Data & Methodology
Editorial Standards: How AUCN Produces Its Guides and Data
How AUCN's guides and data articles are researched, written, reviewed and corrected — including how we handle data, sources, updates and mistakes.
Updated 2026-09-30 · 4 min read
Anyone can publish a used-car guide. The difference between a guide and an authority is whether a reader can see how it was produced. This page sets out how AUCN's content is researched, written, checked and corrected.
Who produces it
AUCN's guides are written in-house by the team that operates our vehicle history checks and valuation data. We are not a media outlet republishing other people's reporting: the majority of the numbers we publish come from our own check outcomes and market listing data.
Where an article depends on information we do not generate ourselves — national theft statistics, fleet age, consumer law, state registration processes — we cite the original source and link to it in the article's Sources list.
How data articles are produced
- Define the question. Every data article starts from a decision a buyer, seller or dealer actually faces — not from a statistic that looks interesting.
- Pull the data. Percentages are calculated from AUCN check outcomes and listing data. Segment percentages are only published where the underlying sample is large enough to be meaningful; smaller segments are labelled as approximate rather than dropped.
- State the limits. Each article carries an "About this data" note, and our methodology page defines every term and describes what the data cannot measure.
- Get it reviewed. Figures are checked against the source data before publication and re-checked when the monthly refresh runs.
- Date it. Each article shows when it was last updated, so readers can judge how current the numbers are.
How guides are produced
Guides cover process and rules rather than statistics: buying privately, transferring registration, roadworthy requirements and similar. They are written from the primary rules set by the relevant regulator or state authority, then checked against what AUCN actually sees customers encounter.
Where a guide makes a judgement call — for example, that a particular red flag should end a negotiation — we say so plainly and explain the reasoning, rather than presenting an opinion as a rule.
Sourcing and links
- Government and regulator sources come first. PPSR and AFSA for security interests, the ABS for fleet and crime statistics, state transport authorities for registration rules, the Australian Consumer Law site for consumer rights.
- External links are marked as external. AUCN does not accept payment for links and does not publish sponsored statistics.
- No individual data. We publish aggregated percentages only. No VIN, registration plate, name, email or individual vehicle record is ever published.
Updates and corrections
- Monthly: the data articles and the AUCN Risk Index are reviewed against the latest check and listing data.
- On change: guides are updated when rules, fees or processes change, and the article's updated date is revised.
- On error: corrections take priority over consistency with earlier reporting. We correct the figure in place, update the date, and note the change rather than quietly removing the original.
If you believe something we have published is wrong, tell us — corrections are treated as a maintenance task, not a PR problem.
What we do not do
- We do not publish statistics we cannot reproduce from our own data.
- We do not publish absolute volumes or counts of checks, reports or listings.
- We do not accept money for a favourable mention of a brand, dealer or lender.
- We do not publish anything that identifies an individual vehicle or customer.
Related
About this standard: Last reviewed 30 September 2026. Questions, corrections and data requests can be raised through the AUCN website.
Frequently asked questions
Who writes AUCN guides?
AUCN's guides are written in-house by the team that operates the vehicle history and valuation services. Articles that publish numbers are checked against AUCN's own check and listing data before publication, and the data articles link to a methodology page that defines every figure.
How often is content updated?
Data articles and the AUCN Risk Index are reviewed monthly against the latest check and listing data. Guides are reviewed when state rules, fees or processes change, and the updated date shown on each article reflects the last substantive edit.
Does AUCN use external sources?
Yes. Where a claim depends on information outside our own data — national theft figures, fleet age, consumer law, state registration rules — the article cites the original government or regulator source and links to it.
What happens if AUCN gets something wrong?
Corrections take priority over consistency with earlier reporting. When a published figure is wrong we correct it in place, update the article's date, and note the change rather than quietly removing the original.
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