Official BOTB selection criteria (2 Viewers)

[Daker]

The Best of the Best (BOTB) Selection Criteria
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To earn a spot in the BOTB section, your thread must represent the absolute pinnacle of information on the forum. Meeting the baseline requirements does not guarantee selection; your thread must actively stand out in substance, execution, and integrity.

1. Elite Substance & Relevance​

1. The thread must be the absolute best available resource on the forum for that topic. Sub-topics or weaker variations of existing BOTB threads will not qualify.
2. Content must be strictly educational, actionable, or instructional. It must fully deliver on its title without relying on "common-sense" filler.
3. The topic must be substantial enough to warrant deep exploration. Threads under 800 words are rarely considered.

2. Rigorous Evidence & Quality​

-Direct Citation: Factual and data-driven claims must follow a strict hierarchy of evidence (e.g., peer-reviewed research over anecdotal data). It's preferably for sources to be cited directly alongside the claim, not dumped at the end.

-Logical Consensus: For evolving topics, arguments must be built on sound reasoning and mechanistic logic rather than individual bias or weak evidence (e.g., super small animal studies, forum rumors).

3. Premium Presentation​

-Professional Formatting: Threads must use a clean, scannable hierarchy (clear sections, bolding, and headings) to ensure a polished aesthetic.

-Accessible Clarity: Write with impeccable grammar, flow, and punctuation. The language should be sharp and accessible; any highly specialized or niche terms must be clearly defined.

4. Absolute Originality​

-.Human-First Content: The vast majority of the writing must be your own. Direct copy-pasting without referencing the source7article or heavy lifting from other sources is an automatic disqualification.

-Strict AI Policy: Pure AI-generated text is banned.

Maintenance & Administration Notes​

-The "Living Document" Rule: A thread's BOTB status is not permanent. It will be demoted to the Former BOTB Megathread if a superior thread on the topic is published.

-Misinformation Zero-Tolerance: If a thread is found to contain significant misinformation, it will be removed entirely from the archives. Authors are always encouraged to update, correct, and resubmit their work to reclaim status.

-Final Discretion: Inclusion is ultimately at the discretion of the board to maintain the section's prestige.

The approval board: @surgerymax @Dexter @Nardicus @Mandy @Circadex @Daker