Editorial and Legal Review Policy
How content on this site is written, reviewed, sourced and updated.
How review is shown
A page carries an attorney-review note only where an attorney's review of that page has been recorded, and the note shows the date of that review. The review date is entered manually, is kept separate from the date the page was last modified, and is never inferred. A page without a review note has not been marked as reviewed.
How federal sources are used
Central legal and procedural statements rely on primary federal authority — including Security Executive Agent Directive 4 (SEAD 4), materials published by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA), the Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals (DOHA), the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), and official federal forms such as Standard Form 86 (SF-86). Secondary sources may supplement that authority but do not replace it.
Official sources
The primary federal sources this site relies on:
- Security Executive Agent Directive 4 (SEAD 4), National Security Adjudicative Guidelines — Office of the Director of National Intelligence
- Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA)
- Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals (DOHA)
- ODNI, Security Executive Agent
- Standard Form 86 (SF-86), Questionnaire for National Security Positions — OPM
Pages that rely on these sources cite them where they are used.
Accuracy, qualifications and updates
Security clearance standards are federal, but the procedure that applies to a specific person depends on their personnel category, employer, agency and the adjudicative forum handling the case. Pages state those qualifications rather than presenting one universal procedure. Content is updated when the governing directives, forms, forums or procedures change, and pages that need re-review are flagged for attorney review before republication.
What this site does not do
- It does not provide legal advice for your specific situation.
- It does not create an attorney-client relationship.
- It does not predict or guarantee any outcome.
- It does not ask readers to send classified or otherwise protected information. Never include classified details in a web form, email or voicemail.