Keep evidence and assumptions traceable

Evidence and assumptions are different objects. Evidence records a source, summary, citation or URL, reliability, verification status, and links to relevant dimensions, values, pair assessments, constraints, configurations, or candidates. An assumption records a statement, rationale, status, supporting evidence, and the entities that depend on it.

“User supplied” means provenance is known; it does not mean independently verified. AI-drafted material cannot verify itself. Use “needs review” or “unverified” until a person checks the source and claim. A link indicates relevance, not proof.

When a pair is confirmed incompatible or a hard constraint is activated, its explanation and supporting references should be strong enough for another reviewer to understand the exclusion. Candidate rationales should expose material assumptions and evidence gaps. Retire an assumption rather than silently deleting history when later evidence overturns it.