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Editorial standards.

How we research, write, review, update and correct everything we publish — and who is accountable for it. We hold our content to the same standard our clients hold their vendors to.

Last updated · 26 June 2026

Who writes our content

Our vendor guides, white papers and case studies are authored by Mark Willis, Principal Negotiation Advisor, who has 30 years of enterprise software negotiation experience and formerly worked at IBM, SAP and Gartner. Every article carries a visible byline and an author bio so you always know who stands behind the advice.

How we research

Our content is grounded in first-hand, buyer-side negotiation experience — the deals, audit defences and renewals our team has actually worked on — supplemented by publicly available vendor pricing, licensing documentation and program terms. Where we cite a number from a real engagement, it is anonymised to protect client confidentiality.

Review & fact-checking

Before publication, content covering pricing, licensing terms, audit exposure and contractual risk is reviewed against current vendor program documentation and our own engagement experience for accuracy. Guidance is written conservatively: we describe what is typically negotiable and what we have seen work, not guarantees of outcome.

Important: Our content is general information, not legal, financial or procurement advice for your specific situation. Vendor programs and pricing change frequently; always confirm current terms with the vendor and your own advisors before acting.

Sources & citations

Where a claim depends on an external fact — a vendor's published pricing, a program rule, a regulation — we link to the primary, authoritative source so you can verify it yourself. We prefer official vendor documentation and primary regulatory texts over secondary summaries.

Updates & dating

Each article shows a clear published date and, where it has been revised, a last-updated date. We review our cornerstone vendor content periodically and after material changes to a vendor's pricing or licensing model, and we update or retire content that has become inaccurate or outdated.

Independence

We represent buyers exclusively. We accept no commissions, referral fees, affiliate income or sponsorship from any software vendor or reseller. No vendor pays to appear, rank or be described favourably on this site. Full details are in our Independence & Disclosure statement.

Use of AI

AI tools may be used to assist with drafting, editing or research, but every published article is reviewed and approved by a qualified human author who is accountable for its accuracy. We do not publish unreviewed, automatically generated content.

Corrections policy

We aim to be accurate, and we correct mistakes promptly and transparently. If we publish a material error, we fix it and — where the correction changes the substance of the guidance — note what changed and when on the affected page. To request a correction, email corrections@softwarecontractnegotiation.com with the page URL and the specific issue, and we will review it.

Report an error

Found something wrong or out of date? Email corrections@softwarecontractnegotiation.com or use our contact form. We read every report.