# Follow a statement back to its source

A retelling is not an original record. Keep the source, date, version and gaps together so the claim can be checked again.

> Keep more than a link. Record who said what, when, and on what grounds. Find the original material supporting the statement, and label breaks in the source chain as unknown.

## Move from the retelling to the record

Identify whether you are reading an original record, an interpretation, or somebody else’s summary. All can be useful, but they do not support the same kinds of judgment.

Follow a reference one step back. Which page does the screenshot come from? Which full report sits behind the abstract? Does the quoted sentence retain its original conditions? When you cannot find the material, write that down.

## Keep the date and version

A link does not necessarily point to unchanged content forever. Record the title, author or publisher, publication date and access date. Include a version when you can establish it.

This is a route for later checking, not an automatic badge of credibility. Do not fill in an unknown author, date or version by guessing from the appearance of a page.

## Check what the source actually supports

After finding the original, ask whether it supports the statement being repeated. Who or what was studied, over which period, and by which measure? Did the retelling drop a limitation?

Imagine an abstract saying that a reading method is “better.” That could mean finishing sooner or explaining the material more clearly. This is a hypothetical example. Without the original comparison, do not choose the meaning on its behalf.

## Make a source card you can revisit

Keep six items: source, claim, date and scope, supporting material, limits, and next step. Be specific about what you can establish; leave gaps visible.

The next step need not be searching for more material. It may simply mean returning to an existing source and checking whether it answers your actual question.

---
A thinking exercise, not a research report.
Updated: 2026-10-24
https://zeroinsight.org/en/notes/trace-the-source/