Sources and methods

The news content on lapsandlanes is sourced from a curated selection of published feeds and indexes of news publications covering competitive swimming. These publications report on the core subjects of the site: the event, the time achieved, and the standard it does or does not meet. Each sourced story is processed with automated assistance to create a concise summary that retains the factual core of the original report. The summary is then rewritten into plain prose and is always credited to the publication from which it originated.

When a factual claim, such as a time, a result, or a rule change, appears in only one publication, it is treated as a single-source claim. Such information is published but is clearly annotated within the story to indicate its solitary source. This allows readers to note the provisional status of that detail until it is corroborated by further reporting or official documentation.

The reference pages for events, meets, swimmers, programmes, times, and gear are built differently from news stories. They are constructed from stable, verified facts, often compiled into a structured facts table. Each reference page is centred on these consolidated details and is typically accompanied by a single, credited photograph that is representative of the subject. These pages avoid narrative and focus on discrete, objective information.

Coverage of ongoing news is refreshed continuously as new summaries are produced from the source feeds. The static reference pages are reviewed and updated on a scheduled basis to incorporate new results, records, or other definitive information. The aim of lapsandlanes is to provide a clear and sourced record of competitive swimming, separating transient reporting from established reference material.