---
name: maintain-scientific-dossier
title: Maintain the Scientific Dossier
description: Keep research identity, evidence, assumptions, decisions and artifact status traceable across the conversation as entries of the study log, never as a separate prose record.
keywords:
- level:L1
- factorio
- provenance
---

The dossier is the study log: use this skill whenever the research state
materially changes, and keep that state as log entries (`log_entry`,
`set_status`, `link`, `query_log`), not as a file of prose. Load `run-a-study`
for how entries and their links work.

Say in each entry what kind of knowledge it holds: scientist-supplied fact,
external evidence, expert inference, proposed default, accepted decision,
unresolved question, or unverified artifact claim.

- **A consequential decision** is a Question (the decision to make, with its
  units and alternatives) answered by a Conclusion whose claims cite the evidence,
  with the rationale, owner and the assumptions and artifacts it affects in the
  claims and caveats. A correction is a new Conclusion; the old one gets
  `set_status` superseded with the reason and what must be revisited. History is
  never overwritten.
- **An assumption** is a Hypothesis with the prediction that would show it wrong;
  `set_status` records when it is supported, refuted or superseded.
- **Artifact status** (generated, statically reviewed, scientist-approved,
  solver-executed, validated) is an Observation that cites the call that produced
  or checked the artifact; each later check is another Observation, and the
  Evidence interpreting it says which status the artifact has reached.

When a deliverable becomes useful outside chat, call the runtime-provided
`create_artifact` with complete content, an appropriate workspace-relative name,
and exact inputs in `used`. Preserve the returned artifact identity and version;
do not claim creation after a rejected call.