Fact checking content on GOV.UK
Updated 13 June 2017
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‘Fact check’ is the process in which a content designer asks a subject matter expert to check content for factual accuracy.
1. Mainstream content
While GDS is responsible for mainstream content and how it’s written, the subject matter expert is responsible for the facts. Therefore, a GDS content designer will sometimes need to check that a piece of content is factually accurate.
1.1 What you do as the GOV.UK lead in a department
As the GOV.UK lead in a department (also known as the single point of contact), you are responsible for co-ordinating fact check responses.
You’ll need to send your subject matter experts an email which contains a link to the page that has changed, with instructions. This will be separate from the Zendesk ticket that first requested changes.
You’ll need to then collect their comments and put them into a single message and send that back to GDS.
1.2 What the subject matter expert does
When you tell your subject matter expert that a piece of content needs fact checking, make sure they only comment on factual inaccuracies in the content that’s been changed. If they spot factual inaccuracies elsewhere, collect them and raise those issues in a new request.
If the change is factually accurate
If the content is factually accurate, your subject matter expert should reply to you confirming that no changes are needed.
If there are factual inaccuracies in the change
Your subject matter expert needs to explain what is wrong and why, for example: “the fee is £150, not £130”, rather than supply you with rewritten content.
They should also tell you where the error is, for example: “chapter 2, under the ‘How much it costs’ heading”.
The GOV.UK content team can’t put your copy straight onto GOV.UK, even if it’s ‘signed off’. The content team are responsible for presenting information in a way that users will understand.
Use plain text when you reply. GDS’ systems don’t display text formatting, colours or attachments.
1.3 What GDS does
Once GDS gets the fact check comments back from you, they’ll review them to make sure they only apply to the content that has changed. They’ll also check that the comments are about the factual accuracy of a piece, not editorial (the way something is written).
If the comments are straightforward, the content designer at GDS will correct the content, and send it to be reviewed internally, ready for publishing.
2. Whitehall content
Content published using Whitehall Publisher, such as specialist guidance, press releases or other pages with ‘/guidance/’ or ‘/government/’ in the URL, should be checked for factual accuracy when necessary.
The content designer in a department (sometimes known as a web editor or content editor), is responsible for making sure the content is fit for users, and for publishing on GOV.UK. However, subject matter experts are responsible for making sure the content is factually accurate.
2.1 What you do as the content designer in a department
You’ll need to decide on the best way to show your subject matter expert the content that needs checking. This could be using Whitehall Publisher’s built in fact checking system, or using your own form or email.
2.2 What the subject matter expert does
If the change is factually accurate
If the content is factually accurate, your subject matter expert needs to confirm to you that no changes are needed.
If they’re doing that through Whitehall Publisher, they can just write that no changes are needed in the ‘comments’ box and click ‘submit’.
If there are factual inaccuracies in the change
Your subject matter expert should explain what is wrong in the content and why, for example: “the fee is £150, not £130”, rather than supply you with rewritten content.
They also need to tell you where the error is, for example: “chapter 2, under the ‘How much it costs’ heading”.
If they are replying to the fact check request through Whitehall Publisher, they can list the inaccuracies in the ‘comments’ box and click ‘submit’.
2.3 What the content designer does with the comments
You should check the comments from the subject matter expert and correct the content where necessary.
Once those changes are made, send it to another person in your team to check against the style guide, and publish it to GOV.UK.