dd-sourcing

# Source Documentation Standards All due diligence findings must be traceable to their sources. This enables audit trails, follow-up verification, and legal defensibility. ## Source Quality Tiers ### Tier 1: Primary Sources (Highest Credibility) - SEC filings (10-K, 10-Q, S-1) - Court documents and legal filings - Government databases (USPTO, state registrations) - Company's own audited financials - Direct customer/reference interviews ### Tier 2: Secondary Sources (High Credibility) - Established data providers (Crunchbase, PitchBook, CB Insights) - Major news outlets (WSJ, Bloomberg, TechCrunch) - Industry analyst reports (Gartner, Forrester) - LinkedIn profiles (for employment verification) - Academic research and papers ### Tier 3: Tertiary Sources (Use with Caution) - Social media posts - Blog articles - Glassdoor reviews - Wikipedia (only as starting point) - Forum discussions ## Citation Format Every fact must include a source citation: ```json { "source": { "name": "Full source name", "type": "SEC_FILING | NEWS | DATA_PROVIDER | INTERVIEW | GOVERNMENT | OTHER", "url": "https://... (if available)", "access_date": "2024-01-15", "publication_date": "2024-01-10", "tier": 1, "excerpt": "Relevant quote or data point" } } ``` ## Best Practices ### DO: - Capture URLs at time of access (pages change/disappear) - Note the access date for all web sources - Quote relevant passages, don't just link - Use multiple sources for critical claim...