User Needs
User Needs
This page defines user needs that drive FactHarbor's requirements and design decisions.
Template: As a <specific user role>, I want to <action/goal>, so that I can <benefit/outcome>
Purpose: User needs inform functional requirements (FR) and non-functional requirements (NFR). Each need maps to one or more requirements that fulfill it.
1. Core Reading & Discovery
UN-1: Trust Assessment at a Glance
As an article reader (any content type),
I want to see a trust score and overall verdict summary at a glance,
so that I can quickly decide if the content is worth my time to read in detail.
Maps to: FR7 (Automated Verdicts), NFR3 (Transparency)
UN-2: Claim Extraction and Verification
As an article reader,
I want to see the key factual claims extracted from content with verification verdicts (likelihood ranges + uncertainty ratings) for each relevant scenario,
so that I can distinguish proven facts from speculation and understand context-dependent truth.
Maps to: FR1 (Claim Intake), FR4 (Scenario Generation), FR7 (Automated Verdicts)
UN-3: Summary with Verdict Context
As an article reader,
I want to see a concise summary of the article's main claims alongside verdict summaries for each scenario,
so that I can quickly understand both what is claimed and how credible those claims are under different interpretations.
Maps to: FR7 (Automated Verdicts), FR6 (Scenario Comparison)
UN-4: Social Media Fact-Checking
As a social media user,
I want to check claims in posts before sharing,
so that I can avoid spreading misinformation.
Maps to: FR1 (Claim Intake), FR7 (Automated Verdicts), NFR1 (Performance - fast processing)
2. Source Tracing & Credibility
UN-5: Source Provenance and Track Records
As an article reader,
I want to trace each piece of evidence back to its original source and see that source's historical track record,
so that I can assess the reliability of the information chain and learn which sources are consistently trustworthy.
Maps to: FR5 (Evidence Linking), Section 4.1 (Source Requirements - track record system)
UN-6: Publisher Reliability History
As an article reader,
I want to see historical accuracy track records for sources and publishers,
so that I can learn which outlets are consistently reliable over time.
Maps to: Section 4.1 (Source Requirements), Data Model (Source entity with track_record_score)
3. Understanding the Analysis
UN-7: Evidence Transparency
As a skeptical reader,
I want to see the evidence and reasoning behind each verdict,
so that I can judge whether I agree with the assessment and form my own conclusions.
Maps to: FR5 (Evidence Linking), NFR3 (Transparency)
UN-8: Understanding Disagreement and Consensus
As an article reader,
I want to see which scenarios have strong supporting evidence versus which have conflicting evidence or high uncertainty,
so that I can understand where legitimate disagreement exists versus where consensus is clear.
Maps to: FR6 (Scenario Comparison), FR7 (Automated Verdicts - uncertainty factors), AKEL Gate 2 (Contradiction Search)
UN-9: Methodology Transparency
As an article reader,
I want to understand how likelihood ranges and confidence scores are calculated,
so that I can trust the verification process itself.
Maps to: NFR3 (Transparency), Architecture (documented algorithms), AKEL (Quality Gates)
4. Pattern Recognition & Learning
UN-10: Manipulation Tactics Detection
As an article reader,
I want to see common manipulation tactics or logical fallacies identified in content,
so that I can recognize them elsewhere and become a more critical consumer of information.
Maps to: AKEL (Bubble Detection), Section 5 (Automated Risk Scoring)
UN-11: Filtered Research
As a researcher,
I want to filter content by verification status, confidence levels, and source quality,
so that I can work only with reliable information appropriate for my research needs.
Maps to: FR1 (Claim Classification), Section 4.4 (Confidence Scoring), NFR1 (Performance)
5. Taking Action
UN-12: Submit Unchecked Claims
As a reader who finds unchecked claims,
I want to submit them for verification,
so that I can help expand fact-checking coverage and contribute to the knowledge base.
Maps to: FR1 (Claim Intake), Section 1.1 (Reader role)
UN-13: Cite FactHarbor Verdicts
As a content creator,
I want to cite FactHarbor verdicts when sharing content,
so that I can add credibility to what I publish and help my audience distinguish fact from speculation.
Maps to: FR7 (Automated Verdicts), NFR3 (Transparency - exportable data)
6. Professional Use
UN-14: API Access for Integration
As a journalist/researcher,
I want API access to verification data and claim histories,
so that I can integrate fact-checking into my professional workflow without manual lookups.
Maps to: Architecture (REST API), NFR2 (Scalability), FR11 (Audit Trail)
7. Understanding Evolution & Trust Labels
UN-15: Verdict Evolution Timeline
As an article reader,
I want to see how a claim's verdict has evolved over time with clear timestamps,
so that I can understand whether the current assessment is stable or recently changed based on new evidence.
Maps to: FR8 (Time Evolution), Data Model (Versioned entities), NFR3 (Transparency)
UN-16: AI vs. Human Review Status
As an article reader,
I want to know if the verdict was AI-generated, human-reviewed, or expert-validated,
so that I can gauge the appropriate level of trust and understand the review process used.
Maps to: AKEL (Publication Modes), Section 5 (Risk Tiers), Data Model (AuthorType field)
8. User Need → Requirements Mapping Summary
This section provides a consolidated view of how user needs drive system requirements.
8.1 Functional Requirements Coverage
| FR# | Requirement | Fulfills User Needs | |
| - | - | ||
| FR1 | Claim Intake | UN-2, UN-4, UN-12 | |
| FR4 | Scenario Generation | UN-2, UN-3 | |
| FR5 | Evidence Linking | UN-5, UN-7 | |
| FR6 | Scenario Comparison | UN-3, UN-8 | |
| FR7 | Automated Verdicts | UN-1, UN-2, UN-3, UN-4, UN-13 | |
| FR8 | Time Evolution | UN-15 | |
| FR11 | Audit Trail | UN-14, UN-16 |
8.2 Non-Functional Requirements Coverage
| NFR# | Requirement | Fulfills User Needs | |
| - | |||
| NFR1 | Performance | UN-4 (fast fact-checking), UN-11 (responsive filtering) | |
| NFR2 | Scalability | UN-14 (API access at scale) | |
| NFR3 | Transparency | UN-1, UN-7, UN-9, UN-13, UN-15 |
8.3 AKEL System Coverage
| AKEL Component | Fulfills User Needs | |
| Quality Gates | UN-9 (methodology transparency) | |
| Contradiction Search (Gate 2) | UN-8 (understanding disagreement) | |
| Bubble Detection | UN-10 (manipulation tactics) | |
| Publication Modes | UN-16 (AI vs. human review status) | |
| Risk Tiers | UN-16 (appropriate review level) |
8.4 Data Model Coverage
| Entity | Fulfills User Needs | |
| Source (with track_record_score) | UN-5, UN-6 (source reliability) | |
| Scenario | UN-2, UN-3, UN-8 (context-dependent truth) | |
| Verdict (with likelihood_range, uncertainty_factors) | UN-1, UN-2, UN-3, UN-8 (detailed assessment) | |
| Versioned entities | UN-15 (evolution timeline) | |
| AuthorType field | UN-16 (AI vs. human status) |
9. User Need Gaps & Future Considerations
This section identifies user needs that may emerge as the platform matures:
Potential Future Needs:
- Collaborative annotation: Users want to discuss verdicts with others
- Personal tracking: Users want to track claims they're following
- Custom alerts: Users want notifications when tracked claims are updated
- Export capabilities: Users want to export claim analyses for their own documentation
- Comparative analysis: Users want to compare how different fact-checkers rate the same claim
When to address: These needs should be considered when:
- User feedback explicitly requests them
2. Usage metrics show users attempting these workflows
3. Competitive analysis shows these as differentiators
Principle: Start simple (current User Needs), add complexity only when metrics prove necessity.
10. Related Pages
- Requirements - Parent page with roles, rules, and functional requirements
- Architecture - How requirements are implemented
- Data Model - Data structures supporting user needs
- AKEL (AI Knowledge Extraction Layer) - AI system fulfilling automation needs
- Workflows - User interaction workflows