Frame
Decision, users, question, outcomes, scope, assumptions and exclusions.
Methods & Data
Reproducible by design, proportionate in practice.
We choose methods for the question and evidence—not for decoration. The working record should allow a competent reviewer to understand what was done, why and with what limitations.
Operating method
Five connected stages.
Plan
Protocol, source hierarchy, variables, analysis, ethics, risks and acceptance.
Build
Search, screen, extract, clean, analyse and visualise with versioned records.
Challenge
Technical review, sensitivity, alternative explanations, disclosure and limitation checks.
Deliver
Findings, uncertainty, implications, recommendations, files, handover and correction route.
Context matters
Methods live inside real systems.
Facilities, data access, staff time, ethics, procurement and decision deadlines affect what is feasible. A strong plan makes these constraints visible rather than pretending they do not exist.
Photo: Bruno Ashimwe Winks · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Quality record
What should be traceable.
| Area | Working record | Review question |
|---|---|---|
| Question | Decision, intended users, objectives, outcomes and exclusions. | Does the method actually answer the stated question? |
| Sources | Searches, datasets, provenance, dates, access and permissions. | Can another reviewer trace where the evidence came from? |
| Data | Dictionary, cleaning log, missingness, transformations and access controls. | Were changes justified and preserved? |
| Analysis | Plan, code, versions, outputs, deviations and sensitivity checks. | Are results reproducible and inference proportionate? |
| Interpretation | Findings, inference, limitations, implications and recommendations. | Are uncertainty and alternative explanations visible? |
| Release | Review, approval, authorship, disclosure, citation and correction route. | May this output be shared, and under what conditions? |
Reproducibility
A file is not a workflow.
Reproducibility requires structure around the file: inputs, environments, code, decisions, output versions and a person who can explain them.
01
Preserve inputs
Keep lawful raw records unchanged and separate from working data.
02
Use identifiers
Name files, variables, versions and outputs consistently.
03
Automate carefully
Prefer scripted transformations over undocumented manual changes.
04
Record decisions
Log exclusions, deviations, corrections and reviewer decisions.
05
Separate audiences
Preserve technical records while communicating plainly to decision-makers.
06
Close responsibly
Handover, revoke access and retain or destroy data according to the agreed plan.
Need a method another person can review?
Tell us the decision, intended users, desired output and timing. We will help determine whether the assignment is suitable and what a defensible scope looks like.