Resources · 10
Information integrity: verify provenance, context and transformations
A procedure for qualifying a document, image or video before citing, sharing or using it in a decision.
· 14 min
What this guide helps achieve
- Find the earliest accessible version
- Separate a genuine file from a false caption
- Document transformations
- Correct without erasing the trail
Quick check
- Who published the file and where did they get it?
- Does an earlier version exist?
- Are location and light compatible?
- Are metadata consistent but not treated as sufficient?
- Which content depends on this evidence?
Step-by-step method
- 01
Preserve the item
Retain the URL, access date, received file, visible context and a hash where lawful. Work on a copy and record every conversion.
Deliverable: log entry and hash.
- 02
Trace provenance
Look for the earliest publication, claimed creator, intermediary relays and any cropped or recompressed versions.
Deliverable: provenance chain.
- 03
Check content and context
Compare terrain, buildings, weather, shadows, language, chronology and known events. A genuine image can be reused with a false place or date.
Deliverable: confirmed and rejected hypotheses.
- 04
Inspect metadata
Use EXIF, encoding, dimensions and history as clues. Their presence or absence never proves authenticity alone.
Deliverable: interpreted technical record.
- 05
Corroborate independently
Find a primary source, another angle, official record or independent witness. Identify repetitions that all depend on the same file.
Deliverable: corroboration matrix.
- 06
Publish and correct
State confidence, limitations, method and source. If the conclusion changes, update linked pages and keep a dated correction note.
Deliverable: editorial decision and correction register.
Management indicators
| Indicator | What it measures | First action |
|---|---|---|
| Provenance | Items connected to a documented origin | Handle decisive evidence without a source first |
| Corroboration | Conclusions supported by independent clues | Remove circular repetition |
| Correction delay | Time from discovering an error to updating content | Maintain the dependent-page list |
| Visible unknowns | Important limitations stated explicitly | Prevent a hypothesis becoming a fact |
Common pitfalls
- Treating missing EXIF as proof of fabrication
- Stopping after an empty reverse search
- Counting republications as independent sources
- Correcting one page but not its copies
Frequently asked questions
Do metadata prove an image is genuine?
No. They can be removed, altered or inherited from a device. Corroborate them with content, context and provenance.
How should synthetic content be handled?
Look for available provenance information, examine consistency and context, then assess the truth of the associated claim.
Should an error be deleted?
Correct the content and its distribution clearly. When it has already influenced readers, a dated note explains the change better than silent disappearance.
