Dig one layer at a time
Research is not a single glance. Work from the surface down, recording what each layer shows, so a row never reads as more certain than the evidence supports.
Layer 1 — Surface label
Record exactly what the cell says. The label is the visible starting point, not a conclusion about the item.
Layer 2 — Row context
Add the headers, the adjacent fields, and the category. These give the label its meaning.
Layer 3 — Current destination
Open the link and record what the page actually shows now. The page, not the label, is the current fact.
Layer 4 — Open questions
Keep what is missing, conflicting, or unconfirmable. Do not fill it in to make the row look finished.
Field noteEach layer records a fact. The open questions are part of the record, not a defect in it.
?Open item: have all four layers been recorded, or has the row been skimmed as one?
A worked dig
- Surface label: the cell names a bag.
- Row context: it sits in the Bags category with a price column.
- Current destination: the page shows the bag with visible options.
- Open questions: the material is not stated — left open.
Research example — not a live listing or verification result.
Continue your review
Next, compare similar rows with the duplicate row guide, and record context with the source context guide.