Verification policy

Opportunities change quickly: deadlines are extended, pages are moved, programmes are cancelled. This page describes, step by step, how AfriWay verifies the facts on every listing and what the status labels mean.

Step 1: locate the official page

A listing is created only when we have identified the official page of the programme on the domain of the organisation that runs it. Every listing links to that page and names the host it was verified against, for example "Verified on {date} against {host}".

Step 2: extract the facts

From the official page we extract the structured facts: who is eligible, what the programme offers, how to apply, which documents are required and what the deadline is. Facts that the official page does not state are left empty. We do not fill gaps with information from other websites.

Step 3: confirm the deadline

A deadline is published only in one of two cases:

• it appears literally on the official page next to a deadline cue such as "deadline", "closing date", "apply by" or their equivalent, or
• it is confirmed by two independent publishers that name the same date.

If neither condition is met, the listing shows no deadline and says so. We prefer an empty field to a wrong date.

Step 4: write the texts

The texts in each language are written from the extracted facts, with a regional note for the readers of that language. They are not free translations, so the facts cannot drift between languages.

Step 5: re-check every 7 days

Every open listing is re-checked against its official page every 7 days. If the page has changed, the facts are re-extracted and the verification date is updated. If the page has disappeared, the listing is flagged for review and the status is updated.

Status labels

• Open: the deadline has not passed and the official page is reachable.
• Closing soon: the deadline is within the next 14 days.
• Closed: the day after the deadline, the listing becomes Closed. It stays online because the next cycle usually follows the same rules, and it shows the next expected cycle together with open alternatives in the same category.
• Archived: after 18 months without a new cycle, the listing is archived and marked noindex so that search engines stop sending readers to it.

Corrections

If you find a fact that does not match the official page, write to with the listing URL, what is wrong and a link to the official source. The listing is re-verified against the official page and displays the new verification date once corrected.