Facts cannot be about the future, because we cannot verify something that has not yet happened. Inferences are statements about the unknown, made on the basis of the known. Inferences can be about the future or the past. A statement about what caused the massive savings and loans failures a few years ago is an inference, based on reports of various factors that appear to have led to this financial disaster. Judgments cannot be verified.
Judgments are expressions of approval or disapproval.
We can draw inferences about whether X is better than other software if we have agreed upon criteria to measure its performance. If we have not established and agreed upon such criteria, then we are making a personal judgment about software X. Implications for Interviews To qualify as a fact, a piece of information has to be verified. To evaluate a judgment, the qualifications and degree of objectivity of the person making the judgment should be assessed. Hence, it is important to identify which information in an interview are facts, which are inferences, and which are judgments. Use of corroborating evidence helps us to determine the reliability of what we have been told in an interview.