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Methodology

Authority comes from visible method, not confident prose.

Every Map is built to separate confirmed facts from synthesis and scenarios. The template is deliberately constrained so readers can audit what changed, what is sourced, and where uncertainty remains.

Who

Pages are published under one organizational standard: Compute Statecraft. The method is public so the rules do not change from page to page.

How

Sources are classified, claims get provenance labels, narratives are forced into supports and contradictions, and changes are logged instead of hidden.

Why

The objective is faster orientation for researchers, operators, and policy readers who need the evidence chain, not a confidence performance.

1

Capture the claim

A candidate claim enters the system only when it can be attached to a source, actor, policy action, market signal, or observable event.

2

Classify the evidence

Sources are grouped as primary, secondary, or social. Primary material carries the most weight; social material is usually treated as an object of analysis.

3

Assign provenance

SOURCED means direct support. INFERRED means synthesis from listed sources. SPECULATIVE means a forward-looking hypothesis that must not be read as confirmed.

4

Map the narratives

Each narrative gets support, contradiction, context, weak points, and trajectory. This keeps disagreement structured instead of rhetorical.

5

Update the record

New source material should update the canonical Map and changelog before creating another thin page on the same story.

Before publication

  • Confirm the page belongs inside the declared coverage boundary.
  • Prefer primary documents before leaning on analysis or commentary.
  • Keep inference explicit and connected to listed citations.
  • Update an existing Map when the story already has a canonical page.

Automation rule

Automation may help with collection, formatting, or drafting, but it does not override provenance. If a claim cannot be tied to a cited source or justified inference, it does not belong on the page.

Material use of automation should be disclosed in the product context that matters, and automation itself is never treated as evidence.

Correction and update rule

When a source contradicts a claim, the preferred path is to update the existing Map, change the provenance label if needed, and record the change in the changelog. Silent rewrites weaken trust, so visible revision history is part of the product.