NOUN Update is operated by NOUN Update Educational Consultant as an independent educational and student-support platform. We are not the National Open University of Nigeria and do not represent the university unless a specific official relationship is expressly stated.
Our approach to sources
At NOUN Update, we understand that the quality of our information depends heavily on the quality of the sources behind it. We therefore aim to rely on the most authoritative, current and relevant sources available before publishing important academic information.
Our source standards are especially important for information involving registration, examinations, fees, TMA activities, academic calendars, programme requirements, results, deadlines and other matters that may affect a student academically or financially.
Our preferred sources
We give the highest priority to primary and official sources. These may include official National Open University of Nigeria websites and portals, published university circulars, academic calendars, official notices, downloadable university documents and other communications that can reasonably be attributed to NOUN.
Where relevant, we may also rely on official information published by recognised Nigerian education agencies, regulatory bodies, government institutions and other authoritative organisations.
When an official source is available, it normally takes precedence over rumours, screenshots, social media discussions or unverified student reports.
How we rank our sources
As a general rule, we place official NOUN publications and portals at the top of our source hierarchy, followed by other recognised institutional or regulatory sources.
Reliable secondary reporting, verified communications from study centres or university personnel, and consistent reports from multiple students may also be useful, particularly when explaining how an official policy is being implemented in practice.
However, secondary or community information should not normally override a clear and current official source unless there is strong evidence that the official information has changed, is incomplete or no longer reflects the situation students are experiencing.
Student reports and community information
Our student community is an important source of practical information. Students may alert us to portal changes, payment issues, registration problems, examination developments, study-centre notices or other matters before a formal public announcement becomes widely available.
We may use such reports as leads or supporting context, but we do not automatically treat a single student report, screenshot or forwarded message as confirmed fact.
Where information is based mainly on student reports or community observations, we aim to describe it accordingly and avoid presenting it as an official university announcement.
Screenshots, forwarded messages and social media posts
Screenshots, WhatsApp messages, Telegram posts, social media posts and forwarded notices can sometimes provide useful evidence, but they require additional care because their origin, date or context may not always be clear.
Before relying on such material for an important claim, we may look for the original notice, confirm whether the source is genuine, compare it with other available information or seek additional evidence.
Where verification is not possible, we may choose not to publish the claim or clearly state that the information remains unconfirmed.
Linking to official sources
Where practical, we aim to link readers to the original official source used to support consequential information. This allows students to review the source directly and make their own assessment.
For important notices, we may also state when the source was checked or when the information was last verified, particularly where schedules, fees, deadlines or portal conditions may change.
Some official pages or portal notices may later be edited, removed or become inaccessible. Where appropriate, we may retain a clear citation, reference, screenshot or archived record so that we can verify what supported the original publication.
Fees and financial information
Fee information receives additional scrutiny because incorrect figures may directly affect a student's finances.
When we publish tuition-related charges, course registration fees, examination fees or other academic costs, we aim to identify the relevant academic session, semester, level, programme or other applicable condition where necessary.
Where an amount is based on an estimate, calculation, observed portal charge or information that has not yet been formally confirmed, we aim to identify it as such rather than present it as a universally fixed official fee.
Students should confirm final payable amounts on the appropriate official NOUN portal before making consequential payments.
Deadlines and academic dates
Registration dates, examination periods, TMA deadlines, matriculation dates, project deadlines and other academic schedules may be changed or extended by the university.
For this reason, we aim to identify the academic session or period to which a deadline applies and update our coverage when reliable new information becomes available.
Where an official deadline has not been confirmed or where different official pages show conflicting dates, we may state that the information is still being verified.
Programmes, courses and academic requirements
Information about programmes, courses, credit units, examination eligibility, graduation requirements and other academic rules should, where possible, be based on official programme documents, course information, university portals or other authoritative academic records.
Because requirements may differ by programme, level, entry mode or academic session, we try to avoid presenting a rule as universal when it only applies to a particular group of students.
Conflicting sources
There are situations where two apparently reliable sources may provide different information. This may happen when a portal is updated before a circular is released, when an old official page remains online, or when implementation differs between study centres.
When sources conflict, we consider factors such as publication date, authority of the source, whether the information is specific to the issue being reported and whether more recent evidence is available.
If we cannot confidently resolve the conflict, we may explain the uncertainty instead of choosing one version and presenting it as confirmed.
Use of artificial intelligence as a source
Artificial intelligence tools are not treated as primary sources for academic information on NOUN Update.
AI may help us organise information, summarise documents, improve writing or assist with research, but important factual claims should be traced back to reliable evidence before publication.
We do not consider an AI response, by itself, sufficient confirmation of a fee, deadline, academic requirement, examination rule or official university decision.
Source independence
NOUN Update is an independent educational and student-support platform and is not the National Open University of Nigeria.
Referencing an official NOUN source does not mean that NOUN has approved, endorsed or partnered with NOUN Update. It means that we are using publicly available or otherwise verifiable information to help students understand an academic matter.
Our responsibility is to represent our sources accurately, distinguish official information from our own interpretation and correct the record when reliable evidence shows that published information is wrong or outdated.
Our responsibility to readers
Our aim is to help readers understand not only what information is being reported, but also how reliable that information is.
For highly consequential decisions, we encourage students to use NOUN Update as a student-support and explanatory resource while also checking the relevant official NOUN portal, notice or communication before taking final action.
Contact us at info@nounupdate.com .
