Provenance research guide · template
Artwork provenance record template
A reusable structure for object identity, ownership events, citations, contradictions, rights, and research decisions.
Create a stable object header
Begin with a research identifier that does not depend on a current owner or title. Capture normalized and verbatim titles, maker assertions, physical characteristics, identifiers, and the exact source of every field.
Begin with a research identifier that does not depend on a current owner or title. Capture normalized and verbatim titles, maker assertions, physical characteristics, identifiers, and the exact source of every field. Use a source ledger and claim identifiers so another researcher can reproduce the decision, challenge an assumption, and distinguish evidence from interpretation.
Use event rows instead of prose alone
Give every event an event ID, date range, actors, roles, place, source IDs, quotation, certainty, and open questions. This prevents a smooth paragraph from hiding unsupported transitions.
Give every event an event ID, date range, actors, roles, place, source IDs, quotation, certainty, and open questions. This prevents a smooth paragraph from hiding unsupported transitions. Use a source ledger and claim identifiers so another researcher can reproduce the decision, challenge an assumption, and distinguish evidence from interpretation.
Keep claims and sources many-to-many
One source can support several claims, and one claim may require several sources. Maintain separate claim and source ledgers linked by IDs so corrections do not erase the original evidence trail.
One source can support several claims, and one claim may require several sources. Maintain separate claim and source ledgers linked by IDs so corrections do not erase the original evidence trail. Use a source ledger and claim identifiers so another researcher can reproduce the decision, challenge an assumption, and distinguish evidence from interpretation.
Record the boundary of the evidence
End the research record by separating documented facts, supported interpretations, unresolved questions, and disconfirmed leads. A gap is not proof of wrongdoing, and a repeated statement is not independent corroboration when every repetition traces back to the same source.
Retain the source URL or call number, access date, quoted passage, page or image reference, and a file hash when a stable local copy is permitted. This makes the conclusion reproducible and makes later correction possible without rewriting the history of the research.