Source List Template
What this is. The running list of every source retrieved or saved for a single Module 4 research topic. One block per source. Numbering is a running count and never re-used — dropped entries stay in the list, they do not get deleted.
How to use. Keep this file at the root of your topic folder as source-list.md. The Cowork and Claude Code recipes in the Recipe Book both assume it is there.
The status field is your attestation.
No agent is authorized to change the status field. Only you move a source from not-yet-opened to opened-and-confirmed or opened-and-dropped. This is the whole integrity mechanism of Module 4.
Status field — allowed values
| Value | What it means | Who can set it |
|---|---|---|
| not-yet-opened | Retrieved by an agent (or saved by you), but not yet confirmed. Default starting state. | Agent or student |
| opened-and-confirmed | You opened the file, verified it is what it claims to be, and confirmed the claim the brief uses it for is actually in the source. | Student only |
| opened-and-dropped | You opened the file and decided not to use it. One-line reason required in Notes. | Student only |
Header
Entry block — duplicate for each new source
primary secondary tertiary
Retrieved on (YYYY-MM-DD) Statusnot-yet-opened opened-and-confirmed opened-and-dropped
Claim(s) this source supports (fill in after opening and confirming) Notes (uncertainty about author, date, legitimacy, scope; any pushback on the agent's tier classification; one-line reason if dropped)primary secondary tertiary
Retrieved on Statusnot-yet-opened opened-and-confirmed opened-and-dropped
Claim(s) this source supports Notesprimary secondary tertiary
Retrieved on Statusnot-yet-opened opened-and-confirmed opened-and-dropped
Claim(s) this source supports NotesAdd a new block for each source. Do not renumber existing entries after a drop.
Safe defaults
Default to drop. If a source feels almost-right but you had to fudge something to confirm it, set the status to opened-and-dropped with a one-line reason. A brief with five clean sources is worth more than a brief with ten sources of uncertain provenance.
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