CDDA · Public information
Research, evidence & publication
Source standards, corrections, privacy and release authority.
Published for organizational and legal review. This draft does not certify compliance or establish that its proposed procedures are already operating.
Published 18 September 2026 · Version 2026-09-18.201Define the question
Record the issue, jurisdiction, date range and precise proposition before collecting material. Label facts, allegations, opinions, legal propositions, inferences and unresolved questions separately. A relationship or association alone does not establish wrongdoing.
02Sources and contrary evidence
Prefer primary documents and exact citations with dates and page or paragraph references. Preserve provenance and distinguish original records from commentary. Actively seek contradictory evidence and alternative explanations; record unresolved gaps. AI-generated text is not a primary source and must be independently checked.
03Privacy and fair treatment
Collect only information relevant to the defined public-interest question. Do not publish personal addresses, sensitive identifiers, privileged material or unverified accusations as established fact. Assess necessity, accuracy, publication restrictions and the opportunity for a meaningful response where appropriate.
04Review and release
A second reviewer should check sources, contrary material, privacy and the conclusion. Record conflicts and recusals. Restrict legal handoffs to authorized recipients under a separate protocol. Public release requires a named authorized decision and appropriate redaction; completing a research task does not itself authorize publication.
05Corrections and versions
Keep the source, previous conclusion, reason for change and reviewer decision in the record. Clearly mark superseded findings and significant uncertainty. Receiving a submission does not mean CDDA endorses it, promises an investigation or will deliver it to a legal authority.
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