Provenance research guide · how-to
How to preserve provenance research sources and receipts
Build a durable source ledger with retrieval context, hashes, permissions, and correction history.
Assign source IDs before writing conclusions
Create a unique source record containing repository, collection, call number, creator, date, title, format, URL, access conditions, and retrieval date. Cite the source ID from claims and events.
Create a unique source record containing repository, collection, call number, creator, date, title, format, URL, access conditions, and retrieval date. Cite the source ID from claims and events. Use a source ledger and claim identifiers so another researcher can reproduce the decision, challenge an assumption, and distinguish evidence from interpretation.
Hash stable copies
When law and repository terms permit a local copy, calculate a cryptographic hash and preserve the filename and format. A hash demonstrates that later analysis used the same bytes; it does not prove authenticity or ownership.
When law and repository terms permit a local copy, calculate a cryptographic hash and preserve the filename and format. A hash demonstrates that later analysis used the same bytes; it does not prove authenticity or ownership. Use a source ledger and claim identifiers so another researcher can reproduce the decision, challenge an assumption, and distinguish evidence from interpretation.
Retain corrections rather than overwriting
When a URL, transcription, or interpretation changes, add a dated correction linked to the earlier record. Preserve who made the change, why, and which conclusions must be reviewed again.
When a URL, transcription, or interpretation changes, add a dated correction linked to the earlier record. Preserve who made the change, why, and which conclusions must be reviewed again. 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.