Fact, opinion and interpretation are not simply “true, personal and somewhere in between”. They are different kinds of claims with different standards of support. Strong readers identify what kind of claim they are dealing with before deciding how to evaluate it.
Fact claims
A factual claim is presented as verifiable against evidence: “The bridge opened in 2018.” It can be true or false, but its form invites checking against records or observation.
Opinions and value judgments
“The bridge is beautiful” expresses an evaluation. Evidence can explain or support the judgment, but there is no simple record that mechanically proves beauty in the same way a record can verify an opening date.
Interpretations
An interpretation explains what evidence means: “The unusually low turnout suggests that residents were unconvinced by the proposal.” The turnout may be factual; what it indicates requires reasoning and may compete with other explanations.
Mixed sentences
One sentence can contain several claim types: “Only 30 people attended the consultation, a disappointing turnout that showed the organisers had failed to engage the community.” “30 people attended” is factual if records support it. “Disappointing” is evaluative. “Showed the organisers had failed” is an interpretation that needs further evidence.
Opinions can be better or worse supported
Calling something an opinion does not make all opinions equally strong. A judgment based on relevant criteria and evidence is more defensible than one based on misunderstanding or invented facts.
Facts still require source evaluation
A sentence written in factual form is not automatically true. “Nine out of ten residents support the plan” is a factual claim that should be checked for source, method and sample quality.
Interpretation needs alternatives
When interpreting behaviour or data, ask what else could explain the evidence. If several explanations remain plausible, use calibrated language such as “may suggest” rather than presenting one interpretation as certain.
Practice
“The school introduced a later start time in January. Attendance improved by two percentage points during the following term. The change was clearly a wise decision.” The first two sentences contain factual claims that can be checked. The final sentence is an evaluation. Claiming that the schedule caused the attendance increase would be an interpretation requiring additional evidence.
Classification audit
- Can this claim be directly verified?
- Does it contain a value judgment?
- Is it explaining what evidence means?
- What evidence would strengthen or weaken it?
- What alternative interpretation remains possible?
Continue the evidence-literacy route
Continue with Charts and Infographics, Misleading Statistics, and Evidence, Inference and Assumption.