Our Methodology

Mission

FactProof exists to help readers distinguish accurate information from misinformation, disinformation, and misleading framing. We investigate claims regardless of which political party, media outlet, or ideological tradition originates them. Our goal is not to tell readers what to think — it is to provide the best available evidence so readers can think more clearly for themselves.

We are editorially independent. We do not accept direction from political organizations, advocacy groups, or advertisers on which claims to investigate or how to rate them.

How We Select Claims

We prioritize claims based on:

• Virality. Claims spreading rapidly on social media regardless of origin, because they pose the greatest immediate risk of public confusion.
• Consequence. Claims with direct potential to affect health decisions, voting behavior, financial decisions, or public safety.
• Checkability. Specific, verifiable factual claims — not opinions, predictions, or satire.
• Reader submissions. We review every claim submitted through our form. Volume of reader submissions can accelerate our timeline.
• Balance. We actively monitor our output to ensure we are not systematically applying higher scrutiny to claims from one political or ideological direction.

Our Investigation Process

1. Identify the precise claim. We isolate the specific factual assertion being made and quote the exact wording wherever possible.
2. Identify primary sources. We consult original documents — government reports, peer-reviewed studies, official statistics, court records, public statements — before consulting any secondary source.
3. Contact relevant experts. For technical claims, we contact subject-matter experts for independent verification.
4. Seek comment from the source. When a specific person or organization made the claim, we attempt to contact them before publication.
5. Internal review. Every fact-check is reviewed by at least one editor not involved in the original investigation before a verdict is assigned.
6. Publish with full sourcing. Every published fact-check includes a complete list of primary sources consulted.

Our Rating Scale

Rating	Definition	Example
TRUE	Accurate and presented in proper context. Key facts are not omitted in a way that changes the meaning.	"U.S. inflation peaked at 9.1% in June 2022" — confirmed by BLS CPI data.
FALSE	Not supported by available evidence and contradicts reliable primary sources.	"Social Security bankrupt by 2030" — contradicts every trustees report.
MISLEADING	Literally accurate but framing, context, or omissions create a false impression.	Raw crime counts compared across cities without per-capita adjustment.
UNVERIFIED	Cannot be confirmed or denied with available evidence. We explain why.	Statistics tracing back to an anonymous source with no disclosed methodology.
SATIRE	Originated as satire or parody but shared as fact.	Headline from a satirical publication shared without the satire label.

Source Hierarchy

We apply the following hierarchy when weighing conflicting information:

1. Official government data and statistical agencies (Census Bureau, BLS, CDC, FDA, SSA, etc.)
2. Peer-reviewed research published in indexed academic journals
3. Court records, legal documents, and official government reports
4. Primary source documents (laws, treaties, official statements)
5. On-the-record statements from named subject-matter experts
6. Reporting from major news organizations with editorial standards and corrections policies
7. Analysis from nonpartisan policy research organizations

We do not cite anonymous sources as primary evidence. We do not cite other fact-checking organizations' verdicts as primary sources — we conduct our own independent investigation.

Corrections Policy

When we make errors, we correct them promptly and transparently. Corrections are noted at the top of the affected article, dated, and explained clearly. We do not delete or silently edit articles after publication. A full log of corrections is available on our Corrections page.

Funding and Independence

FactProof is funded through display advertising revenue. Advertisers have no input into editorial decisions, claim selection, or verdict ratings. We do not accept sponsored content, paid fact-checks, or money from political organizations, campaigns, or advocacy groups.

Our editorial team is compensated through salary, not by any metric tied to verdicts assigned or subjects checked.

What We Don't Fact-Check

We do not fact-check opinions, predictions about the future, satire, or rhetorical hyperbole that a reasonable person would not interpret as a factual claim. We are not arbiters of political or policy debates — we can check whether a statistic is accurate, but we do not take sides on whether a policy is wise or morally correct.