factfinding

Factfinding is the systematic process of gathering, evaluating, and corroborating information to establish factual claims about a subject. It is used in journalism, investigations, audits, due diligence, academic research, and policy analysis to produce an evidence-based account that aims to be objective and verifiable rather than interpretive or persuasive.

The typical workflow begins with clarifying the objective, defining the scope, and identifying relevant questions. Researchers then locate sources, collect data, and document methods. Information is verified through corroboration across independent sources, and inconsistencies are resolved or transparently noted. The final report should present findings with evidence, acknowledge uncertainties, and indicate limitations and potential biases.

Common methods include interviews and witness statements, analysis of documents and records, field observations, experiments or measurements, data mining, and statistical analysis. Triangulation—seeking concordance among multiple sources and types of data—is often used to strengthen reliability.

Quality hinges on reliability, validity, repeatability, and transparency. Ethical considerations include impartiality, privacy protection, informed consent where appropriate, avoidance of conflicts of interest, and compliance with legal constraints. Researchers should preserve an audit trail of sources and methods to enable verification.

Factfinding faces challenges such as incomplete data, access limitations, bias in sources, misinformation, and time pressure. It may require balancing competing obligations, such as privacy and public interest, and acknowledging uncertainties when evidence is inconclusive.

Outcomes are typically a fact-focused report, briefing, or record that supports specific conclusions or recommendations while clearly distinguishing facts from inferences and noting limitations.