Step 1: Verify the exact wording of the claim

• Video, audio, official document/web page and quote verbatim
• Contact the person (or their office if you can’t reach the speaker) that made the claim to ask where they got their information
• Also confirm they said it in absence of video or audio
• Trace the claim to its original source. Many claims people make are often repeated

Step 2:

• Look for official, scientific or legal definitions of terms and concepts in a claim.
• Does the claim relate to a specific timeframe, region or demographic?

Step 3:

• Inspect the evidence using the latest available data
• Build up a library of accessible data sources, such as Africa Check’s Info Finder

Step 4:

• Approach experts.
• Ensure they have a good academic track record with published research, and contact more than one.
• Ask experts :(i) What is the best/most credible data? (ii) Is the claim correct, and how should the data be interpreted?

Step 5:

Write up the report, setting out evidence step-by-step and providing links. (Claim > Contact Speaker > Evidence > Experts > Conclusion)

• Have a colleague review your report and findings. Discuss the appropriate rating
• Inform the person you have checked of your conclusion

Fact checking steps by Africa Check and UNDP.