The Poli Data Methodology

Poli International has spent twenty-five years in body-art materials and engineering, from injection-moulded biocompatible polymer to sterilisation validation. That bench experience, not content marketing, is the foundation of everything we publish. You can read the full founder story on our Who We Are page; this page is about the data itself.

How we source

Every figure in a Poli Data chart comes from one of these source types:

We do not use trade-magazine estimates, vendor marketing claims, or unsourced infographics from social media as primary sources. Where a figure originates from a paywalled industry report, we cite the publisher and report title so you can verify independently. Every figure carries a URL. If you click through and the source does not support the number we display, we consider that a bug: tell us and we will fix it or pull the chart.

How we verify

Before a figure enters a chart, it passes through three checks:

1. Provenance check. Is this the primary source or a secondary citation? We trace every number back to the original paper, regulation or dataset. If we cannot reach the primary source, the figure stays on our “Needs Sourcing” list and does not appear in any live chart.
2. Context check. Does the figure mean what we think it means? One paper’s “complication rate” may count only infections while another counts any adverse event. We read the methods section, not just the abstract, and note the definition in the chart caption where it matters.
3. Currency check. Is this still the best available figure? Regulatory limits change and market estimates age. We re-verify high-citation charts quarterly and replace figures when newer, equally rigorous data appears.

Figures that have not completed all three checks are tagged [UNVERIFIED] and listed separately. They do not appear in embeddable charts.

How we present

• We show the source on the chart. Every embed and chart page names the primary source organisation, the publication, and a hyperlink. No hidden footnotes, no “data on file.”
• We distinguish hard data from estimates. Market projections are labelled as projections; clinical data is labelled with its study population and year.
• We distinguish single-study findings from consensus. Where only one study exists, we say so. Where multiple studies converge, we cite the systematic review or the largest dataset.
• We do not extrapolate without disclosure. If a chart projects a CAGR to a future year, the methodology and the original base year are stated.

What we don’t do

• We don’t fabricate data. In an era of AI-generated content that invents citations, this needs saying: every Poli Data figure has a human-verified source.
• We don’t cherry-pick. If the literature shows a range, we show the range, not the most dramatic endpoint.
• We don’t bury conflicts. Poli International manufactures body jewelry and has a commercial interest in materials safety and regulation. That interest is disclosed. It does not decide which data we publish; we have published figures that complicate the “all regulation is good” narrative because the data said so.
• We don’t claim false neutrality. We have a point of view, that science and innovation should expand the space of safe body-art expression, but our methodology is source-first, not opinion-first. The numbers are what they are.

Citation and reuse

All Poli Data charts are published under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).

Canonical citation format:
[Chart Title]. Poli International. [Chart Caption]. Data sourced from [primary source list]. Retrieved [Month Year]. https://poliinternational.com/embed/[chartId]

Editorial independence

Poli International’s tools, wiki and data pillar are produced and maintained by our in-house team. We do not accept sponsored content, paid placements, or affiliate-driven editorial decisions.

Where a tool recommends a product category (aftercare products, numbing agents, jewellery materials), recommendations are based on published evidence and engineering principle, not commercial relationships. If we add affiliate links in the future, that section will be clearly labelled.

REACH Monitor PRO is our paid compliance product. It is not influenced by any regulated entity, and its data feeds are automated from public ECHA and EU Official Journal sources.

Corrections and contact

We treat factual errors seriously. If you find a figure that disagrees with its cited source, a broken source link, or a methodological concern, contact us at contact@poliinternational.com.

Response target: we aim to acknowledge within 2 business days and resolve or publish a correction within 5 business days. For press inquiries, expert commentary or data-partnership discussions, use the same address.

Frequently asked questions