What Is Factkeeper?

Factkeeper is Open Civic Systems' flagship platform for community-maintained historical archives. Each Chronicle is a structured collection of verified events—built and maintained by volunteer teams who review submissions, verify sources, and curate records.

Think of it as infrastructure for documented history: the tools, workflows, and preservation systems that enable communities to build rigorous archives without needing their own engineering teams.

How it Works

Submit - Anyone can propose an event with supporting sources to initiate a Chronicle.

Review - Chronicle reviewers screen for quality, safety, and relevance.

Curate - Chronicle curators verify sources, add context, link related people and events

Publish - Community verified events become part of the Chronicle's permanent record.

Preserve - Open Civic Systems maintains long-term custody and preservation.

What is a Chronicle?

A Chronicle is a community-managed archive focused on a specific topical domain. Each Chronicle:

  • Defines its own scope and inclusion criteria

  • Recruits and trains its own volunteer team

  • Makes its own editorial decisions about content

  • Operates under Open Civic Systems platform standards

Examples of Chronicles:

  • Civic & Governance | Federal policy changes, state legislation, local government decisions

  • Community & Local | Neighborhood development, planning decisions, local environmental issues

  • Industry | Tech platform governance, healthcare policy, labor movements

  • Regional History | Ojai citrus industry, California light rail development

  • Social Movements | Timelines, policy advocacy, civic engagement

Open Civic Systems Standards

To operate on Factkeeper, Chronicles must commit to Open Civic Systems platform standards:

  • Source-First Documentation - Every event must be anchored to verifiable sources. No claims without citations.

  • Factual Focus - Chronicles document what happened, supported by evidence. Interpretation and analysis are left to those who use the archive.

  • Minimal Bias - Chronicle content should present facts, not advocacy. The goal is a reliable evidentiary record that researchers across perspectives can trust.

  • Editorial Accountability - Each Chronicle maintains trained reviewers and curators who enforce consistent standards.

These are platform requirements. How each Chronicle applies them within their domain is their responsibility.

Learn more about how you can use FactKeeper