Ballotpedia:Reports and analyses editorial statement
This page details Ballotpedia's editorial policy on covering reports, analyses, studies, or white papers prepared concerning a specific ballot measure.
Ballotpedia covers these studies because, if they are conducted, they are part of the political landscape surrounding a ballot measure. For example, campaigns in support of or opposition to a ballot measure generate a variety of marketing materials based on certain studies, making information about the study itself important context for readers. Ballotpedia does not cover these reports and analyses in order to endorse their veracity, neutrality, or usefulness.
Criteria for inclusion or exclusion
In general, Ballotpedia does not investigate the methodology or validity of a study or report before featuring it in an article. Rather, studies are included if they are directly relevant to the ballot measure and form part of the political landscape surrounding it. Ballotpedia's policy is to provide as much information and context as possible and allow readers to determine its usefulness. There are certain conditions, however, under which Ballotpedia will exclude a study or report.
Ballotpedia includes or excludes reports, analyses, and studies based on the following criteria:
- how directly the report or study is related to the specific provisions or the subject matter of a ballot measure;
- Exceptions might occur for indirectly related studies that become focal points of campaign efforts, messaging, or voter information surrounding ballot measure in question.
- the group or organization that conducted the study;
- For a report or study to be included in a Ballotpedia article, it must be conducted by an organization that meets at least minimum standards with regard to credibility and reputation.
- Ballotpedia will never exclude a report or study because of the ideological or political inclinations of the organization that conducted it.
- However, Ballotpedia might exclude a study from an organization or group that does not have credibility or that has a reputation for forging, manipulating, or neglecting data or ignoring widely accepted methodological standards.
- the specific methodology used in the study;
- If a specific study was conducted without adhering to widely accepted methodological standards, Ballotpedia might exclude the study. However, as explained below, Ballotpedia does not evaluate or review the methodology of each study featured in an article.
Ballotpedia will never exclude a study or report based solely on the conclusion of the study.
If you would like to submit a study for inclusion on any ballot measure page, please email it as well as information about the Ballotpedia article to which it applies to editor@ballotedia.org.
Methodological reliability and validity
Ballotpedia does not review the methodology used in a study or report or form any conclusions about the validity of the report before adding them to a ballot measure article. Ballotpedia's goal is to provide information about the reports and studies that are relevant to a given ballot measure. Readers are strongly recommended to research the methodology of every study or report featured on Ballotpedia before forming any conclusions. However, Ballotpedia reserves the option of excluding or removing a study from its articles based on the failure to use widely accepted methodological standards.
Maintaining neutrality and balance
Ballotpedia does not screen studies for accuracy or neutrality. If multiple studies about a ballot measure are released, Ballotpedia will include all of them that meet the editorial standards explained above regarding relevance to the supporting and opposing campaigns. Likewise, if only one study concerning a ballot measure is released, it will be included. There are many scenarios in which a study or report is alleged to be biased or in which the studies released on a ballot measure are not balanced. Below is a list of different scenarios and Ballotpedia's policy for dealing with each of them.
Unbalanced numbers of studies
Sometimes studies are conducted that support the arguments of one side of a ballot measure debate, but no studies or fewer studies are released that support the other side. Ballotpedia's policy is to cover all of the reports and studies that are directly relevant to a ballot measure. The lack of a study or report on one side or the other does not indicate that such a study could not be conducted. It simply means that Ballotpedia has not found a study from that perspective that meets our criteria for being directly relevant.
Studies commissioned or indirectly paid for by a campaign
Ballotpedia attempts to provide information about the resources behind any studies or reports featured about a ballot measure. This includes information about the organization or institution that conducted the study and any available information about organizations or individuals that commissioned or financed the study. Sometimes the organizations or individuals that commission or finance a study are part of or associated with either the support or opposition campaign. Information about the resources behind these studies or reports is included to provide context to Ballotpedia's readers and is not meant as a commentary on the neutrality or integrity of the study.
Responses to reports, studies, and white pages
Often campaigns or other organizations and individuals will respond to the release of such a study. If these responses concern the study directly and are not simply referencing the study to make a larger argument about the relevant ballot measure, the responses may be included within the section of Ballotpedia's articles called "Reports and analyses." Coverage of these direct responses to the study will be covered with as much balance as possible.
See also
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