Juncture Policy research methodology is designed to produce institutional intelligence that is accurate, independent, and actionable. This page describes how we select topics, conduct research, source claims, develop analytical frameworks, and verify factual assertions.
Topic Selection
We select topics using a structured 7-dimension score, applied consistently across potential areas of inquiry. Each candidate topic is evaluated against:
- Institutional significance: Does the topic affect major institutions or governance arrangements in economic security, development finance, or geoeconomic competition?
- Decision-maker relevance: Is there an identifiable audience of policy or institutional decision-makers who need to understand this issue?
- Analytical gap: Is there a genuine gap in existing institutional analysis that Juncture Policy can address?
- Source availability: Are sufficient primary and institutional sources accessible to support rigorous analysis?
- Timeliness: Is the topic actionable within a defined policy window or institutional decision cycle?
- Framework applicability: Can one or more Juncture Policy analytical frameworks be applied to generate insight?
- Mission alignment: Does the topic fall within Juncture Policy’s core mission of institutional analysis for economic security?
The final gate for topic selection is a decision-maker test: would a senior policy official or institutional leader pay attention to this analysis? If the answer is no, the topic is not selected, regardless of its score.
Source Hierarchy
Juncture Policy operates a three-tier source hierarchy. Every factual claim in published work must be traceable through this hierarchy.
Tier 1: Primary Sources
Official documents, legal instruments, financial statements, treaty texts, institutional by-laws, official meeting records, and on-the-record interviews with named officials. Primary sources are the preferred basis for all factual assertions.
Tier 2: Institutional Sources
Reports and data published by multilateral institutions, government agencies, central banks, and recognized international organizations. These carry institutional authority but may reflect institutional interests.
Tier 3: Secondary Analysis
Academic literature, think-tank reports, specialist journalism, and expert commentary. Tier 3 sources provide context and interpretive frameworks but are not treated as authoritative for factual claims.
When a claim relies on Tier 2 or Tier 3 sources, the analysis must disclose the sourcing tier and any known limitations or institutional biases.
Framework Development
Juncture Policy frameworks are not static templates. They are developed iteratively through:
- Derivation: Each framework begins with a diagnostic question drawn from observed institutional challenges.
- Testing: Frameworks are tested against specific institutional cases, with results documented and reviewed.
- Refinement: Where a framework fails to generate insight or produces inconsistent results, it is revised or re-scoped.
- Tier classification: Frameworks that have been applied across multiple institutional contexts with consistent results are classified as Tier-1. Frameworks still under development or with limited application are classified as Tier-2.
New frameworks are introduced in flagship briefs, where readers can see the framework applied to a specific problem before it appears as a standalone methodological tool.
Fact Standards
Every factual assertion in Juncture Policy published analysis must meet three standards:
- Attribution: Each factual claim must be traceable to a specific source within the three-tier hierarchy.
- Verification: Critical factual claims must be corroborated by at least one additional source, preferably from a different tier.
- Currency: Sources must be evaluated for recency, and claims must reflect the most current available information at the time of publication.
Where sources conflict, the analysis must acknowledge the conflict and explain the basis for the stated position.
Independence
Juncture Policy is an independent research initiative. It has no institutional affiliation, receives no government funding, and accepts no funding from entities whose interests it analyzes. All analytical conclusions are the product of independent judgment. No external party has editorial control or pre-publication review authority over Juncture Policy content.
Contact
For questions about methodology, research standards, or source attribution, contact info@juncturepolicy.org.