Community Notes & Fact Checks
Five Questions for Sensitive Identity Claims
This field note is part of the FOBA learning stream. It is meant to orient readers and point toward better source work.
Key points
- Does the claim certify identity, ancestry, tribe, nationality, DNA conclusion, legal status, descent, or membership?
- Does the claim involve living people, private records, raw DNA files, or personal contact details?
- Does the source actually support the wording, or only a smaller lead?
- Is this community memory, spiritual interpretation, documentary evidence, legal status, or a comparison?
- Could a safer sentence teach the question without overstating the conclusion?
Next steps
- Move high-stakes claims to Fact Check.
- Use the identity disclaimer near sensitive content.
- Protect living people and use pseudonyms when needed.