Contents
1. What community notes are
Structured factual annotations attached to specific COA records.
A community note is a short, factual observation that adds context to a specific record in the ResearchVerify database. Notes are always tied to one COA — they're not freestanding posts, comments, or messages.
The use cases that notes are designed for:
- Independent test results — "Sent a sample of this batch to a different lab. Result: 98.2% purity, consistent with the original COA within analytical tolerance."
- Batch observations — "Vial arrived with intact tamper seal and clear lyophilized cake. Reconstitution clean."
- Photo evidence — A photo of the actual vial, packaging, label, or visual condition tied to this specific COA.
- Corrections or clarifications — "Batch number on the vial label is L-2026-04-118; the COA shows 20260428. Same batch, different format."
- Vendor responses — A vendor explaining a low score, a flagged anomaly, or a batch issue.
Every note is publicly visible on the record it's attached to and in the community notes feed at researchverify.com/community.
2. What community notes are NOT
This section is here on purpose. Understanding what notes aren't is the first rule of using them well.
Not a chat or messaging system
Notes are not comments, replies, or conversation threads. There is no DM feature. Two people cannot have a back-and-forth conversation through community notes. Each note stands alone, attached to a specific record.
Not a vendor marketplace or sourcing forum
Notes are not the place to recommend vendors, request sourcing, share where to buy, or discuss prices. Notes that read like vendor promotion or sourcing requests are removed.
Not a product review system
Notes are about what's on the COA and the physical artifact — not subjective product experiences. "Felt great" or "shipped fast" are not appropriate. "Independent lab retest came back at 98.2% on this batch" is.
Not anonymous gossip
Notes attached to a specific COA need to be about that COA. Allegations about a vendor that aren't tied to the record in front of you belong somewhere else — not here.
3. Examples — good notes and bad notes
The clearest way to understand what a community note should look like.
Good notes
Bad notes
4. How to submit a note
Notes are submitted at the record level, not on the community feed itself.
Search by batch number, vendor name, compound, or browse the database. Every COA has its own detail page.
Click into the record from the database table or from a vendor profile.
Enter your note. Keep it factual, tied to the record, and short (most useful notes are 1-3 sentences).
Photos of the vial, packaging, or test reports add credibility. Independent lab COAs can be referenced by their task ID.
Notes appear on the record immediately and in the community feed. They can be edited or deleted by the submitter, and removed by moderation if they violate the rules above.
5. For vendors specifically
If you sell research peptides or AAS, here's what notes can do for you.
Vendor-submitted notes have a specific purpose: they let you add context that the COA alone doesn't capture. Manufacturing changes, batch documentation, process improvements, responses to flags. Used well, they build trust over time. Used poorly, they get removed.
What vendor notes should look like
- Batch context — manufacturing dates, lyophilization process notes, source material info that matters for buyer due diligence.
- Documentation — photos of vials, packaging, custody seals, additional test reports beyond the primary COA.
- Responses to flags — if the Conformance Index flagged something on your record (DI-05 large overfill, T-01 same-day turnaround, etc.), you can respond with the explanation. Buyers see both.
- Process change notes — when you change suppliers, update lyophilization, or modify QC, attaching that as a vendor note on subsequent batches gives the timeline transparency it needs.
- Corrections — if the COA has a typo, missing field, or mislabeling, you can document the correction as a note rather than re-submitting.
What vendors cannot do via notes
- Suppress, edit, or override scores. The rubric is the rubric for everyone.
- Delete notes from other people. Only the submitter and moderation can do that.
- Use notes as a marketing channel. References to your other products, channels, contacts, or pricing get removed.
- Respond to negative notes by attacking the noter personally. Respond to the substance or don't respond at all.
The right vendor posture
Treat notes the way a public company treats SEC filings: a place to add factual context, document process, and respond to specific concerns. Buyers reading vendor notes are looking for evidence of operational discipline. Vendors who use the feature seriously read like that. Vendors who use it for sales pitches don't last.
6. Moderation and removal
Notes that violate the rules get removed. Here's the policy in plain text.
Moderation is human and infrequent — most notes never need review. Notes get removed in these categories:
| Reason | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| Off-topic | Not about the COA the note is attached to. Belongs on a different record, or doesn't belong here at all. |
| Sourcing or commercial | Asking where to buy, sharing prices, promoting vendors, linking to telegram/discord channels for purchases. |
| Subjective product review | "Felt great," "shipped fast," "great vendor" — opinions about experience rather than facts about the data. |
| Unsourced allegations | Accusations about a vendor that aren't tied to evidence in the record being commented on. |
| Personal attacks | Insults, harassment, or attacks on other noters, vendors, or RV itself. Substantive disagreement is fine; personal attacks aren't. |
| Spam or low-effort | Empty notes, single emojis, repeated identical content, automated submissions. |
| Illegal content | Anything that facilitates a crime, violates US export controls, or runs afoul of applicable law. |
Removal is documented internally. We don't publish individual removal decisions but we do publish removal volume in aggregate (see the moderation transparency section of the database health dashboard).
7. Disputing a note about your record
If you're a vendor and someone has posted a note you believe is wrong or unfair.
- First, read it carefully. If the note is factually correct — even if it's unflattering — the right response is a vendor note of your own explaining the context, not a removal request.
- If you believe the note violates the rules (sourcing, attack, unsourced allegation, etc.), flag it for moderation review using the report button on the note.
- If the note is factually wrong — for example, claiming an independent retest gave a different number — you can respond with a vendor note that includes documentation. Buyers see both sides.
- For complex disputes involving evidence, alleged fabrication of independent test results, or trademark claims, contact moderation directly. Disputes are reviewed; the rubric is not negotiated, but content claims are.
The general principle: ResearchVerify is not the arbiter of vendor reputation. It's an evidence platform. The remedy for a bad note is almost always a better note with more evidence, not a takedown.