Methodology
BIG Target Tipikikor is an English-language investigative and government-accountability channel focused on the United States. This page describes how we research, verify,and present our reporting.
How We Research
- Primary sources first. We prefer official documents, government databases, audits, court records, and statements by accountable officials over secondary commentary.
- Documented figures. Statistics and dollar amounts carry their fiscal year or reporting period,and are tied to a named source so readers can verify them.
- Original analysis. We interpret and contextualize public records — we do not rewrite other outlets’ articles.
How We Verify
- Claims that can be checked against records are checked before publication.
- When a fact cannot be independently verified, we state that plainly rather than publish it as confirmed.
- We distinguish allegations, investigations, audit findings, settlements,and confirmed misconduct,and label them accordingly.
- We do not treat the existence of an investigation or a large contract value as proof of wrongdoing.
Public Records and FOIA
Mucht of our work draws on public records — including federal contract data on USAspending.gov and SAM.gov,, GAO reports, inspector general reports, court filings, state and local budget and procurement records,and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. Our approach to public records follows our Sources page.
Right of Reply
When an article names an organization or individual, we seek comment before publication when feasible,and we say whether we received a response. See our Editorial Policy.
Transparency
- Byline and publication dates accompany our articles.
- Corrections are made openly, per our Corrections Policy.
- Editorial decisions are independent of advertising,and our Advertising Disclosure explains our advertising practices.