Verbrequiring

Verbrequiring is a verb used to describe the act of requiring verification or evidence for claims, statements, or content, especially in online discussions, journalism, and organizational policy. It denotes a process by which assertions are not accepted at face value but must be supported by verifiable sources, data, or documented methodology.

Etymology and usage: The term is a portmanteau of verify and require, with a phonetic cue to verification. It is a relatively new neologism in English and is not widely standardized. It has appeared in online forums, think-tank discussions, and some journalism discourse to describe a policy or practice rather than a single person performing an action. Example usage is informal and context-dependent: “The editor decided to verbrequiring all facts in the piece before publication.”

Applications: In media literacy and governance, verbrequiring can function as a formal or informal rule requiring sources and corroboration for facts. In academic and scientific contexts, it aligns with reproducibility and transparent methodology. In digital platforms, it can be part of moderation policies that require evidence for user claims, or in AI workflows to demand provenance for outputs.

Criticism: Critics argue that verbrequiring can slow communication and overemphasize citation in casual dialogue, potentially suppressing legitimate opinions or minority perspectives. Others note that verification itself can be biased or incomplete, and that clear standards for what counts as verifiable evidence are necessary. There is also concern about applying rigorous verification to subjective statements.

See also: verification, fact-checking, source transparency, reproducibility, evidence-based policy.