Ferret Fact Service

Ferret Fact Service is Scotland’s first non-partisan fact checking service. Launched in the Spring of 2017, FFS was the first Scottish fact-checker accredited by the International Fact-Checking Network fact-checkers’ code of principles

We check publicly made statements from politicians and prominent public figures. Fact checks will also be undertaken on some viral claims, hoaxes and memes which are widely shared on social media.

How do we fact check?

We chose our fact checks by asking a few key questions: 

• Is it verifiable? We don’t check opinions which are subjective value judgements.
• Is it likely to be widely seen? We aim to check claims which may have an impact.
• What is the source of the claim? We are more likely to check claims made by people with a significant influence.
• Is it newsworthy? We try to focus on current issues relevant to public debate.

Fact checks can come from a host of places, including social media, press releases, speeches or debates. We try to check a wide variety of political and social issues to make sure our work is fair and evenly distributed. We always welcome suggestions from our members and readers. Contact us here with ideas.

Our first step with each check is to go to the person or organisation who made the original claim to ask for evidence where possible. If they provide this, we assess it alongside other available material to determine how accurate the statement is.

The information we look at is on-the-record, publicly available and from the most authoritative sources. We will also speak to experts in the relevant field to help us interpret claims and research. We link to all our source documents so you can see how we came to our conclusion. Each check written by our fact checker is reviewed by two experienced editors. 

Our verdicts 

We give each of our Ferret Fact Service checks a final rating. This should be considered along with the evidence presented in full. We rate our fact checks on a six-point scale:

True – The claim is accurate, and has not left out mitigating factors or important context.

Mostly True – The claim is still true, but requires further information or clarification to create a full picture.

Half True – The claim is somewhat or partially accurate, but leaves out crucial information or is selectively taken out of context.

Mostly False – The claim may contain a kernel of truth but leaves out facts which lead one to a different impression.

False – The claim is incorrect, not accurate.

FFS! (For Facts’ Sake) – The claim is baseless, ridiculous and/or logically impossible!

Unsupported – A claim that is not backed up by solid evidence and cannot conclusively be judged true or false.

Corrections 

While we strive for accuracy in every check, we are only human. Occasionally we may make errors, and if so we will say so. If an article is changed as a result, we will let you know what changes have been made at the bottom.

There may also be occasions where new information comes to light which could alter the conclusion of a fact check. If so, we may update the article to reflect the change, but the fact check should be seen as an assessment of veracity at the time of its completion. Sometimes you may just disagree with our analysis. 

If you want to make a complaint about a fact-checking article, you can find out more here.