OnlineNIW · Explore AI Inc. · Evidence field guide

Can another reviewer retrace the claim?

Evidence provenance is the path from a factual statement back to its original source, date, scope, relationship, and limits. A reviewable record identifies the smallest testable claim, locates the source closest to that fact, and preserves enough context for another person to reproduce the path.

Start with the source, not the polished sentence

Record who created or maintains each source, when the event occurred, when the source was published, the exact page or timestamp, and what the material does not establish. Treat an undated slide, search-result screenshot, or self-written biography as a lead to investigate rather than final corroboration.

Map derivation and independence

Repeated documents may all trace back to one press release. Mark applicant-authored, employer-controlled, collaborator, customer, publisher, and government sources, and note circular citation. Quantity does not turn a derivative source into independent observation.

Preserve context and conflicts

Keep the event date separate from the access date. Preserve denominators, time windows, legends, definitions, and visible redactions. When sources disagree, record the conflict and narrow the claim until it matches what can actually be shown. Qualified counsel—not an evidence worksheet—decides legal relevance and strategy.

This guide is general information about factual organization, not legal advice or an eligibility assessment. The full interactive article includes a practical provenance worksheet and official-source links.