From sources to accountable claims

A source may describe an instrument at a particular time, use a historical name, or disagree with another account. The research task is to retain that context while creating useful relationships and views.

Keep sources and assertions distinct#

An attributed source account is evidence that a statement was made. It does not automatically establish that the statement is correct, current or equivalent to another statement. Reconciliation therefore requires explicit decisions and the possibility of leaving a relationship unresolved.

Document the transformation#

Decision records explain interpretative choices. Execution records identify the software, parameters and inputs used in a computational step. Together they make the route to a result inspectable and help distinguish a changed interpretation from a changed processing environment.