Evidence & Status Guide

Primary records, official documents, contemporary reports, photographs, physical traces, or multiple source lines.

Credible secondary coverage, repeated reporting, multiple witnesses, or strong historical documentation.

Anecdotal accounts, single-source reports, later retellings, or limited records that still warrant preservation.

Folklore, internet claims, disputed material, debunked cases, or records kept because they are historically influential.

The record remains unresolved or contains important unanswered questions.

One or more strong explanations exist, but some details remain disputed or incomplete.

The strongest current reading favors a conventional explanation.

The record needs stronger sources, cleanup, or better classification before being treated as stable.

The value is cultural, historical, or mythic rather than evidentiary.

Sources or interpretations conflict, and the case should be read cautiously.