Claim and evidence check
DESCRIBED | Data Exhaust
By Jonathan Malchow Vega
https://dataexhaust.org/resources/claim-evidence-check/
Version 1.1 | 19 October 2026

FICTIONAL WORKED EXAMPLE. Not a client case study.

Test whether a record supports the specific claim you want to make.

Claim in one sentence
Supplier 42 completed approval before work began.

Record being used
Fictional register export EX-12, row 42, dated 12 October 2026.

Direct observation
The status column reads approved in the export.

Inference being made
That a valid approval happened before the work started.

Missing context or alternative explanation
The export contains no approval date or criteria; the status may have been updated later.

Proportionate next check
Compare the dated approval record with the work start record before making the timing claim.

Use: You may adapt this worksheet for personal or internal organizational work. Keep the author and source credit on blank copies shared internally. You retain your entries. Public redistribution or resale of blank templates requires permission.