Collection
Trace where information came from before deciding whether to trust it
Separate provenance, authenticity and factual support so repeated or AI-mediated information can be verified from accountable origins rather than from appearance or citation volume.
10 elements · Explore in any order.
2 checklists · 1 concept · 2 heuristics · 2 principles · 3 protocols
10 elements
Do not confuse authentic provenance with factual truth
Knowing exactly who made a statement does not make the statement correct.
Read the idea HeuristicTreat a provenance gap as an unknown, not a verdict
A missing receipt is not automatically evidence of theft.
Read the idea ChecklistPreserve the transformation chain with the artifact
The final file is easier to trust when its journey did not disappear on the way.
Read the idea ProtocolBind the verification to the exact artifact reviewed
'I checked the file' is incomplete when the file can become a different file tomorrow.
Read the idea PrincipleVerify each ingredient at the level the evidence allows
One trustworthy layer does not retroactively authenticate every ingredient inside it.
Read the idea ProtocolTrace the claim to an accountable origin before counting citations
Ten echoes can still have one source.
Read the idea HeuristicWeight evidence by traceability, not popularity
Popularity is a retrieval signal, not a reliability model.
Read the idea ChecklistSeparate creator identity from claim support
A credible author can still make an unsupported sentence.
Read the idea ConceptKeep creation, transformation and claim layers separate
One green badge can hide three different questions.
Read the idea ProtocolCarry data lineage through derived outputs
A number without lineage is difficult to debug once it becomes important.
Read the idea