Methods

Grounding in the sources

The project's claims rest, first, on its bibliographic collection, which gathers the records of the works cited and, whenever possible, their full texts. Sources outside the collection are consulted once it is exhausted, and their use is indicated. When a claim could not be checked against the full text of a work, the record states what was consulted instead.

Levels of verification

• Identity of the source: the work exists and its bibliographic data are correct.
• Support for the claim: the work actually supports what is attributed to it.
• Maturity of the research: the project has the methods and data needed for the conclusion it states.
• Publication: the editor has approved the exact version of each page in each language.

Grey literature (theses, dissertations, reports and preprints) is identified as such whenever it is used.

Studies

Each study has a versioned protocol, written before data collection, and later changes are recorded as deviations. Literature reviews follow recognised guidelines, such as PRISMA-ScR, with the selection of studies carried out in duplicate by independent screeners and their agreement recorded. Derived data are kept with documentation of their provenance. The methodological guide explains and justifies these procedures in detail.

Use of language models

Language models are used as support tools in the search for sources, in bibliographic verification and in the drafting of preliminary versions. Material produced with this assistance is identified as such, reviewed by people before any use and never published automatically; responsibility for the final content lies with the authors and the editor.