Investigation Methodology

Not every tip becomes an investigation, and not every accusation is treated as a finding. This page describes the path every Power Lens investigation follows, from first lead to follow-up after publication.

The stages

1. Intake. Every tip is recorded and the source is protected from the start. A member of the team makes a first assessment.
2. Assessment. We ask five questions. Is there a clear public interest? Can the claim be checked with evidence? Can we do the work safely? Do we have the capacity? Is someone else already doing it well?
3. Plan. We define the question we are trying to answer, the evidence we would need, the risks to people involved, and what would show that we are wrong.
4. Collect and verify. We gather documents, data and testimony, including through Right to Information requests. Every source is checked as set out in our methodology.
5. Analyse. We test each finding against other explanations, and we look for evidence that contradicts it.
6. Evidence file. Each claim in the draft is linked to the evidence that supports it. A claim without support is removed.
7. Legal and safety review. We review the draft for legal risk, privacy and the safety of sources, subjects and our team.
8. Right of reply. We give the people and organisations concerned a fair chance to respond. See our right of reply policy.
9. Editorial sign-off and publication. An editor who did not report the story signs it off. After publication we follow up.

When we do not proceed

If the evidence does not support the claim, we stop, and we do not publish. We record why. We may refer the person who came to us to a court, a regulator or another appropriate body.

The investigation file

Every investigation has a file that records the question, the sources, how each was verified, the decisions taken and who reviewed them. It lets an editor, and later a reviewer, check our work. Files are stored securely and handled under our source protection policy.

After publication

We track responses, official action and new information. If the facts change, we update the story. If we find a mistake, we correct it under our corrections policy.

Who can start an investigation

Only Power Lens decides what we investigate. We do not accept commissions from donors, political parties, governments or private parties to investigate a named person or organisation. See editorial independence.