- Check all names, companies, titles, place names. Ask people to spell their name, write it out yourself in block letters, then show it to them to confirm.
- Check all statistics. Be careful of “millions” and “billions.” When someone cites numbers, ask for (and check) the original source.
- Check references to time, distance, date, season, location.
- Check physical descriptions.
- Double check quotations with your own notes. Check facts within quotes.
- Check any argument or narrative that depends on fact.
- Check historical facts.
- Avoid superlatives like: “only,” “first” and “most.”
(Source: The Fact Checker’s Bible: A Guide to Getting it Right by Sarah Harrison Smith)
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