publishes essays, interviews, and reflections drawn from psychological research, philosophical traditions, and contemplative practices. We write for readers interested in self-understanding, meaning, and the practical work of becoming a better version of themselves.
Our standards
Sourcing. Where we cite research or claims that turn on facts, we link to primary sources. We prefer peer-reviewed work and established institutions. We avoid the “studies show” formulation without specific citation.
Editorial review. Articles are reviewed before publication for clarity, source attribution, and adherence to our content standards. Pieces touching on mental health receive additional scrutiny and are not framed as clinical advice.
Editorial independence. Editorial decisions are made independently of advertising and partnership relationships. Sponsored content, where it appears, is clearly labelled.
Corrections. Errors are corrected promptly and noted on the article. Substantive corrections include the date of the change.
Use of AI tools
We use AI tools as part of our publishing workflow. AI assists with research, source discovery, drafting, fact-checking support, and post-publication quality audits including broken-link scans and source verification.
Human editors review, fact-check, and approve all content prior to publication.
AI does not make editorial decisions — it does not choose what we cover, what angle a story takes, or what gets published. Those decisions are made by our editors, and editorial responsibility for accuracy rests with The Vessel.
We do not use AI to fabricate quotes, invent sources, or present AI-generated content as first-hand reporting from real individuals.
Contributors and pen names
Some Vessel articles are published under contributor pen names. Pen names represent real members of our editorial team or freelance contributors writing under chosen names. Where a pen name is in use, articles published under it are produced by our editorial team and editorial responsibility for them rests with The Vessel.
Network editorial standards
The Vessel is published by Brown Brothers Media. Brown Brothers Media maintains network-wide editorial standards across its publications. See Brown Brothers Media editorial standards.