R0050/2026-03-31/Q001/SRC05/E01

Research	R0050 — Journalism and Other Truth-Seeking Disciplines
Run	2026-03-31
Query	Q001
Source	SRC05
Evidence	SRC05-E01
Type	Analytical

The Verification Handbook identifies a three-factor framework based on competencies and principles, explicitly lacking formal scales or structured evaluation tools.

URL: https://datajournalism.com/read/handbook/verification-1/verification-fundamentals-rules-to-live-by/2-verification-fundamentals-rules-to-live-by

Extract

The handbook establishes verification as dependent on combining three factors:

1. Individual competencies: "A person's resourcefulness, persistence, skepticism and skill"
2. Source quality: "Sources' knowledge, reliability and honesty, and the number, variety and reliability of sources"
3. Documentation: Physical or digital evidence supporting claims

Core principles include: "How do you know that?" and "How else do you know that?" as fundamental verification questions.

The WebFetch analysis confirmed the chapter "does not provide: evidence quality scales or hierarchies, specific uncertainty language standards, formal bias assessment frameworks, numbered source reliability tiers, structured checklists." The methodology "emphasizes principles over prescriptive rules, acknowledging that verification paths vary by situation."

Relevance to Hypotheses

Hypothesis	Relationship	Strength
H1	Contradicts	The most prominent verification handbook explicitly lacks all four structured elements
H2	Supports	Confirms absence of structured elements in a leading methodology resource
H3	Supports	The three-factor framework is a recognizable analogue to structured evaluation but remains principle-based

Context

The Verification Handbook's approach is representative of journalism's philosophical orientation: verification is a skill and a mindset, not a checklist. This contrasts sharply with scientific and intelligence frameworks that formalize evaluation into structured instruments.