Research Transparency
Institutional trust requires transparency. This page documents WIL's methodologies, data sources, update frequencies, research standards, confidence framework, and publication review process.
Methodologies
WIL's five research domains are documented in the Methodology Registry with the research question, inputs, assumptions, testing record, limitations, lifecycle, and version history. Validation is accumulating evidence, not a permanent certification.
Data sources
WIL research draws exclusively from primary public sources and curated activity trackers. The Dataset Registry catalogs each dataset with coverage, geography, refresh frequency, and data dictionaries.
Update frequencies
| Source | Frequency | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| BLS OEWS | Annual | Compensation medians · role families |
| BLS QCEW | Quarterly | Construction employment · state markets |
| USAspending | Quarterly | Federal award momentum · obligations |
| Census BPS | Monthly | Building permit authorizations |
| EIA-860M | Quarterly | Planned generation capacity |
| Multi-ATS postings | Monthly snapshot | Hiring demand signals |
| Contractor registries | Quarterly | License supply census |
Research standards
- Directional operational reads — not deterministic forecasts or hiring recommendations
- Banded outputs (High, Elevated, Moderate, Low) rather than point estimates where uncertainty is material
- Source attribution on every publication with methodology version cited
- Versioned methodology revisions with documented change history
- Confidence framing on every publication — see confidence framework below
- No employer rankings, no compensation offers, no recruiting recommendations
Confidence framework
Multiple corroborating sources and a documented testing record, with remaining limitations disclosed.
Primary source available but with known lag, coverage gaps, or single-source dependency.
Directional read from partial data; significant coverage or timeliness constraints.
Experimental methodology or composite under validation; interpret as signal, not finding.
Publication review process
- Draft — An assigned author develops the research record and sources
- Editorial review — A designated reviewer examines clarity, attribution, and evidence boundaries
- Methodology and research review — Methods, assumptions, and support are examined where required
- Publication authorization — The designated publication authority approves release after required gates pass
- Revision — A materially revised future version re-enters the current workflow and retains version history