Methodology & evidence model

How records are built, sourced, labelled and corrected.

Source tiers

Every source is tiered A–E by strength. A published fact needs a Tier A (primary official record) or B (official secondary) source. A claim may rest on independent reporting (Tier C) and is shown as an attributed claim, never as a fact. Blogs, forums, social posts and AI answers (Tier E) are never the basis of a published assertion.

How statements are stored

No statement is published as bare prose. Each is typed as a confirmed fact, an attributed claim, a disputed point, or an unanswered question — and styled so the categories never blur. Allegation, response, official decision and current status are separate fields.

Dates and status

Every record shows an as-of date, a plain-language status from a closed vocabulary, a last-reviewed date, and visible limitations. Historical material is dated so it is not mistaken for the current position.

What we do not do

No opaque risk scores. No design that implies guilt. We do not infer a conviction, sanction or regulatory action from criticism, an audit finding or a civil dispute. A certificate supports only its printed scope. We use "unable to verify" rather than "false" when a public verification route is absent.