Fact vs. opinion: what can be checked
The first job with any claim is deciding whether evidence can settle it at all.
The test
Ask: could a document, a measurement, or a record show this statement is right or wrong? If yes, it is a factual claim. If the statement depends on values, taste, or characterization, it is an opinion. If it is about what will happen, it is a prediction.
Examples
| Statement | Type |
|---|---|
| "The council voted 5–2 on October 6." | Factual: check the meeting minutes. |
| "The new building is an eyesore." | Opinion: no record can settle it. |
| "Traffic will double once it opens." | Prediction: check the traffic study it relies on. |
| "Enrollment is down 40%, which proves the district has failed." | Mixed: a factual part (enrollment change) and an opinion (has failed). |
Split mixed claims
Many statements combine a checkable fact with a judgment. Split them. Rate the factual part on the evidence, and label the opinion as opinion. That keeps the conversation on what can be shown, and stops a verdict on the fact from being read as a verdict on the person's view.
Watch for opinion dressed as fact
Words like "dangerous," "massive," or "unprecedented" often carry an implied measurable claim. "Dangerously overcrowded school" implies enrollment measured against a rated capacity. Ask what the measurable version would be, and check that.
Predictions need their own handling
A prediction cannot be true or false yet. It can be checked against the modeling or studies it depends on, and revisited when the outcome is known. TruthRanking labels predictions separately for that reason.
See it on your own topic
Tell us the topic, the organizations involved, and the claims that worry you. We will set up a pilot workspace and trace the first claims with you.
Request a pilot