Staðreyndaöflun

Staðreyndaöflun is the practice of establishing the factual basis of statements and information by applying verification and validation procedures. In Icelandic discourse the term is used across journalism, scholarship, and policy communication to emphasize confirming claims before presenting them as fact. The word is formed from staðreynd (fact) and öflun (the process of strengthening or empowering), denoting an action-oriented pursuit of truth.

Practices include assessing sources for reliability, seeking primary or official documents, cross-checking with independent sources, and evaluating data for accuracy and context. When possible, data is traced to original datasets, methodologies are described, and limitations are disclosed. For visual material, image verification and metadata analysis may be used. The aim is transparency: documenting sources, methods, and uncertainties so others can reproduce or challenge conclusions.

Applications exist in journalism, research, public administration, and digital platforms’ moderation and education about media literacy. The approach supports informed decision-making and can reduce the spread of misinformation, but it also faces challenges such as time pressure, access to sources, and potential bias in source selection. Ethical considerations include fairness, avoidance of censorship, and respect for privacy.

See also: fact-checking, verification, information literacy, misinformation, media ethics.