Is the data verified?

Several mechanisms help us ensure the quality of data on Wikirate. Most importantly, all data is referenced, meaning it must cite a public source, so that anyone can review where the data came from and whether the value on Wikirate accurately reflects the information in the source. Furthermore, there is a flagging and double-checking mechanism that allows the Community to mark and correct dubious data.

As a result, you can filter the data based on the following layers of verification:

• Flagged - Dubious data for which an extra review has been requested

• Community Added - Data that has been added by members of the community

• Community Verified - Data that has been checked and confirmed by members of the community

• Steward Added - Data that has been added by members of the community that have significant experience on that particular topic, methodology or company

• Steward Verified - Data that has been checked and confirmed by members of the community that have significant experience on that particular topic, methodology, or company

On Wikirate, data is only considered ‘verified’ if two or more individuals came to the same conclusion. That means, if a value were added by a community member and checked by a steward who then made changes to that value, it will be marked as ‘Steward Added’ seeing that so far only one individual has come to that particular answer.

Note: It is important to note that even when the data on Wikirate is verified (meaning the value on Wikirate is an accurate reflection of what is disclosed in the cited source), there is another layer of data quality that should be considered; is the source accurate? The way in which Wikirate can help answer this question is through data volume and the identification of outliers. 

For example, if there is a company that discloses that it received 17,000 grievance reports while the majority of companies report receiving zero grievances, it is worth taking a closer look. Of course, it could be an indication of particularly bad practice on the part of that one company, but it could also mean that companies define ‘grievance reports’ differently or it might even bring into question whether the majority of companies has a properly functioning grievance mechanism.