Version names have scope
v0.1 can mean first structured draft; v0.2 revised draft; v1.0 an approved first public version for a defined scope. Archive means preserved but not current. 'Final' should always say final for what.
Correction Without Erasure
Keep the earlier source/version. Record what changed, why, which evidence triggered the change, who reviewed it, and what current wording supersedes the old wording. Do not rewrite history to make the project look consistent.
Reconstruction is not exact transcript
Recovered or reconstructed content must not be labelled exact transcript unless the raw message/source is actually available. A synthesis can be accurate and valuable while still remaining synthesis.
Case evidence minimum
Case ID · consent/publicity state · source records · starting point · agreed scope · action/delivery · evidence · result · cost/time where relevant · limitations · participant confirmation where appropriate · correction/history · privacy classification.
A screenshot needs 'what it does not show'
Record source/page, date, visible facts, visible/implied claims, mismatch, risk, action, and what remains unknown. A screenshot is strong evidence of a surface at a moment and weak evidence for hidden systems.
Research correction becomes system learning
A meaningful error should move through Mistake → Correction → Principle → Protocol → Source-of-Truth. The goal is not to prove the project never failed; it is to make future claims and methods more reliable.
Reflection
Questions to sit with
- Can another person see why the conclusion changed?
- Did we preserve the original evidence and the superseding evidence?
- Does the current wording clearly identify what remains uncertain?