Trust and transparency
How we research.
You should not have to take this archive's word for anything. Here is exactly how a claim becomes a published record.
Identify the claim
State it precisely. 'Invented the light bulb' and 'patented a carbon filament process' are different claims requiring different evidence.
Locate primary documentation
Patent grants, census and military records, institutional archives, correspondence, excavation reports, contemporaneous publications.
Locate independent support
At least one credible source not derived from the first.
Compare conflicting accounts
Where sources disagree, record the disagreement rather than choosing the more flattering version.
Determine the evidence level
Assign one of six classifications and display it on the record.
Publish with citations
Name the archive or publisher holding the documentation so a reader can check it.
Correct when evidence emerges
Update the record, log what changed, and keep the correction visible.
Source hierarchy
- 1. Patent offices and government archives
- 2. National archives and official records
- 3. University and museum collections
- 4. Peer-reviewed scholarship
- 5. Contemporaneous publications
- 6. Reputable biographies and historical societies
Social posts, unsourced listicles and AI-generated articles are not treated as evidence at any level.
Editorial priorities
- Accuracy over virality.
- Evidence over assumption.
- Primary sources over unsourced claims.
- Historical context over exaggeration.
No claim is amplified because it is inspiring, and none is omitted because it is inconvenient.
Read the corrections policy →