2. Transparency and standards for sources used
The answers (verifications) we write for the analyzed statements/promises/changes of mind cite only official sources of data/information, such as:
- official documents published by Romanian state institutions (mayors, ministries, etc.);
- official documents published by EU institutions (European Commission, EUR-Lex, etc.);
- open data sets published by the Romanian state (data.gov.ro);
- official statistics published by the Romanian state (National Institute of Statistics, INS) or by the European Union (Eurostat);
- official information published by international organizations (OECD, Freedom House, WHO, etc.);
- economic information published by national/international banks or other internationally renowned economic organizations (PWC, Statista.com, etc.);
- information/news published by internationally renowned newspapers (The Guardian, Euractiv, Politico), or by local newspapers officially supported by international programs for supporting democracy (Free Europe Romania);
- videos published by Romanian state institutions (Government of Romania etc.), or videos published by television stations that have proven their impartiality in the electoral campaigns/debates organized in the last 2 years (TVR - the public television station in Romania, ProTV News).
For chronological information (such as the career timeline of a civil servant, the evolution timeline of a political party, etc.), we use:
- Wikipedia.ro;
- the website of the Chamber of Deputies within the Romanian Parliament.
We always publish the link to the data/information sources we cite, or explain how a cited document can be found that does not have its own link (in the case of data/information sources that can only be accessed online using a "Download document" button). This is essential so that our readers can verify the data/information sources we cite for themselves.
If we cannot find the primary source for an argument used in an answer (verification) written by us, then we explain why we used a secondary source to support that argument. You can find such a case here.
In the case of key statements (such as spending a very large amount of public money), we use more than one source of data/information in our answers (verifications), see an example here.
If we believe that a data source may disappear in the future, then we also publish a digital copy of that source on our website (in addition to the link to the online version of that source). See an example here (see the first PDF document in the "Sources" list, which shows what huge public debt the commercial company that manages public surface transport in Bucharest had in January 2026).
In addition, the Dignitas website uses its own tool (plugin) that creates an archived version for each link (link) used in the text of the statements and answers. To view the archived version of a link(s) on Dignitas, hover your mouse over a link and you will see a tooltip above the link that says "There is an archived version for this link" and contains the actual link to the archived version.