Public agencies publish statistics with definitions, dates, and table identifiers because a number without context is difficult to audit. Estate research should use the same discipline. A source-log completeness measure is an internal QA metric, not a claim about legal correctness.
Define the denominator
For each source observation, mark whether the log contains source owner, record type, search terms, geography, effective date, retrieval date, URL or citation, document identifier, result, and disposition. Report complete fields divided by required fields, and report missing fields by type. Do not combine a missing URL with a missing legal conclusion as though they were equivalent.
Example record
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| Source | County recorder |
| Record | Deed index and image |
| Key | Instrument number |
| Dates | Effective and retrieved dates |
| Result | Ownership language transcribed |
| Disposition | Escalate authority question |
This framework complements official source guidance such as Census ACS documentation and IRS estate-tax metadata, both of which show why definitions and periods belong with data.
Professional disclaimer: General research only, not legal, tax, title, or fiduciary advice.