Methodology

Event records

Every entry in the archive is an event record with an event date, a summary, a category, and sources. Archive pages display the event date; each record also stores when it was added to the archive and when it was last verified. We never claim a historical page was published at the time the event occurred.

Source confidence

Records carry one of four source states:

• Primary verified: backed by an official government document or direct primary source
• Multiple verified sources: confirmed by two or more independent credible outlets
• Reported: reported by credible outlets, not yet independently confirmed by us
• Unverified: not published as established fact

Promise statuses

Promise statuses (completed, mostly completed, partially completed, in progress, stalled, unfulfilled, reversed, unclear) are assigned by human editors with a written explanation and evidence. Automation never marks a contested promise as broken.

Receipts

Receipts compare two dated, sourced statements. Classifications use careful language: potential contradiction, changed position, consistent position, context changed, or insufficient evidence. We present the evidence and let readers judge.

Human review

Records touching sensitive claims (alleged criminal conduct, corruption, and similar) are held for human review before publication, regardless of how they were ingested.