Protocol 0.3

Source Reliability Attribute Framework

There is no fixed source hierarchy in this book. Reliability is assessed per source-proposition pair using these attributes.

Attributes

·contemporaneity
·generation mode (mechanical vs. human-authored)
·primacy (original vs. derivative; name each derivation layer)
·authentication status
·chain/data integrity
·interpretation layers (raw observation vs. characterization)
·perception opportunity as documented
·incentive/role relative to this proposition
·corroboration topology (independent vs. circular — sources repeating one origin are one source)
·completeness (full record vs. selected excerpt, and who selected)

Conflict handling

When sources conflict, print the attribute comparison; where attributes do not decide it, output UNRESOLVED with both versions. An honest tie is a permitted result.

Presumptive tiebreak

A presumptive tiebreak (contemporaneous-mechanical > contemporaneous-human > near-contemporaneous-human > reconstructed narrative > derivative) may be used only as last resort and must be labeled presumptive.

Per proposition rule

Remember the per-proposition rule: a police report is strong evidence of what the officer claimed and when, even where it is weak evidence of what happened.