Delta Arc1. Start with the decision
Research begins by naming the decision, user, entity, and time horizon the system must support. This prevents a large collection of facts from being mistaken for a useful intelligence product.
2. Establish durable identity
Companies, products, models, assets, markets, and people receive stable identities. Original names and aliases remain attached with their source and observation date. Similar names are not merged without supporting evidence.
3. Preserve provenance
Material observations retain source identifiers, source type, collection or observation time, and transformation history. A normalized value never replaces the original source value. A synchronized record proves what the system stored, not automatically what occurred outside it.
4. Classify the evidence
Direct observation states what an examined source shows. Corroborated conclusion connects independent evidence. Derived estimate applies disclosed logic to observations. Working inference is plausible but incomplete. Bounded absence states that a defined search did not locate a record. User-supplied preserves context without silently upgrading it to verification.
5. Respect time
Event time, source-update time, collection time, and publication time are recorded separately when available. Historical evidence is not represented as current merely because it was recently imported or reviewed.
6. Reconcile before concluding
Conflicts are surfaced and investigated. Prices are reconciled to configuration, condition, location, and date. Pipeline claims are tied to actual conversation state and ownership. Market claims are bounded by venue, liquidity, and resolution rules.
7. Publish limitations
Every estimate or analytical output identifies material assumptions, known gaps, and intended use. Educational pricing guidance is not represented as a certified appraisal. Market commentary is not financial, investment, trading, tax, betting, or legal advice.
8. Review and correct
Substantive updates receive a new review date or version. Corrections preserve the accurate current text and, when material, explain what changed. Questions and correction requests can be sent to bronto@thedeltaarc.com.