Source-linked means specific
A statement is source-linked when an identifiable source directly supports it, with a date where time matters and enough context to check it. If a source supports only part of a sentence, the sentence is narrowed or split.
Original research, official documentation, public records, standards and first-party disclosures come first. Secondary reporting can explain context or point to a primary record but does not replace it. Community discussion is labelled as practitioner evidence.
The research cycle
- Frame the question: subject, period, comparison class and what decision it informs.
- Collect: keep publisher, URL, title, publication and access dates; keep discovery sources apart from evidence.
- Check support: confirm the fact is actually in the source and that versions or settings are comparable.
- Corroborate: seek independent evidence for consequential or disputed claims and show conflicts rather than averaging them.
- Publish with dates: state what the evidence does not establish and expose transformations.
- Revise in the open: correct errors, update stale claims and keep revision dates.
Computation
Computational work records the model, dataset, assumptions, software version and evaluation setting. A simulation is reported as a simulation, a prediction as a prediction and a preprint as a preprint.
Reference standards
- Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Intelligence Community Directive 203, Analytic Standards.
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, AI Risk Management Framework.
- World Wide Web Consortium, Privacy Principles: data minimization.
Revised 25 October 2026. Questions and corrections: [email protected]