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R0051/2026-03-31/Q002/H2

Research R0051 — Fact-Checking Gap
Run 2026-03-31
Query Q002
Hypothesis H2

Statement

The W3C Credibility Coalition work is partially active or dormant, with limited feature coverage — some credibility indicators exist but do not include formal evidence evaluation features comparable to GRADE/IPCC/ICD 203.

Status

Current: Supported

Supporting Evidence

Evidence Summary
SRC01-E01 Signals spec catalogs possible credibility signals including rudimentary confidence calibration
SRC02-E01 Tech report is "Final" (2020) — complete but without formal quality scales
SRC03-E01 CCIV includes 200+ indicators with some confidence and bias elements
SRC04-E01 Survey confirms CCIV served as foundation for research but was never standardized
SRC05-E01 Credibility Coalition's annotation study validated 16 indicators empirically

Contradicting Evidence

Evidence Summary
None directly contradicting Evidence consistently supports partial activity with limited features

Reasoning

The W3C Credible Web CG and Credibility Coalition produced substantial work (200+ indicators, annotation studies, signals specification) but never achieved standardization or active maintenance. The specifications include rudimentary confidence calibration ("acknowledging uncertainty") but lack the four formal features queried. The group held quarterly check-ins through 2024, indicating it is not fully abandoned but is functionally dormant.

Relationship to Other Hypotheses

H2 is supported by the combination of real outputs (distinguishing from H3) and lack of formalization/active maintenance (distinguishing from H1).