The evidence chain
A reliable claim should connect to a source, a date, a defined concept, and a stated limitation. The Academy separates what a source directly says from what the editorial team infers or recommends operationally.
- Identify the decision the reader is trying to make.
- Locate the controlling or administering primary source.
- Confirm the source date, scope, geography, and definitions.
- Explain the idea in plain language without expanding the claim.
- Add a scenario that tests understanding without pretending to resolve an individual case.
- Name the point at which a qualified counselor, attorney, tax professional, or other expert is needed.
Local data work
The research center will use official, privacy-conscious data to study housing stability in St. Louis. A public source registry, field definitions, inclusion rules, known gaps, and reproducible calculations should accompany every released measure.
We will not publish a neighborhood score until the underlying data, limitations, and risk of stigmatizing residents or places have been reviewed. Research should illuminate systems—not label households.
What counts as an update
A corrected typo does not necessarily change the reviewed date. A new program rule, changed phone number, revised eligibility statement, new dataset, or altered recommendation does. Material updates are recorded and the page date changes.