Research That Keeps Its Receipts

Workbench treats outside information as research evidence, not as an instruction or a new project decision. Approved material can be retained with its source, observation time, content identity, and acquisition method so a later reviewer can tell what was actually examined.

Research records also keep awkward facts visible. Material may be stale, superseded, unavailable, duplicated, or in conflict with a stronger source. A context builder may omit unsuitable optional evidence or require a conflict to be resolved, but it does not quietly choose whichever paragraph arrived wearing the most confident punctuation.

For example, a project comparing two public specifications can record both versions, their dates, and the exact passages used. If they disagree, the resulting context identifies the conflict and the owner decides what further evidence or review is needed. The cache preserves provenance; it does not promote a claim into canonical project knowledge.

Discovery, acquisition, review, and acceptance remain separate steps. Credentials, signed-in browsing, private sources, high-stakes decisions, canonical promotion, and publication still require their own authority and safeguards.