Principle 04 of 06
The Two-Phase Research Structure
Rigorous investigation has two distinct phases with two distinct epistemic standards. The boundary between them is the most important line in the methodology.
Phase One — Pattern Identification
Draw on documented sources to build a prioritized field of inquiry. Identify where anomalies, connections, and structural patterns suggest the public record warrants closer examination. The output of Phase One is not a conclusion — it is a list of whose public record deserves more thorough investigation, and why.
Epistemic status: speculative and directional.
Phase Two — Public Record Investigation
Examine the concrete documentary evidence within the prioritized field. Public records, filings, disclosures, oversight documents, archived records, FOIA releases. The output of Phase Two is what you can actually say — findings supported by citable, verifiable, documentary evidence.
Epistemic status: evidentiary and reportable.
The boundary
The pattern never enters Phase Two as evidence. Only documents do.