Evidence boundary

Evidence Boundary

Core Principle

Evidence is a boundary, not a slogan. A conclusion may only cover what the evidence directly proves.

Evidence Classes

Evidence	Can Support	Cannot Support
Route reachable	The route loads under tested conditions.	The workflow is usable or business-correct.
Single surface check	That exact surface passed the stated assertion.	All similar surfaces passed.
Mock data render	The UI can render a synthetic shape.	Real business rules, permissions, or data lifecycles work.
Static scan	Certain text or code patterns are absent or present.	Runtime behavior is correct.
Visual screenshot	Layout at one viewport and data state.	Keyboard flow, permissions, or hidden states.
Prior receipt	What was previously asserted by that receipt.	New or uncovered behavior.

Procedure

1. Name the claim being made.
2. List the evidence references.
3. For each evidence reference, state:
   • scope covered,
   • assertion level,
   • fact source,
   • freshness,
   • blind spots.
4. Downgrade any claim that exceeds the evidence.
5. Record missing evidence before assigning acceptance or owner conclusions.

Supported Claim Levels

Claim Level	Use When
observed	A concrete signal was seen, but no broader assertion is made.
route_reachable	Navigation reached the tested route.
surface_checked	A named surface passed named assertions.
workflow_checked	A multi-step workflow passed with stated data and role assumptions.
accepted_scope_limited	Acceptance is bounded to listed dimensions only.
not_supported	Evidence is insufficient for the proposed claim.

Output Contract

claim:
evidence_refs:
covered_scope:
unsupported_scope:
missing_evidence:
safe_wording:
must_not_claim:

Common Mistakes

• Treating reachability as usability.
• Treating one successful example as class-wide proof.
• Treating mock rendering as real data correctness.
• Inheriting a conclusion from another receipt without checking its scope.
• Saying a capability is shared merely because a shared-looking file exists.

Safe Wording Pattern

Use: "Evidence supports X under Y conditions; it does not yet support Z."

Avoid: "The feature works" when only one route, data shape, viewport, or assertion was checked.