Provenance research guide · how-to
How to document gaps in artwork ownership history
Describe provenance gaps accurately, show the searches performed, and avoid turning missing evidence into allegations.
Define the gap precisely
State the last evidenced event, the next evidenced event, and the unsupported interval. Identify whether ownership, custody, location, object identity, or all four are uncertain.
State the last evidenced event, the next evidenced event, and the unsupported interval. Identify whether ownership, custody, location, object identity, or all four are uncertain. Use a source ledger and claim identifiers so another researcher can reproduce the decision, challenge an assumption, and distinguish evidence from interpretation.
Maintain a search log
Record repositories, databases, finding aids, spelling variants, identifiers, dates, and outcomes. A no-result search is useful only when its scope, date, and limitations are preserved.
Record repositories, databases, finding aids, spelling variants, identifiers, dates, and outcomes. A no-result search is useful only when its scope, date, and limitations are preserved. Use a source ledger and claim identifiers so another researcher can reproduce the decision, challenge an assumption, and distinguish evidence from interpretation.
Write neutral conclusions
Use language such as unresolved, not yet located, or unsupported by the sources reviewed. Do not equate an archival silence with concealment, loss, theft, or unlawful transfer without affirmative evidence.
Use language such as unresolved, not yet located, or unsupported by the sources reviewed. Do not equate an archival silence with concealment, loss, theft, or unlawful transfer without affirmative evidence. 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.