skills/research-methodology/references/research-record.md

# Research Record Template

Adapt this record to the task; omit empty sections. Labels and content in the delivered record follow the user's output language. A conversation record is sufficient unless a file is requested.

## Required findings ledger

While collecting, keep this table in the conversation. One row per claim. A finding without evidence is a hypothesis; put it in a separate `Open` list, not in the ledger.

```
| # | Claim | Evidence (file:line / URL / version / commit / PMID / model+date) | Rank | Answers |
|---|-------|-----------------------------------------------|------|---------|
| F1 | … | … | 1–4 | Q1 |
```

- **Claim**: the statement the evidence supports.
- **Evidence**: locator that another person can open (file:line, URL, version, commit, attachment, PMID/DOI and study design, product model and capture date, filing type and date, photo or serial number).
- **Rank**: source rank from the main skill (1 originating source, 2 authoritative reference, 3 direct inspection, 4 secondary).
- **Answers**: charter question id (Q1, Q2, …).

The sections below are optional expansion when the investigation is large. They do not replace the ledger table.

## Charter

Goal and acceptance criteria:
Knowledge depth and basis:
Scope / object / subject:
Mode and rationale:
Questions and exclusions:
Versions, dates, environment, and population:
- Markets: window, ticker or instrument, filing types in scope.
- Appliances: model, serial if supplied, symptom onset, what was already unplugged.
- Literature: date range, population, outcome, languages.
- Software: version, commit range, environment.
Source ranking and interpretation rules:

## Evidence entries

For each material entry record:
- Stable local label matching the ledger row, for example F1.
- Claim or question addressed.
- Source title and URL, or attached file and actual locator.
- Source role: primary, secondary, or user-provided observation.
- Version/publication date and retrieval date if known.
- Evidence excerpt or observation, with context and units.
- Fact, observation, inference, assumption, or unknown.
- Access: full text, excerpt, abstract, inaccessible, or not checked.
- Applicability, contradictions, and limitations.

## Synthesis

Finding and supporting evidence labels:
Counterevidence and alternatives:
Scope filter outcome:
Object filter outcome:
Confidence in words, with reasons and missing evidence:
Decision or causal status:
Acceptance criterion status:
Next action and authorization boundary:

## Continuation checkpoint

Completed and verified:
Unresolved questions:
Sources already read and their date/version boundaries:
Available and unavailable tools:
Next useful step:

Evidence labels supplement readable citations; they do not replace source links in the final answer. The record is an evidence summary, not a request for hidden internal reasoning.