Methodology
How the research is done
The library's value is its sourcing discipline. This page states the standards every book is built to.
Sources
Books are built from primary and named sources, cited inline with direct links in a source index: California Secretary of State Cal-Access campaign finance records; Federal Election Commission filings; FPPC Form 700 statements of economic interests and Form 803 behested payment reports; legislative voting records; court records at the county, state and federal level; property and mortgage records; Secretary of State business filings; professional license records; voter registration and turnout history in aggregate form; contemporaneous news coverage from named outlets; and returns from California Public Records Act and Legislative Open Records Act requests filed on a standing weekly cycle.
Standards
- Every claim cited. A claim without a primary or named source does not run, or is labeled unverified with the reason.
- Flags, never verdicts. Patterns that warrant a second look are presented as flags, each with the innocent explanation where one exists and the record that would resolve the question.
- Nulls are reported as nulls. When a sweep finds nothing, the book says so, with the method and the scope searched.
- Neutral voice. The library sells to both parties. Books state what the record shows and label inference as inference.
- Verbatim quotes only. Quotations are reproduced exactly or not used.
- Privacy limits. No home street addresses (city and county only). Children are never identified. Family legal matters are kept separate from the subject's own record unless a documented relevance gate is met.
Closed sources
The following are never used: DMV records; credit reports; sealed or juvenile records; tax returns; leaked or hacked material of any kind; and pretexting in any form. Breach exposure is checked for presence only, never for content. How any individual voted is not a record that exists, and is never asserted; turnout history (whether someone voted) is reported from registrar data where lawfully available for political use.
Corrections
Books are living documents. When a primary source contradicts a published claim, the book is corrected and the correction noted. Buyers can submit corrections to research@capitoldaybook.com.