Methodology

Content is annotated at the item level (article, post, video) along seven independent layers — faceted annotation instead of a single flat label. The verifiable (veracity) is separated from the inferred (intent). Every taxonomy value has a citable academic source; this page is generated directly from the canonical JSON Schema (v0.2) and codebook (v0.3), so it cannot drift away from the research canon.

The canonical wording of the schema and codebook is Slovak; the English descriptions and value definitions below are translations kept in sync with the canon by an automated drift guard.

L0Provenance and metadata

Filled in by the collection pipeline, not by the annotator.

fieldtypevalues
item_idtextfree text / structured
urltextfree text / structured
archive_urltextfree text / structured
platformsingle choice
  • facebook
  • x
  • telegram
  • youtube
  • web
  • ine
media_typesingle choice
  • text
  • image
  • video
  • audio
  • multimodal
source_id

pseudonymised (hashed) for ordinary users

textfree text / structured
published_attextfree text / structured
collected_attextfree text / structured
language_varietysingle choice
  • sk
  • cz
  • sk-dialect
  • mixed
  • ine
reach_snapshotobjectfree text / structured

L1Veracity / type of information disorder

Wardle & Derakhshan (2017): Information Disorder. Council of Europe.

fieldtypevalues
disorder_type

disinformation requires falsity (L1) AND an indicator of intent/harm (L5/L6); without it, misinformation.

single choice
  • disinformation
  • misinformation
  • malinformation
  • not_applicable
veracity

If a claim cannot be verified from the text alone, use 'unverifiable' with low confidence. Never infer falsity from disagreement.

single choice
  • true
  • mostly_true
  • misleading
  • false
  • fabricated
  • unverifiable
  • opinion_not_factual
content_type

Wardle's 7 types + not_applicable (ADR-028: the counterpart of disorder_type=not_applicable).

single choice
  • satire_parody
  • false_connection
  • misleading_content
  • false_context
  • imposter_content
  • manipulated_content
  • fabricated_content
  • not_applicable
check_worthy

Does it contain a verifiable factual claim? (filters out pure opinion)

yes/nofree text / structured

L2Narrative and framing

EUvsDisinfo (EEAS) — 6 macro-narratives · Card et al. (2015): Media Frames Corpus — 14 frames.

fieldtypevalues
meta_narrative

The six EUvsDisinfo macro-templates. Empty if none fits.

multi-label
  • elites_vs_peopleElites vs. the people — corrupt “elites” detached from “ordinary people”; secret elites; electoral fraud
  • threatened_valuesThreatened values — the decadent West; traditional values under attack from liberalism/LGBTI/feminism; Russia as the guardian of decency
  • lost_sovereigntyLost sovereignty — countries are no longer “truly sovereign”; ruled by the USA/Brussels; the “colour revolutions” trope
  • imminent_collapseImminent collapse — the West/EU/Ukraine will soon collapse economically/politically/morally
  • hahagandaHahaganda — ridicule used to discredit both the target and democracy itself
  • nazism_accusationsNazism accusations — labelling opponents (especially Ukraine) as “Nazis/fascists”
frame

Card et al. 2015 — the 14 MFC frames.

multi-label
  • Economic
  • Capacity_and_resources
  • Morality
  • Fairness_and_equality
  • Legality_Constitutionality
  • Policy_prescription
  • Crime_and_punishment
  • Security_and_defense
  • Health_and_safety
  • Quality_of_life
  • Cultural_identity
  • Public_opinion
  • Political
  • External_regulation_and_reputation
primary_topic

Slovak-localised seed set + emergent codes (other).

multi-label
  • war_ukraineWar in Ukraine — the West/Ukraine is to blame; “the war began in 2014 in Donbas”; Ukraine = a fascist state; “Russophobia” — nazism_accusations, lost_sovereignty
  • anti_natoAgainst NATO — NATO is aggressive and drags us into war; a US instrument; enlargement = betrayal of Russia — lost_sovereignty, imminent_collapse
  • anti_euAgainst the EU — the “Brussels diktat”; nonsensical regulations; the EU run from Washington — lost_sovereignty, elites_vs_people
  • sanctions_energy_economySanctions / energy — sanctions hurt Europe more than Russia; expensive energy — imminent_collapse
  • sovereignty_foreign_policySovereignty / foreign policy — integration made Slovakia a “servant of foreign interests” — lost_sovereignty
  • traditional_valuesTraditional values — Russia as the “big brother” and protector of tradition — threatened_values
  • gender_lgbtiGender / LGBTI — “gender ideology”; a threat to the family — threatened_values
  • migrationMigration — migrants as a threat to identity and values — threatened_values
  • health_antivax_covidHealth / antivax / COVID — the “infodemic”; bio-laboratories; vaccine conspiracies — elites_vs_people
  • elections_delegitimizationDelegitimisation of elections — electoral fraud; questioning the results — elites_vs_people, hahaganda
  • distrust_institutionsDistrust of institutions — distrust of the state/police (e.g. after the 2024 assassination attempt on Fico) — elites_vs_people
  • anti_mediaAgainst the media — scepticism towards independent media; “the mainstream lies” — elites_vs_people, hahaganda
  • anti_americanismAnti-Americanism — the USA as the real hegemon/aggressor — lost_sovereignty
  • globalist_elite_conspiracyGlobalist conspiracy — Soros; the “Great Reset”; secret elites — elites_vs_people
  • other
sub_narrativetextfree text / structured
narrative_summary

One sentence in the annotator's own words.

textfree text / structured
euvsdisinfo_xwalktextfree text / structured

L3Manipulation techniques

SemEval-2023 Task 3 (Piskorski et al., 2023) — 23 persuasion techniques · Da San Martino et al. (2019).

fieldtypevalues
techniques

Empty if no technique is present.

multi-label
  • Name_Calling-LabelingName Calling / Labeling — labelling the object with a term the audience hates or adores — Name-calling, Labeling, Demonizing the enemy, Stereotyping
  • DoubtDoubt — questioning the credibility of a person/institution without evidence — (part of FUD)
  • Guilt_by_AssociationGuilt by Association — discrediting through association with a hated person/group — Guilt by association
  • Appeal_to_HypocrisyAppeal to Hypocrisy — “you did it too” — attacking the opponent's consistency — (absent in DIMARL)
  • Questioning_the_ReputationQuestioning the Reputation — attacking reputation/credentials rather than the argument — Smears, Ad hominem, False accusations
  • Appeal_to_AuthorityAppeal to Authority — the claim is true because an authority says so — Appeal to authority, Testimonial, Third party technique
  • Appeal_to_PopularityAppeal to Popularity — “everyone does it” / the majority supports it — Bandwagon
  • Appeal_to_ValuesAppeal to Values — an appeal to shared values (freedom, homeland…) — Glittering generalities, Virtue words
  • Appeal_to_Fear-PrejudiceAppeal to Fear / Prejudice — evoking fear/prejudice instead of an argument — Appeal to fear, Appeal to prejudice
  • Flag_WavingFlag Waving — an appeal to patriotism / group identity — Flag-waving
  • Straw_ManStraw Man — distorting the opponent's position into an easier target — Straw man
  • Red_HerringRed Herring — diverting attention to an irrelevant topic — Red herring
  • WhataboutismWhataboutism — a counter-accusation instead of an answer — Whataboutism
  • Causal_OversimplificationCausal Oversimplification — a single cause for a complex phenomenon — Oversimplification
  • False_Dilemma-No_ChoiceFalse Dilemma / No Choice — only two options, as if no others existed — Black-and-white fallacy
  • Consequential_OversimplificationConsequential Oversimplification — “if A, the chain B, C, D inevitably follows” (slippery slope) — (absent in DIMARL)
  • SlogansSlogans — a short, punchy catchphrase instead of an argument — Slogans
  • Appeal_to_TimeAppeal to Time — “now or never” — urgency pressure — (absent in DIMARL)
  • Conversation_KillerConversation Killer — a phrase that shuts down the discussion — Thought-terminating cliché
  • Loaded_LanguageLoaded Language — emotionally charged words — Loaded language, Dysphemism, Euphemism
  • RepetitionRepetition — repeating the same message over and over — Repetition / Ad nauseam
  • Exaggeration-MinimisationExaggeration / Minimisation — inflating or downplaying — Exaggeration, Minimisation
  • Obfuscation-Vagueness-ConfusionObfuscation – Vagueness / Confusion — deliberate vagueness/confusion — Obfuscation, Intentional vagueness
  • Scapegoating

L4Actor and behaviour

DISARM Framework (T-codes).

fieldtypevalues
source_type

ADR-028: added mainstream_media (a legitimate/mainstream outlet) and commentator_influencer (an individual commentator/influencer with no political affiliation). Rejected: alternative_media (an evaluative, not a structural category).

single choice
  • state_affiliated
  • known_disinfo_outlet
  • political_actor
  • influencer
  • anonymous
  • suspected_inauthentic
  • ordinary_user
  • mainstream_media
  • commentator_influencer
  • unknown
originsingle choice
  • domestic
  • foreign
  • unknown
coordination_signalssingle choice
  • yes
  • no
  • unknown
disarm_ttp

DISARM T-codes (actor/environment behaviour). Only when behaviour is indicated.

listfree text / structured
linked_entities

Pseudonymised for ordinary users.

listfree text / structured

L5Target and effect

Nimmo (2015): 4D — dismiss, distort, distract, dismay · DISARM.

fieldtypevalues
target_entitysingle choice
  • institution
  • EU
  • NATO
  • ukraine
  • government
  • specific_person
  • science_experts
  • minority_group
  • election
  • other
intended_effect

Nimmo 4D = DISARM T0075–T0078, + not_applicable (ADR-028). NEVER null: null cannot distinguish 'does not apply' from 'the model did not know'.

single choice
  • dismiss
  • distort
  • distract
  • dismay
  • not_applicable
communicative_functionmulti-label
  • discredit
  • mobilize
  • demobilize
  • monetize
  • polarize
  • emotional_arousal

L6Intent (inferred)

Inferred layer — intent; annotated with low confidence, never the sole basis for classification.

fieldtypevalues
assessed_intent_to_harmsingle choice
  • yes
  • no
  • unknown
intent_confidencesingle choice
  • low
  • medium
  • high
intent_rationaletextfree text / structured

L7Annotation process

Confidence, adjudication, audit trail.

fieldtypevalues
annotator_id

e.g. 'A1', 'A2' or 'model:claude-...'

textfree text / structured
annotated_attextfree text / structured
field_confidence

Map of field -> confidence for the key fields (at least L1.veracity, L3, L5, L6).

objectfree text / structured
notestextfree text / structured
adjudication_statussingle choice
  • pending
  • resolved
gold_labelyes/nofree text / structured

Reliability measurement

The gold corpus is built by independent annotation (coders cannot see each other's answers; a submitted annotation is immutable). Reliability is measured with Krippendorff's α per layer and per label; inter-annotator agreement forms the empirical ceiling against which the AI classifier is evaluated — not an arbitrary fixed percentage.