Receipts Stubs (Backlog)
Writing | playbook | Updated 2026-02-26
Tags
writing, receipts, research, evidence
Use this when you want to make a factual claim but you don’t have the source ready. This is how you avoid “confident but wrong.”
Template
Topic:
Claim (draft):
Why it matters (1 sentence): (tie to squeeze / dignity / shared reality)
What would verify it: (primary doc, audit, dataset, reputable reporting)
Best sources to check:
What I found (notes):
Status: unknown / plausible / confirmed
If confirmed, how I’ll phrase it: (plain language, cautious)
Link(s):
Tips
- Prefer primary sources, audits, official data, and court records.
- If sources disagree, say so.
- If you can’t verify quickly, don’t “fill in the blank” with vibes.
Example stub titles (placeholders)
- “Housing permits: average time to approve in [city]”
- “Healthcare denial rates: what’s known vs claimed”
- “Market concentration in [industry] and price effects”
- “Local budget: what changed and who it impacts”