How we check

How the score works

Which claims count

Facts, attributions and quotes count, unless their result is Can't be checked, or the speaker corrected them later in the episode (then the correction counts instead).

Points

The formula

For each tier with at least one counted claim, take the average points. Then combine the tiers with these weights: main 50, supporting 35, background 15. Only tiers that have counted claims take part. Multiply by 100 and round to a whole number. Every public page shows this sum with its real numbers, under "How this score was worked out".

Score = round( 100 x (sum of weight x tier average) / (sum of weights used) )

Coverage and confidence

Coverage is the share of listed claims we could count. Main claim coverage is the same for main claims. A result is strong when it rests on an original record, or on two independent established outlets. Confidence is High when at least 15 claims count and at least 80 percent of Verified and Not verified results are strong; Medium with at least 5 counted claims and 60 percent strong; otherwise Low.

Checking each claim more than once

Every claim we check against sources is read at least twice, and some three times. We work out the score from each reading. If those scores differ by more than 5 points, or more than 20 percent of counted claims had readings that did not agree, no score is shown. Read how we check each claim more than once.

The 7 gates

1. G1. Score is 85 or more.
2. G2. No main claim is Not verified.
3. G3. No more than a quarter of the main claims are Questionable.
4. G4. At least 5 claims could be counted.
5. G5. We could check at least half of all claims, and at least half of the main claims.
6. G6. Our confidence in the results is Medium or High.
7. G7. We check each claim more than once, and the results agree: the scores differ by at most 5 points, and at most 1 in 5 counted claims got results that did not agree.

All gates pass: FactUnion Verified. Gate 4 or 5 fails: Not enough facts to score. Gate 7 fails: No score. Either way no number is shown. Otherwise: Not verified, with the score, and the owner sees which claims stand in the way.

Worked examples

1. 4 main claims Verified; 10 supporting (9 Verified, 1 Questionable); 6 background (5 Verified, 1 Not verified because sources say otherwise). 0.5 x 1 + 0.35 x 0.95 + 0.15 x 0.833 = 0.9575. Score 96, all gates pass: FactUnion Verified.
2. 3 main (2 Verified, 1 Not verified, sources say otherwise), 12 supporting Verified. (0.5 x 0.667 + 0.35 x 1) / 0.85 = 0.804. Score 80. Gates 1 and 2 fail: Not verified, and the main claim is listed first as what would change this.
3. 2 main and 2 supporting Verified, 30 things only the speaker would know. Only 4 claims count, so gate 4 fails: Not enough facts to score, no number.
4. 5 supporting claims: 4 Verified, 1 Not verified because no record was found. (4 + 0.25) / 5 = 0.85. Score 85. Verified if confidence is Medium or High.

How we show it

Low scores are never red and never say "fail". Wherever the score appears we add: "How well published sources support the checkable claims in this episode."