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R0051/2026-03-31/Q002/SRC01/E01
Research R0051 — Fact-Checking Gap
Run 2026-03-31
Query Q002
Source SRC01
Evidence SRC01-E01
Type Factual

Credibility Signals specification is incomplete draft, catalogs possible signals without formal evidence evaluation features.

URL: https://w3c.github.io/credweb/signals-20181021/

Extract

The specification organizes credibility signals across 15 subject types (Claim, Text, Image, Audio, Video, Article, Title/Headline, Web Page, Website, Aggregation, Venue, Provider, Creator, Person, Organization). It uses plain-language template statements with JSON-LD interoperability.

Key findings on the four queried features:

  1. Hierarchical evidence quality scale: Not present. The specification does not establish any quality hierarchy. It catalogs signals without ranking them.

  2. Calibrated confidence language: Rudimentary only. The "Rhetoric" category includes assessment of "confidence calibration" and the Logic/Reasoning section has "Calibrating Confidence" indicators asking whether authors "acknowledge uncertainty or the possibility that things might be otherwise." This is about detecting confidence in content, not expressing confidence in assessments.

  3. Structured bias assessment: Not present as a framework. The "Rhetoric" category includes hyperpartisanship and political bias indicators, but these are individual signals, not a structured assessment framework.

  4. Source reliability tiering: Not present as a formal tier system. The specification references IFCN verified signatories and "approved sources" but does not define a tiered reliability scale.

The specification explicitly states: "we do not simply state which signals should be used. Instead, we list possible signals that one might reasonably consider using." Most sections contain TBD placeholders.

Relevance to Hypotheses

Hypothesis Relationship Strength
H1 Strongly contradicts No formal evidence evaluation features, incomplete draft with TBDs
H2 Strongly supports Substantial catalog of signals exists but lacks formalization
H3 Contradicts The specification exists and contains real content despite being incomplete

Context

The specification's self-description as a catalog of "possible signals" rather than a prescriptive framework is significant. It deliberately avoids the formalization that GRADE, IPCC, and ICD 203 provide.