Verification and Source Discipline

Verification records how an observation, source, transcription, measurement, or derived claim was checked.

Verification does not mean absolute proof. It means that a defined check was performed and its outcome was preserved. Examples include reproducing a measurement, comparing a quotation with the primary source, checking a file checksum, confirming a date from an authoritative record, or independently repeating an analysis.

A verification object should distinguish:

• what was checked;
• by which method;
• against what reference;
• with what result;
• under what limitations.

This creates a crucial separation between “I believe this source” and “this specific property was checked in this specific way.”