Meeting minutes
A fictional council authorizes an application. The dated minutes establish approval.
Free research resources
Start with the source.
Keep the record.
Work through a research question, preserve a document fingerprint and distinguish an original record from later coverage. These browser tools are available without purchasing software.
Available in your browser
Six practical tools.
Each tool performs a bounded, local working step. Verify results against the originals and avoid handling private files on shared devices.
01Image re-encodingCreate a working JPEG or PNG copy without common embedded camera tags↗02SHA-256 fingerprintCalculate and compare a local file digest↗03Text redaction draftPrepare a reviewed working copy of sensitive text↗04Source citation builderRecord a document, custodian and exact locator↗05Chronology checkSort dated records and flag malformed events↗06Source independenceGroup explicitly identified original source families↗
Research education
The Internet Sleuth method.
The established Follow the Files workbook guides the work from an answerable question through original-source collection, alternative explanations and qualified findings. The field library contains 110 templates alongside the public lessons.
- Define the narrow question the source can answer.
- Identify the original custodian and keep the exact locator.
- Preserve contradictions, uncertainty and review history.
The browser tools remain free. Workbook and archival downloads will be reconnected only after their exact public files have been verified.
1
Question logWhat specific event or claim must be checked?
2
Original source ledgerWhich document and record custodian support it?
3
Alternative explanation testWhat other conclusion fits the same record?
4
Publication checkpointWhat is safe and justified to state?
Fictional example / no real subjectsA documented authorization.
A documented authorization.
An unanswered payment.
Practice separating a public statement from a financial event. The example record shows why two articles repeating an announcement are not independent confirmation.
Payment ledger
A later ledger snapshot does not show the payment. Its coverage and later periods require review.
Further records request
An independent custodian is asked for the missing account documentation. The response remains open.