How CommonProof examines a claim.

1. Preserve the exact claim

We record the original wording, speaker, publication date, platform, and surrounding context. A shortened quotation is never treated as the complete evidence.

2. Identify what can be tested

We separate factual statements from opinions, predictions, rhetoric, and value judgments. Only testable claims receive factual verdicts.

3. Start with primary evidence

Legislation, regulations, court filings, official datasets, transcripts, public records, and direct source material take priority. Credible secondary reporting supplies context and independent confirmation.

4. Check time, definitions, and scale

Political statistics can change meaning when the timeframe, denominator, jurisdiction, or technical definition changes. Every review examines those boundaries.

5. State uncertainty

When evidence is incomplete, disputed, or unavailable, CommonProof says so. “Not enough evidence” is more honest than a forced conclusion.

6. Use a transparent verdict

Reviews use plain labels: Supported, Mostly supported, Mixed, Misleading, Unsupported, False, or Not enough evidence. The evidence—not political balance—determines the result.