# Source Inventory

Organize primary and secondary sources by ownership, access, relevance, authority, limitations, permissions, and remaining research gaps before drafting.

## Usage note

Build the inventory at the start of a project and keep it current as sources are added, replaced, or rejected. The presence of a URL does not make a claim supported: record what each source can establish and where its limits begin. Follow access terms, licensing, privacy requirements, and your organization's rules when storing documents or interview material.

## How to use this template

1. List the project question, planned claims, source requirements, and any access or permission constraints.
2. Add every candidate source with its type, owner, version, location, research role, and access date.
3. Evaluate the exact claim each item supports, plus its methodological and contextual limits.
4. Group duplicates, investigate contradictions, and assign actions for missing or weak evidence.
5. Mark sources approved for use and transfer the inventory with notes, files, and update ownership.

## Blank template

### Project scope

- **Project or article:** [Name]
- **Research question:** [Primary question]
- **Audience and decision:** [Who needs what]
- **Research owner:** [Name or team]
- **Cutoff date:** [YYYY-MM-DD]
- **Restricted topics or data:** [Handling requirements]
- **Source standard:** [What evidence important claims require]

### Source record

- **Source ID:** [Stable internal identifier]
- **Title:** [Exact title]
- **Owner or publisher:** [Responsible entity]
- **Type and role:** [Primary, definition, context, expert, or lead]
- **Original URL or location:** [Authorized location]
- **Publication date and version:** [Record both]
- **Access date:** [YYYY-MM-DD]
- **Supported claim:** [Precise statement]
- **Limitations or conflict:** [Scope, method, perspective, or interest]
- **Permission status:** [Quote, reproduce, store, or restricted]
- **Decision:** [Use, verify, replace, context only, or reject]

### Inventory review

- [ ] Central claims have suitable evidence, not just many links.
- [ ] Summaries are traced to underlying sources where possible.
- [ ] Editions, versions, jurisdictions, and populations match the draft.
- [ ] Contradictory findings are recorded rather than silently discarded.
- [ ] Restricted material has appropriate access controls.
- [ ] Quotations and figures retain page, table, or timestamp context.
- [ ] Gaps have actions, owners, and deadlines.
- [ ] The final inventory is accessible to the writer and fact-checker.