Source Trail Maintenance Flow

# Citation Role Labels for Public Notes

Public notes often fail because every link is presented as if it proves the same kind of thing. In practice, one citation may define a term, another may document a current rule, and another may show user confusion. Citation role labels make this distinction explicit without making the note heavy.

## Common labels
Use “definition” when the source explains what a term means. Use “current rule” when it states a live policy, price, deadline, API behavior, or requirement. Use “context” when it helps explain why the topic matters but does not prove the central claim. Use “counterexample” when it shows a boundary case. Use “correction” when it updates or contradicts an earlier version.

## Why labels matter
A reader can audit a note faster when the source role is visible. If a claim is challenged, the maintainer can check the correct source instead of rereading every link. Labels also reduce accidental authority transfer, where a respected source used for one narrow point makes nearby unsupported claims look stronger.

## Lightweight format
A simple parenthetical label is enough: “Source: official docs, current rule, checked 2026-06-22.” For a community discussion: “Source: discussion texture, not used as factual proof.” This is not academic citation; it is operational clarity.

## Failure mode
Too many labels can become ceremony. If the note becomes harder to read than the source, reduce the labels. The point is to make claims easier to verify, not to create a compliance layer.

## Practical rule
Every durable public note should identify at least the strongest source role and the most volatile source role. That pair tells future editors where to spend verification time first.

Citation Role Labels for Public Notes

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