Fact, statement, analysis, allegation: a claim taxonomy

The single most useful discipline in research is also the most often skipped: labeling what kind of claim each statement is. A fact and a rumor look identical on the page until someone asks "is that true, or did someone just say it?" This is the taxonomy we use on every claim before it reaches a report.

The seven claim types

• Verified fact — directly supported by a primary public source (a filing, pricing page, press release, or record). Published with a numbered citation.
• Public statement — something a company or person said publicly. Saying it doesn't make it true; it's attributed as a statement, never restated as fact.
• Analysis — our interpretation of sourced facts: what a pattern of moves likely means. Labeled as analysis, with the underlying facts cited.
• Inference — a conclusion that connects sourced facts but isn't directly stated by any of them. Labeled so you can weigh it yourself.
• Assumption — something taken as given to make analysis possible. Flagged explicitly, never hidden inside a conclusion.
• Allegation — an unproven claim made by a third party: lawsuits, accusations, rumors. Treated as high-risk and excluded from final reports unless reviewed, approved, and clearly attributed.
• Low-confidence item — a claim that couldn't be corroborated to standard. Excluded by default.

Why this matters more than it sounds

Restating an allegation as fact in client or board material is a real liability, not a style problem. The taxonomy exists so the riskiest claim types — allegations and low-confidence items — are gated before they can do damage, and so a reader can instantly see how much weight any line carries.

How to apply it to your own research

You don't need software to use this. As you research, tag each claim with one of the seven labels. Then apply two rules: never let an allegation travel without the word "alleged" and an attribution, and never publish a low-confidence item as if it were a fact. That alone puts your research ahead of most of what circulates.

This is the standard behind every report we publish, described in full on our methodology page.