Skip to main content
Every country’s responses pass through four stages before publication. The numbers in the diagram match the steps below; each step names who is responsible.
The research process: Stage 1 select Regional Partners (steps 1–2), Stage 2 select local experts (steps 3–4), Stage 3 investigate and respond (steps 5–6), Stage 4 review and verify (steps 7–8), then publish.
Stage 1

​
Select Regional Partners

1. Call for Regional Partners DTL staff
  • Open call within the CITW network.
  • Targeted call for potential applicants.
2. Select eligible and qualified Regional Partners DTL staff CITW Advisory Board
  • Check the eligibility requirements for Regional Partner applicants.
  • Review applicants’ work and research experience in China studies to make the final selection.
  • Provide methodological training for Regional Partners.
Stage 2

​
Select local experts

3. Submit local expert list Regional Partner
  • Regional Partners identify qualified and trustworthy local experts within a country.
4. Select eligible local experts DTL staffStage 3

​
Investigate and respond to Indicators

5. Respond to factual Indicators Local expert
  • Local experts observe PRC influence based on presence, significance and scale (see the grading system).
6. Provide supporting evidence Local expertStage 4

​
Review and verify

7. Review and verify responses Reviewer Local expert
  • Initial responses from local experts are reviewed by at least one reviewer. In case of disagreement, the Regional Partner reconciles the variance.
8. Check data completeness DTL staff
  • DTL checks the completeness of the responses, for example URL validity and supporting evidence.
  • If data is incomplete, feedback and modification are required before the response moves on.
Finish

​
Publish

In addition to the final Indicator responses, the names of Regional Partners, local experts (respondents) and reviewers are shown on china-index.io unless they wish to remain anonymous. For safety reasons, local experts may choose not to reveal their identity or their association with this project.
Further safeguards against bias, such as the limit on skipped Indicators and the minimum number of experts in politically constrained countries, are set out in Reducing the impact of bias.