Offshore Advantages research · Workflow Design

Source Hierarchies for Offshore Operations Research

A method for deciding which evidence should govern a claim when sources disagree, age, or use different definitions.

August 12, 2026 · 10 sources · Research methodology

Key stats

Official statistics and law answer different questions
Source dates and definitions belong in the research record

Finding

A source hierarchy prevents a convenient figure from outranking a primary record. It should distinguish legal authority, official statistics, technical guidance, and interpretation.

Evidence and method

PSA, the National Privacy Commission, NIST, and the World Bank publish different kinds of evidence. We classify each source by authority, scope, date, definition, and relevance before drawing a conclusion.

Hierarchy model

Record the claim, preferred source type, exact definition, publication date, caveat, and reviewer. If sources conflict, state the difference instead of blending numbers into false precision.

Key takeaways

Citations should let a reader reproduce the claim. Separate an observed fact from an operating recommendation and label inference plainly.

FAQs

Is a current source always better? Not if it answers a different question. Can a secondary summary be used? Yes for orientation, but verify material claims against the primary source.