Our method

This page explains precisely how a check gets published — and what would get one removed.

1. Choosing a question

We look for questions where a single confident answer is likely to hide a variable. Three signals qualify a question: trusted sources publishing different figures, an AI answer that omits a condition that changes the result, or documented real-world harm from following the common answer.

2. Recording what the AI said

We put the question to multiple assistants and record the response verbatim, with the platform name and the date. We quote what was returned rather than paraphrasing it. Model outputs change over time, which is why the date is always shown.

3. Gathering sources

Primary sources only — the organisation that published the figure, not a site repeating it. We record the figure, the stated method or condition, and a link where one is publicly available. Where a source does not state its method, we say "not specified" rather than guessing.

4. Explaining the disagreement

This is the part that takes the longest and the part that carries the value. A disagreement between competent sources is almost never an error; it is usually a difference in method, equipment, or assumed conditions. If we cannot explain why sources differ, the check is not ready.

5. Publication threshold

A check is published only when it is explicitly marked verified in our source data. Unverified entries are excluded from the build automatically and never reach the site. We would rather publish five checks properly than fifty approximately.

6. Re-checking

Each page shows the month it was last checked. We re-check when a source revises its published figure, when a reader submits a credible correction, or on a rolling annual cycle — whichever comes first. AI quotes are re-tested periodically, since model outputs change.

7. Use of AI in our own work

We use AI tools for drafting and copy-editing assistance. We do not use AI to source figures, to decide what a source says, or to explain a disagreement. Every figure on this site was read by a person from the source, and every page is reviewed by a person before publication. Using an assistant to generate the content of a site that fact-checks assistants would be self-defeating.

8. Corrections

If a published figure is wrong we correct the page and log the change on our corrections page with the date and what changed. We do not quietly edit and move on.

9. What we will not do

We do not publish checks on medical, legal or financial questions. Those areas require professional licensure, and a comparison table is not a safe format for them.