Methodology

The The Truth about Dogs Repository is editorially curated. We don't just collect sources — we tier them, label what's contested, and link to the critique. Here's how.

Source types

Peer-reviewed studies — primary or review articles in scientific journals.
Official positions — formal statements from veterinary or behavior bodies (AVSAB, BVA, RSPCA, WSAVA, etc.).
Expert articles — long-form pieces by credentialed behaviorists, vets, or applied scientists.
Books — published works by qualified authors.
Podcasts & video — recorded conversations or talks with credible voices.
Journalism — reporting that links cleanly back to primary research or official positions.

Credibility score (1–5)

A quick at-a-glance signal of how much weight a source should carry. It blends source type, methodological quality, author credentials, and the strength of the underlying evidence. Higher isn't always "more true" — it means more decision-grade.

5 / 5 — strong primary study, replicated, well-designed; or a major cross-organization position.

4 / 5 — solid single study, official body position, or expert synthesis grounded in evidence.

3 / 5 — credible explainer, well-sourced article, or accessible synthesis.

1–2 / 5 — context only; included when it helps people understand the conversation, never as proof.

Contested evidence

Hiding inconvenient studies would be activism. When a source is significant but disputed, it gets a Disputed badge, a short note explaining the dispute, and a link to the peer-reviewed critique. You can decide.

Editorial red lines

No charismatic-source privilege. A famous trainer's audience size does not raise evidence quality.
No "gotcha" clips as evidence. Short social clips can be context, not proof.
No uncited welfare claims. Claims that a tool is harmless, necessary, or more humane carry the burden of evidence.
Critique methods, not people. We don't label individual trainers as abusive or fraudulent.

What's out of scope (for now)

We haven't built a jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction law tracker, a community submissions queue, or claim-level synthesis pages yet. They're on the roadmap as the archive grows.