How to research and fact-check your petition for maximum impact

If you’re thinking about or ready to start a petition, there’s an important reason or cause you really care about. To help make the change you want to see, it’s essential that you present a strong case and support your arguments and claims. 

Dedicating the time and effort to research the background information and latest developments of your issue will ensure you fully understand it and can reliably communicate it to others. Detailed petitions with relevant facts, news, and insights will help earn the trust of potential supporters, resulting in more signatures and progress towards your goals. 

In this guide, learn more about the importance of researched and verified petitions and how to create them. 

Why is it important to research and fact-check your petition?

According to our own research, 43% of 2,000 people surveyed in the U.S. and UK say a well-researched and fact-checked petition would encourage them to sign one. This is because they can trust that the information is correct and legitimate and feel confident about adding their name as a supporter.

Doing thorough research is crucial to being more knowledgeable about your cause and speaking about it with authority. It will help you understand the full scope and different perspectives on the issue. 

Strengthening your petition with accurate data, statistics, first-hand experiences of people affected by the issue, and any news or media coverage demonstrates its real world impact. It provides context, examples, and proof of the challenges you’re spotlighting for people to understand and relate to.

Furthermore, any content that you share that’s not credible and legitimate can have dangerous repercussions. For one example, the false claims spread by Donald Trump and JD Vance that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio were killing and eating pets stoked fear in the community and led to multiple bomb threats.

Not only are verified petitions trustworthy and influential, but they’re also a requirement under our Community Guidelines to maintain a safe and honest platform. Content that’s false or misleading, unsubstantiated, deceptive, or defamatory will be removed.

How to create a well-researched and accurate petition

You’ve reached the point where you’re ready to create a petition for a concern or circumstance you want resolved. Here’s your chance to put forth your best effort to gain trust and support, and make a real impact. 

Go into the process with a journalistic mindset. Explain your stance and perspective on the issue, but use facts and research to back up your argument. Follow these guidelines to develop a petition that’s bolstered by compelling data, examples, and stories that will resonate with your audience.

Use credible sources to research and cite 

When researching your issue, make sure your sources are legit. Seek out authoritative, reputable outlets like major newspapers, government reports, academic journals, and research agencies. 

If your cause is related to a specific field, find the publications related to that specialty. For example, if you’re researching a healthcare topic, search journals like New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of the American Medical Association, The Lancet, and American Psychological Association journals. If you’re researching an environmental topic, credible resources include the World Resources Institute, the United Nations Environment Programme, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 

Some general resources to find research on a variety of topics include Google Scholar, Pew Research, Brookings, and Gallup. If you’re unsure about the accuracy or integrity of a piece of research, search fact-checking and debunking resources like Snopes, FactCheck.org, Politifact, and The Washington Post Fact Checker. 

Lastly, be mindful of your own biases. Make sure you’re selecting sources that present balanced perspectives rather than just those that reinforce your personal viewpoint.

Evaluate the content of the source

When you’ve found an article, study, report, or other type of content, take a critical look at the details to ensure reliability. Here are some best practices to verify the source:

• Research the author: Check if they’ve written other credible articles and look into their professional background on platforms like LinkedIn. This helps verify their expertise on the subject. 
• Read the entire piece, not just the title or headline: Avoid drawing conclusions from a potentially misleading or sensationalized title. Read everything to ensure all of the info, data, and claims make sense, are credible, and relevant. 
• Make sure the source isn’t satire or a parody: Confirm that the source is non-fiction and not meant for entertainment purposes. For example, the Shouts & Murmurs section of the New Yorker comes from a respected magazine that covers news and events, but it features humor and parody content. 
• Always check the publication date: Ensure that you have the latest information on your subject so the info in your petition isn’t outdated or no longer relevant.

Take notes as you research

As you gather information for your petition, take detailed notes to stay organized and so your research is readily accessible when it’s time to create your petition. Whenever you find a relevant statistic, strong datapoint, or compelling piece of information, document it immediately. 

You can add it to a Google or Word document where you’ll write your petition, a spreadsheet, or note taking app of your choice. Include key details like the source, the link, author, publication date, and a brief explanation of how you plan to use it in your petition. This will make it easier to craft a well-researched argument later on.

Share first-hand experiences and stories

Real-world examples of how the issue you’re addressing has affected you, other people, places, or animals will show its real and direct impact. If you have a personal attachment to the issue, a relevant experience, or know of someone who has, share those stories. 

When quoting someone you’ve spoken to, or referencing conversations you’ve had with them, make sure you have permission and you attribute any direct quotes or insights to them. If you’re creating a petition for someone on their behalf, like you’re advocating for clemency for an incarcerated person, verify all of your information is correct.

Use research findings to frame and develop your petition content

Now that you’ve collected and verified your research and any insights from interviews or conversations with other people, you’re ready to implement them into your petition. When writing your petition, back up any claims you make with the specific research that supports it. When citing a source, add the link to the content if available, or include where it came from. 

Infuse your personal experiences or those of others throughout the petition, or you may want to start your petition with how it relates to you, someone else, or a community in general.

Examples of well-researched petitions on Change.org

These petitions on Change.org show how to integrate credible research and personal stories into petitions in an impactful way.

Stop Trinseo PLC from poisoning our drinking water

This petition, started in 2023, appeals to Senator Steve Santarsiero, demanding that the Rohm and Haas Plant stop releasing dangerous chemicals into Philadelphia waterways, compromising the community’s drinking water. 

The petition starter explains how a spill that prompted them to create the petition affected them and the community directly. They uses specific figures of how many gallons of chemicals were spilled and which types. They cite and links to a NBC article about a previous fire at the company that exposed the community to toxic chemicals to demonstrate an ongoing issue. 

The petition currently has over 50,000 supporters and earned a response from Senator Santarsiero. The senator thanked the supporters for raising awareness and pointed to a press release stating that he called on the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to “to investigate the cause of the spill, impose appropriate penalties, and develop policies to prevent future similar spills.”

Protect safe and accessible abortion

This petition calls for Congress to make mifepristone accessible to anyone who seeks it. The petitioner lays the foundation for their case at the beginning, citing the overturning of Roe vs. Wade, explaining that many abortions are done with FDA-approved medications, and that lawsuits are threatening the availability of those medications.

They cite a relevant statistic from the Guttmacher Institute to support their claim and include a personal story that brings depth, empathy, and relatability to the petition. The petition currently has over 113,000 supporters and counting. 

Dangerous cars are killing our children

This petition calls on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to include pedestrian safety in their vehicle safety rating system. It urges immediate action to protect the people outside of vehicles from larger, heavier cars that are increasingly causing fatal crashes.

The petition opens with its starter’s tragic personal story of their five year old daughter being hit and killed by a vehicle in 2021. They cite data from the NHTSA on how many people were killed in traffic-related accidents that year. They cite other articles from The New York Times and NPR to demonstrate the weight and impact of the problem.

Start your petition on Change.org

Put your research and fact-checking knowledge into action for a cause that matters to you. Learn everything else you need to know about crafting a successful campaign in our how to write a petition guide and start your petition on Change.org.