Roadside case study checklist: how to test every claim before you write

Use this checklist before writing about a roadside place, design effort, business profile, or documented project. It prevents a case study from filling gaps with a preferred narrative. It does not assess a site or approve claims about a project's performance.

What to take away

Define the question before collecting attractive examples.
Keep original records with their date, source, and limitation.
Label observations, reported statements, decisions, and interpretation separately.
Write the disclosure and update path before publication.

Assemble the evidence packet

Check	Record needed
Case question	A narrow question that available records can answer
Timeframe	The date range covered and the latest source check
Baseline	What is visibly or documentably known before the action
Sources	Specific pages, original files, public records, or attributed interviews
Limits	What each source does not establish
Roles	Owner, provider, writer, sponsor, and decision-maker where relevant

The National Park Service describes the HABS/HAER/HALS Collection as containing drawings, photographs, written data, and original field notes. Its collection overview concerns a formal national archive, not the required format for an online article. The useful editorial lesson is that a strong record can include several kinds of evidence rather than relying on one image or claim.

Checklist of six evidence packet items for roadside case studies (Roadside case study checklist: how to test every claim before you write) — The evidence packet checklist from section 0, showing the six records to assemble before writing. Image: Roadside Edit

Test every statement before writing

For each material statement, ask four questions:

Is this a direct observation, an attributed report, a documented decision, or an interpretation?
What source supports it, and when was that source created or checked?
Does the source cover this place and question, or only provide background?
What limitation should the reader know at the same point in the article?

Use a photo caption to state its date, subject, source, and limitation. Do not ask a photo to prove ownership, safety, approval, durability, or a result outside what it visibly shows. Treat provider-provided material as a provider statement unless independently documented.

Check the source before repeating a claim

Open the exact page, report, record, or image page behind each important sentence. A search result, a summary written by another publisher, or an unattributed social post can be a lead. It is not enough support for a factual claim in the finished study. Note the date you checked the material and the part of the claim it supports.

The National Archives guidance on agency recordkeeping describes federal requirements for records that document activities and decisions. Those rules do not govern an independent article. They support the practical discipline of retaining the record that explains a material editorial decision, rather than relying on a summary made later.

For a documented historic feature, ask whether a source describes the feature itself or only gives general background. The National Park Service documentation standards and guidelines address methods for recording historic properties. They do not verify a particular roadside claim. They are useful support for recording a source's origin, date, scope, and limitation.

Use a claim log while drafting

Create a simple claim log before publishing. Give each material statement a short label, source, date checked, category, and limit. The categories can be observation, attributed statement, public record, or analysis. The limit is just as useful as the source. It tells the editor what the item cannot establish.

Claim category	Example note	Publication treatment
Observation	Sign visible in a dated photo	Describe only what the image visibly shows
Attributed statement	Owner stated a change was made	Name the speaker and date; do not treat it as independent proof
Public record	Agency document identifies a review	Link the specific record and describe its scope
Analysis	Writer compares two documented versions	Mark it as an interpretation and show the basis

The Federal Trade Commission's endorsement guides explain federal principles for endorsements and testimonials in advertising. They are not a general fact-checking manual. They do support treating a paid relationship, endorsement, or testimonial as information a reader may need to evaluate the presentation.

Prepare the publication record

Save the brief, source register, approved quotes, original files, article date, correction log, and disclosure text together. If a sponsor funded the article or paid for a listing, label that relationship clearly. If an item cannot be publicly shared, keep it in the private record and do not use it as hidden support for a public claim.