Subchapter 44.2

Evidence Record

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Each evidence record describes one part of one source and what the researcher did with it. Make a new record for every part you discover, inspect, or fail to reach. A post with a caption, two images, and five comments you read becomes at least eight records, not one.

Write unknown for any value you can’t determine. Don’t leave a field blank, and don’t guess.

Fields

Field	What to record
`id`	A stable ID, such as `E014`. Never reuse or renumber an ID, because the claim table points to it.
`source_id`	A stable ID for the source this part belongs to, such as `S004`: one post with its caption, media, and comments, one video, one thread, or one export record. Every part of the same source shares it. A repost is its own source.
`platform`	The platform name, or `export` plus the platform when the record comes from a file.
`source_locator`	The source URL, or the export record locator: file name plus row number or record ID.
`discovered_via`	The ID of the discovery-only record that led you to this source, `supplied` when the user gave you the material, or `none`. Keep the discovery-only record after you open the source, so the path from discovery to inspection stays visible.
`source_author`	The author of this part: the post author for post parts, or the commenter for a comment.
`parent_id`	For a reply, the ID of the comment it replies to. Otherwise `none`. `source_id` already ties a part to its source.
`published_at`	Publication time shown by the source, with time zone, or `unknown`.
`observed_at`	When you inspected the part live, or the capture time of the export or captured file.
`capture_method`	`live-view`, `export`, `user-capture` (a screenshot or saved file the user supplied), `search-result`, or `supplied-url` (a URL the user gave that you haven’t opened).
`export_origin`	For exports and captures, who produced the file and how, such as “account owner’s data download”. Otherwise `not an export`.
`inspected_part`	One value from the inspected-part list below.
`evidence_state`	`discovery-only`, `inspected`, or `inaccessible`. See the definitions below.
`excerpt_or_observation`	For text, a short exact quote. For images, audio, or video, a description limited to what you saw or heard in the inspected part.
`locator`	The precise place inside the source: comment ID, file row, image number, or media time range such as `01:10 to 01:40`.
`duplicate_group`	A group ID such as `D3` when the content repeats another record, or `none`.
`duplicate_role`	`original`, `repost`, `cross-post`, or `repeated-capture`, or `none` when there is no group.
`original_ref`	For a repost, cross-post, or repeated capture, the ID or locator of the original. Otherwise `none`.
`duplicate_uncertain`	`yes` when the grouping is likely but not confirmed, otherwise `no`.
`access_gap`	`none`, `login-gate`, `paywall`, `deleted`, `unavailable`, `rate-limited`, `missing-field`, `incomplete`, or `other` (describe the gap in `notes`, such as a region or age gate).
`exclusion`	`none`, or the reason the record was left out of the analysis, such as “outside date range”.
`notes`	Anything else a reviewer needs, such as “auto-generated transcript”.

Field

What to record

id

A stable ID, such as E014. Never reuse or renumber an ID, because the claim table points to it.

source_id

A stable ID for the source this part belongs to, such as S004: one post with its caption, media, and comments, one video, one thread, or one export record. Every part of the same source shares it. A repost is its own source.

platform

The platform name, or export plus the platform when the record comes from a file.

source_locator

The source URL, or the export record locator: file name plus row number or record ID.

discovered_via

The ID of the discovery-only record that led you to this source, supplied when the user gave you the material, or none. Keep the discovery-only record after you open the source, so the path from discovery to inspection stays visible.

source_author

The author of this part: the post author for post parts, or the commenter for a comment.

parent_id

For a reply, the ID of the comment it replies to. Otherwise none. source_id already ties a part to its source.

published_at

Publication time shown by the source, with time zone, or unknown.

observed_at

When you inspected the part live, or the capture time of the export or captured file.

capture_method

live-view, export, user-capture (a screenshot or saved file the user supplied), search-result, or supplied-url (a URL the user gave that you haven’t opened).

export_origin

For exports and captures, who produced the file and how, such as “account owner’s data download”. Otherwise not an export.

inspected_part

One value from the inspected-part list below.

evidence_state

discovery-only, inspected, or inaccessible. See the definitions below.

excerpt_or_observation

For text, a short exact quote. For images, audio, or video, a description limited to what you saw or heard in the inspected part.

locator

The precise place inside the source: comment ID, file row, image number, or media time range such as 01:10 to 01:40.

duplicate_group

A group ID such as D3 when the content repeats another record, or none.

duplicate_role

original, repost, cross-post, or repeated-capture, or none when there is no group.

original_ref

For a repost, cross-post, or repeated capture, the ID or locator of the original. Otherwise none.

duplicate_uncertain

yes when the grouping is likely but not confirmed, otherwise no.

access_gap

none, login-gate, paywall, deleted, unavailable, rate-limited, missing-field, incomplete, or other (describe the gap in notes, such as a region or age gate).

exclusion

none, or the reason the record was left out of the analysis, such as “outside date range”.

notes

Anything else a reviewer needs, such as “auto-generated transcript”.

Value	Supports claims about	Doesn’t establish
`post-text`	The words of the post body	Comments, media, or the author’s wider views
`caption`	The caption text	What any image, audio, or video shows
`comment`	One comment, attributed to its commenter	What the post author said or believes
`profile`	What the profile page showed at `observed_at`	Anything about posts you didn’t open
`image-N`	Image number N, as seen	Other images in the same post
`video-interval`	The watched time range, given in `locator`	Unwatched parts of the video
`audio-interval`	The listened time range, given in `locator`	Unheard parts of the audio
`transcript`	The transcript text, noting whether it was auto-generated	What the video shows, or speech the transcript missed
`export-row`	The content of that row as of the capture time	The current live state of the page

Evidence Record

Fields

Evidence Record

Fields

Evidence states

Inspected-part list

Examples