Source ledger

The source ledger is a running list of everything you rely on while you research: what it is, who published it, when it was published, when you checked it, the link, whether it's the original or a report about it, what you used it for, and how sure you are. Copy it out as a table to keep with your notes or send with your findings.

It runs on this page and sends nothing: what you type stays on your device. Copy or print the result when you're done.

How to use it

1. Add a row each time you open a source you'll use, not at the end. You won't remember them all later.
2. Open every link yourself before you add it. AI tools sometimes give links that don't exist or don't say what they claim.
3. Mark whether it's the original (the agency, the company, the law, the study) or something written about it. Prefer the original.
4. Note anything that might change or vanish, and save your own copy of pages that matter, such as a PDF.
5. Copy the ledger out when you're done and keep it with what you decided.