Product explanation / 4 minute read
A source is something to inspect.
A citation makes an answer easier to check. It does not, by itself, establish that the answer is complete, that the record is correct or that the conclusion follows.
Check the relationship first.
Does the source refer to the right order, customer and period? Similar names and nearby dates can look convincing without establishing the right relationship. In the billing example, every record needs to relate to Order 2048.
Separate the fact from the interpretation.
A confirmed delivery is a source fact. Ready to invoice is a business interpretation that may depend on a confirmation, a review or another condition. Ask which records support that next step in the reasoning.
Read the coverage statement.
“No linked invoice in the connected records” says what was found within a scope. It does not say what exists in an unconnected system or outside the available history. Coverage and freshness belong beside the conclusion.
Leave room for an incomplete answer.
Sometimes the useful answer is that a required record is missing or a source could not be checked. Naming the gap helps someone decide what to inspect next. Filling the gap with a confident guess makes that decision harder.
Make corrections specific.
Point to the record, the statement in the answer and the reason they do not match. Distinguish a bad source from a bad interpretation. A correction is more useful when it identifies which part of the chain needs attention.