Follow a complete chain
Identify the triggering request, available context, actions, decision and observable result. Preserve revisions and intermediate failures when authorized and relevant. A final document alone can hide the work needed to produce it.
Make chronology interpretable
Normalize or document time zones, source clocks and edit timestamps. Separate event time from export time. When the sequence is uncertain, show that uncertainty rather than forcing records into an apparently exact timeline.
Define completion carefully
A “resolved” status may not prove the underlying problem was solved. Specify the evidence required for an outcome, such as a verified fix or accepted deliverable. Human interpretation should be recorded as interpretation, with a pointer to its supporting evidence.
Practical guidance, not legal advice or a buyer specification. Examples are illustrative. Reviewed October 20, 2026.