Evidence Guidelines
Dictatorank relies entirely on publicly verifiable evidence to ensure the credibility and transparency of its scores. The platform is not driven by opinions or speculation—only facts that can be supported by reliable documentation.
What Qualifies as Evidence?
On Dictatorank, evidence is defined as a link to an online source that supports a specific indicator of democratic backsliding. These can include:
- News articles
- Government documents
- NGO or watchdog reports
- Court filings
- Academic publications
To be accepted, evidence must meet the following criteria:
- Publicly Accessible: Anyone should be able to view the source without needing a login or subscription.
- Verifiable: The content must be hosted on a stable, reputable platform (e.g., news websites, government documents, NGO reports).
- Relevant: The evidence must directly support the indicator it is linked to.
- Dated: The source must clearly show when it was published or when the event occurred.
Accepted Sources
Examples of accepted evidence sources:
- Reputable news organizations (e.g., Reuters, BBC, NHK, AP)
- Official government documents or websites
- NGO or watchdog reports (e.g., Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch)
- Court records or legal filings
- Academic research (with links to publication)
Unacceptable Evidence
- Personal blogs or social media posts (unless published by recognized experts or organizations and independently corroborated)
- Anonymous or unverifiable content
- Screenshots without source links
- Opinion pieces or editorials without clear factual backing
Evidence Approval Requirements
Each indicator must receive at least 4 approved pieces of evidence (i.e., four unique links to qualifying sources) to be considered confirmed. Only confirmed indicators contribute to category scoring.
All submitted evidence goes through a review process to ensure it meets the above standards. Evidence that fails to meet the guidelines will be rejected.
Submission Format
On the evidence submission page, users must provide:
- URL to the source (required)
- Optional notes to briefly describe what the evidence supports
Note: The same URL can only be submitted once per country + indicator combination. Duplicate links for the same indicator and country will be rejected automatically.
Maintaining a high standard of evidence is critical to the trustworthiness of Dictatorank. By ensuring all scores are backed by solid, documented facts, we aim to provide a reliable and actionable picture of global democratic health.