Find the primary record
Prefer the institution that created or legally published the information: regulator, exchange, filing, legislation, official statistics or issuer disclosure.
Don't just know the answer.
Know why you trust it.
The internet gives investors millions of answers. PirePoint should teach the harder skill: deciding what deserves belief, what must be verified, and what remains uncertain.
Write exactly what is being claimed
Separate the observable fact from the interpretation. Avoid turning a number into a conclusion without showing the bridge.
Try to break it
Check date, definition, unit, currency, period, denominator, accounting treatment and whether another credible source disagrees.
THE PIREPOINT EVIDENCE LADDER
Confidence should follow evidence.
Verified fact
Directly supported by a current, identifiable primary source.
Calculation
Derived transparently from stated inputs and reproducible arithmetic.
Interpretation
A reasoned explanation that should remain distinguishable from the underlying fact.
Assumption
An input used because reality is uncertain or cannot yet be observed.
Unknown
Something the evidence does not establish. Say so instead of filling the gap.
Contradiction
Credible evidence points in different directions. Preserve the conflict and investigate.
A RESEARCH HABIT
Before you trust a statement, ask six questions.
- Who produced it?
- When was it true?
- What exactly is being measured?
- What definition or denominator is being used?
- Can I reproduce the conclusion?
- What evidence would make me change my mind?
USE IT
Turn every guide into a research exercise.
After learning a concept, practise finding the original source, recording the date, writing the claim in one sentence, checking an alternative explanation and marking the remaining uncertainty.