How we fact-check a survey before a single chart is drawn
Sample checks, question wording and margin-of-error flags.
Studio sample: editorial guidance and illustrative examples. A qualified reviewer must approve firm-specific communications.
Freeze the source material
Keep the questionnaire, raw export and cleaning rules together. Record when the survey was fielded, how respondents were recruited and which answers were excluded.
Check the denominator
For every chart, identify the exact question and eligible respondents. Multi-select answers can exceed 100 percent; an unanswered question changes the base. Put those details beside the chart.
Inspect small groups
A dramatic difference in a small subgroup may be fragile. Show the group size, explain the sampling limitations and avoid claiming that a convenience panel represents an entire industry.
Reproduce each figure
A second reviewer should be able to recreate the headline number from the source table. Keep the calculation and chart version with the report. Describe uncertainty before writing the conclusion.
If a sentence cannot be sourced, it does not run.
Editorial Standards
The editorial sequence
A process illustration; bars represent steps, not measured results.
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