Finding Credible Data

Elwood Folse | WUWF 88.1 | Week 5

This week at 88.1 WUWF, I’ve been diving deeper into the research process for a podcast project with Terry Strickland. My focus has been on sorting through quotes, leads, interviews, and data—separating the credible from the questionable.

To help with this, we've been using an organizational tool called Coda. It allows us to structure everything we’ve gathered into categorized Excel-style columns with specific evaluation scales. Each piece of information is rated on a scale of 1 to 5 in several key areas: How relevant is it to our research? Is it credible? Is it biased? Is it first- or second-hand information?

Once rated, I label and title each item and note the location referenced in the data. This system helps bring the most useful, trustworthy information to the forefront—essential for producing a well-researched and accurate podcast.

Our goal isn’t to prove whether the rumored tunnels actually exist. Instead, we’re exploring where these oral stories came from, why they’ve persisted over time, and what they reveal about the communities sharing them. By grounding our work in credible sources, we can better understand the roots and impact of these local legends.