Glossary

The individual or organization that publishes a statement. Authors are the subjects of evaluation and may participate by defending, correcting, or retracting claims once they are brought into an Objection case.

A compensated contributor tasked with evaluating contested claims through evidence collection and analysis under Objection’s Empirical Journalism Standard (EJ-1).

The party that initiates an objection by placing a required bounty on a claim thereby triggering adversarial investigation. Objectors are not required to submit evidence. Voluntary submissions of analysis or evidence may materially strengthen the case.

A read-only participant who can observe statements, evidence, and judgments without contributing directly.

A specific, falsifiable assertion about reality that can be tested against evidence.

Verifiable information submitted to support or refute a statement that is attributable, relevant, and inspectable.

The original origin of a piece of information or evidence, such as a document, dataset, witness, publication, or primary record.

Relevant background information necessary to correctly interpret a statement or piece of evidence, including time, conditions, assumptions, and scope.

The domain or field of knowledge to which a claim belongs, such as science, law, finance, or public policy.

A public correction, retraction, or apology that amends a false or misleading statement.

The duty of a party to prove their case. The burden of proof falls on the author.

The degree to which evidence, sources, and reasoning can be independently examined, verified, and challenged by other participants.

The degree to which a claim aligns with verifiable facts and withstands structured opposition.

A cumulative measure of an author's ethical conduct, including honesty, attribution, and good-faith participation.

The formal outcome of a case following review, indicating the current evidentiary status of a claim. A resolution reflects the weight of evidence at the time and may be revised if new evidence emerges.

The presentation of another party’s ideas, words, or evidence as one’s own without proper attribution.

A reporting standard that treats claims as hypotheses, prioritizes primary evidence, and requires adversarial scrutiny before publication.

The platform’s evaluation system synthesizes evidence, adversarial outcomes, and historical credibility signals to render judgments and update the Honor Index.