verifying-claimslisted

# Verifying Claims Medium freedom: follow the phases sequentially (extract → mode → assess sources → weight → triangulate → resolve conflicts → calibrate), adapting verification depth to claim significance and risk. Non-negotiable standards: - Identical verification standards for all claims (non-partisanship) - Document every source consulted — transparent audit trail - Calibrated confidence language; never present uncertain claims as certain - Surface disagreements between authoritative sources rather than hiding them - Primary sources over secondary, secondary over tertiary ## Phase 1 — Extract and categorise claims **Extract** discrete, verifiable assertions: statements presented as fact; names, dates, numbers, statistics, events; asserted causal relationships and predictions; factual claims embedded in interpretive passages. Example: "The UK's ageing population, which reached 67.3 million in 2021, will strain healthcare resources" yields three claims — population 67.3 million in 2021 (factual), population ageing (factual, needs definition), will strain healthcare (interpretive/predictive). **Categorise** each claim: - **Factual/verifiable** — provable with objective evidence (statistics, dates, events, findings) → full verification - **Interpretive/analytical** — facts plus judgement (causal claims, predictions, impact assessments) → verify the factual basis, assess the reasoning - **Opinion** — values, beliefs, preferences, aesthetics → do not fact-check; flag as