Sources
Primary sources are preferred for direct facts. Independent reporting and specialist references can corroborate, contextualize or challenge them. Source tiers describe authority, not agreement.
BRIEFS · METHODOLOGY
How Briefs knows what it knows
Briefs separates fluent writing from evidence. A statement can be useful only when its evidence, date and uncertainty are visible.
Claims
Facts are stored as claims with verification status, confidence, temporal validity and linked evidence. Retracted or superseded claims remain in history rather than disappearing.
Freshness
Briefs distinguishes evergreen facts from fast-changing claims. A page's generation time is not treated as proof that every underlying claim is current.
Confidence
Confidence depends on source quality, corroboration, directness, conflicts and recency. Missing evidence stays visible as a gap instead of being filled by invention.
Changes
The system tracks what changed in the underlying state, not merely what was published. That allows later Briefs to explain before/after states and meaningful updates.
Corrections
Editorial revisions, publication snapshots and rollback paths preserve accountability. High-risk or sensitive changes can require human review.