Our Verification Methodology

Lyfye Facts uses a rigorous, evidence-based approach to verify claims. Here's how our verification engine works.

Developed by Lyfye R&D

Source Hierarchy

Not all sources are created equal. We classify sources into tiers based on their authority and reliability:

Tier 1: Authoritative Sources

These sources have the highest weight in our verdicts. Tier 1 evidence can override conflicting Tier 2/3 sources.

  • Official government sources (.gov, .mil)
  • Academic institutions (.edu)
  • International organizations (UN, WHO, World Bank)
  • Government statistical agencies (Census, BLS, CDC)

Tier 2: Reputable Sources

Trusted journalism and research organizations. Strong supporting evidence when Tier 1 is unavailable.

  • Major wire services (Reuters, AP News, BBC)
  • Fact-checking organizations (Snopes, PolitiFact, FactCheck.org)
  • Peer-reviewed journals (Nature, Science)
  • Research institutions (Pew, RAND, Brookings)

Tier 3: Contextual Sources

General web sources that provide context but cannot determine verdicts on their own.

  • Wikipedia (encyclopedic context)
  • News articles from regional outlets
  • Industry publications and blogs

Excluded: Social Media

Social media platforms (Twitter/X, Facebook, Reddit, TikTok) are excluded from our evidence set. User-generated content is not considered reliable for verification purposes.

Multi-Query Search Strategy

For each claim, we run 6 specialized searches to maximize coverage:

1
Official Sources
Search .gov, .mil, and .edu domains
2
Historical Archives
Search libraries, museums, and archives
3
Data & Statistics
Search for official reports and data
4
Fact-Checkers
Search Snopes, PolitiFact, FactCheck.org
5
Major News
Search Reuters, AP, BBC, Britannica
6
International Orgs
Search UN, WHO, World Bank, OECD

Verdict Classifications

SUBSTANTIATED

Tier 1 sources directly support the claim with high confidence. Evidence is strong and consistent.

NOT SUPPORTED

Tier 1 sources directly contradict the claim, or the claim is factually false based on official data.

CONTEXTUALLY INCOMPLETE

No Tier 1 evidence exists, or Tier 1 evidence is ambiguous. More information is needed for a definitive verdict.

Limitations & Transparency

We do not claim omniscience. Our verifications are based on publicly available evidence at the time of analysis. New information may emerge that changes conclusions.

Confidence is capped. If no Tier 1 sources are found, our confidence is automatically limited to 65% maximum.

Domain diversity is enforced. We limit results to 2 per domain (3 for Tier 1) to prevent any single source from dominating the analysis.

We cite our sources. Every verification includes full citations with links so you can verify our findings independently.

Lyfye Facts - Evidence-Based Truth Verification

Developed by Lyfye R&D | Methodology Version 1.0