Word for presenting facts, but also being at pains to not infer anything beyond those facts
"They only stated heavily ???? facts"
They were careful to only state facts and were even at pains to explicitly clarify that those facts did not imply other things that people might usually infer. AKA, they were scared of getting sued.
Closest I can think of is 'clarified' or 'tempered' but I think there must be better.
Solution 1:
The simple basic statement “They stated facts” is qualified by the adverbs only and heavily (which adds a note of emphasis).
The restriction of the implications of the facts or of the inferences to be drawn from them is mainly achieved by the use of only rather than by the choice of adjective for facts.
The choice of adjective must therefore at least be consistent with, and perhaps reinforce, that restriction. Among others, I consequently suggest adjectives such as proven, plain, incontrovertible, bare.
unembellished: lacking embellishment or elaboration (as with decorative elements or fanciful details) : not embellished. "a plain, unembellished room", " unembellished facts"
incontrovertible: not open to question : indisputable
plain: : lacking ornament, undecorated, free of extraneous matter, pure
bare: having nothing left over or added
Merriam Webster
These adjectives are consistent with the facts’ being unembellished, not misleading, legally demonstrable, uncoloured by subjectivity. This adds to the similar implications of only.
Solution 2:
- They stated the unadorned truth.
unadorned [adjective]
- Without addition, decoration, or qualification:
bald, bare, dry, plain, simple, [plain and simple,] unvarnished.
[The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus]
- We do not expect him to portray the world creatively, but to tell us the unadorned truth about things as they really are.
[HelloEnglish.com]