How we work

TributeOak is an editorial publication, not a directory and not a service you can buy into. Every memorial here is chosen, researched, and written by a named member of our team, the way a magazine commissions a feature rather than printing what arrives in the post. The pages carry a byline because a person stands behind the work.

How we choose a life

Notability is not the same as fame. A poet read by a thousand may belong here as fully as a head of state; a teacher remembered by three generations of children may belong as fully as either. The test is not how loud a life was, but how much of its meaning we risk losing if no one writes it down. Who appears here is an editorial decision and never a purchase. Memorials cannot be commissioned, sponsored, or bought.

How we research and source

We build each memorial from the record: published obituaries, reporting, public documents, archives, and, where we can, the people who knew the person. We prefer primary sources to secondary ones and corroborate a claim across more than one source before we rely on it. When a source has earned a place in the reader’s trust, we name it. The sources behind a memorial are listed in a visible Sources and references section on the page itself, so you can follow the evidence and judge it for yourself.

How we verify before we publish

Names, dates, places, and the central facts of a life are checked against the sources before a memorial goes live. Dates of birth and death are confirmed against more than one record where one exists. A second member of the team reads every memorial before it publishes. We would rather be slower than wrong, and we will hold a piece back until we are confident it is fair and accurate.

How we correct

The record is always incomplete, and we will sometimes get something wrong. When we do, we fix it in the open: we correct the page and, when a correction is substantive, we say what changed. If you spot an error, or you knew the person and can tell us what we missed, write to support@tributeoak.com and we will read it carefully and respond.

Independence

Reading every memorial is, and will remain, free. We earn nothing from who is written about and accept no payment to include, omit, or shade a life. From any memorial you can choose to plant real trees in someone’s name through our reforestation partner; that is an act of remembrance offered to readers, never a condition of being remembered here. Our editorial judgment is not for sale.

Who writes for us

Our memorials are written by real, named people, each with a profile you can read. You will find a byline at the foot of every memorial that links to the writer, the lives they have written, and what they bring to the work. You can read more about the publication and the people behind it on our About page.