Methodology
Purpose and scope
Custos Veritas is a public opinion observatory. It aggregates responses from individuals who voluntarily choose to participate. The platform does not represent populations, governments, or institutions, and it does not produce normative judgments or recommendations. Its function is to observe and display expressed opinions in a transparent manner.
Neutrality and framing
Questions are designed using neutral, non-leading language. Emotional loading, moral judgments, and assumptions presented as facts are avoided. Each question is time-bounded and offers multiple graded response options, including "Not sure / No opinion," to reflect uncertainty and variation in perception.
Participation and meaning
Participation is voluntary and open. A response represents an individual opinion at the time of participation. It does not constitute a factual claim, legal assessment, or institutional position. Results are not a decision mechanism and do not imply endorsement of any outcome.
How responses are collected
Participants select a single response option for a given question. Each response is recorded with a timestamp. Reasonable technical measures are applied to reduce automated or repeated submissions, acknowledging that no open online system can fully eliminate abuse. All questions are reviewed internally for neutrality and risk prior to publication.
Data collected
- Selected response option
- Timestamp
- Optional country-level location
- Optional demographic ranges
Data not collected
- Names
- Precise location
- Government-issued identifiers
- Political affiliation
- Contact details (except an optional administrative email for moderation purposes)
Interpretation of results
Results are presented as percentages and absolute counts of responses from participants who chose to take part. They should be interpreted as a snapshot of voluntary participation at a specific point in time, not as a measurement of public opinion in a statistical or representative sense.
Limitations and biases
Open online polling has inherent limitations, including:
- Self-selected participation that is not statistically representative
- Uneven exposure depending on language, region, and internet access
- Sensitivity to current events and temporal context
- The possibility that expressed opinions may change over time
These limitations are intrinsic to the method and are acknowledged explicitly.
Transparency
Methodological assumptions and limitations are stated alongside results. Any changes that materially affect data interpretation are disclosed clearly to users. The platform does not conceal methodological constraints.