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User Needs

Version 1.1 by Robert Schaub on 2025/12/19 08:55

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:

  1. 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