Source and Vendor Evaluation Worksheet

Use this page in editorial meetings, analytics reviews, vendor calls, and campaign readouts when a source or report is asking for more confidence than the evidence may support.

The worksheet turns a broad claim into a few inspectable pieces: the source trail, denominator, comparison class, causal design, uncertainty, and the fact that would most change the decision.

1. Claim setup

Claim, result, or frame being evaluated

Decision this claim is being used to support

Source, report, dashboard, or vendor

Review date and owner

2. Evidence trail

Closest inspectable source

Most important missing source or document

Denominator, base rate, or starting level

Comparison class the reader or buyer should use

Source type

Primary record, raw table, direct transcript, or full methodology Method-bearing analysis with definitions and limits Interested-party statement, sales deck, or self-reported result Secondhand summary, excerpt, reaction, or dashboard screenshot

4. Measurement review

Estimand or outcome being claimed

Counterfactual or control group

Assignment, matching, or model controls

Outcome window, leakage checks, and uncertainty

5. Decision standard

Green: evidence is inspectable and the claim stays within its support. Yellow: evidence is useful, but denominator, comparison, independence, or uncertainty is incomplete. Red: the frame or vendor conclusion outruns the public evidence or measurement design.

What can be repeated as stated?

What must be caveated or held back?

Single fact or test that would most change confidence

Next action before publishing, sharing, or changing budget

How to use the result

A green score does not mean the claim is permanently settled. It means the current wording is proportional to the current evidence. A yellow score means the claim may still be useful if the missing piece is named. A red score means the claim should be rewritten, delayed, or treated as a lead for further checking.

Source and vendor evaluation worksheet