One star
“Anonymous sources”, unsourced opinion pieces by unqualified individuals or rumors. There is an insufficient amount of detail to grade the quality of the information. This is often viewed as comments in discussion forums or personal blogs.
Two stars
Known bias, does not take into account full picture, limited sourcing. This is often a source which is known to represent a singular side of an argument. They may provide sources which may be credible, but they could be carefully selected and thus omit an entire side of an issue. The political affiliations with these sources are often publicly reported and not disputed.
Three stars
Could be biased, but relatively well-sourced and relatively fair to opposing viewpoints. This is often a source where the reader may develop an understanding of both perspectives, but nonetheless, one perspective is still preferred by the author. They may spend more time justifying one perspective, while oversimplifying the counter arguments. The sources justifying their position may be carefully selected to be superior than the counter-sources they are presenting. These are often mistaken for being objective sources of information.
Four stars
Peer reviewed science or well-sourced and mostly unbiased research document. This is often a document backed by extensive research and studies, with many high-quality sources, which carefully and honestly consider all alternate points of view. Nevertheless, this could still be incorrect as research can be subject to confirmation bias, sampling bias, and countless other form of study biases which can generate incorrect conclusions.
Five stars
Statistics, video evidence or direct quotations; all with correct context. In such cases, the statistics must be presented with all other relevant details that could influence the data. It is not sufficient to simply provide an accurate data point with a quality sample size, the data point must be qualified with explanatory details or supplementary statistics. A singular statistic, while accurate, may suggest an incorrect conclusion. Video evidence must be clear, complete and unedited. Direct quotations must provide the entire context of the statements, no matter the extent or length of the context.
Statement of Opinion
Sometimes, Truza is unable to apply a rating if the argument cannot be proven. In such cases, Truza will provide the correct context of the opinion rather than applying a rating. This is often applied to situations where an individual may accuse another, and the accusation is denied, and there is no proof for either position. This may also apply to an individual stating an opinion or belief.