R0050/2026-03-31/Q001/S01¶
WebSearch — IFCN, PolitiFact, and NewsGuard methodology and evidence evaluation frameworks
Summary¶
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Source/Database | WebSearch |
| Query terms | Three searches: (1) "IFCN International Fact-Checking Network methodology evidence evaluation framework 2024 2025" (2) "PolitiFact Truth-O-Meter rating methodology evidence standards structured framework" (3) "NewsGuard rating criteria methodology source credibility scoring system nutrition labels" |
| Filters | None |
| Results returned | 30 |
| Results selected | 3 |
| Results rejected | 27 |
Selected Results¶
| Result | Title | URL | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| S01-R01 | Principles of the Truth-O-Meter: PolitiFact's methodology | https://www.politifact.com/article/2018/feb/12/principles-truth-o-meter-politifacts-methodology-i/ | Primary methodology document for PolitiFact |
| S01-R02 | Website Rating Process and Criteria - NewsGuard | https://www.newsguardtech.com/ratings/rating-process-criteria/ | Primary methodology document for NewsGuard |
| S01-R03 | The commitments of the Code of Principles - IFCN | https://ifcncodeofprinciples.poynter.org/the-commitments | Primary document for IFCN Code of Principles |
Rejected Results¶
| Result | Title | URL | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| S01-R04 | RAND - IFCN Codes and Principles | https://www.rand.org/research/projects/truth-decay/fighting-disinformation/search/items/international-fact-checking-network-ifcn-codes-and.html | Secondary description of IFCN; primary source preferred |
| S01-R05 | Beyond the Truth-O-Meter - CJR | https://www.cjr.org/first_person/beyond-the-truth-o-meter.php | Commentary on PolitiFact, not primary methodology |
| S01-R06 | Checking PolitiFact's Fact-Checks - Tandfonline | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1461670X.2021.1873818 | Academic analysis of PolitiFact accuracy, not methodology documentation |
Notes¶
Three parallel searches targeted the three major fact-checking organizations. Each returned 10 results. The primary methodology documents were prioritized over secondary analyses or commentary. The remaining 24 rejected results were Wikipedia entries, news articles about these organizations, or duplicate/mirror pages of the same content.