Gather and sort outside evidence

Outside information is easier to use when you label what kind of evidence it is. Different sources answer different questions; none should quietly become proof of more than it shows.

Use these six labels:

• Direct observation: something you personally saw or could check.
• Secondhand report: what another person described.
• Existing information: published requirements, schedules, costs, policies, data, or records.
• Assumption: a belief not yet established by the available evidence.
• Conclusion: your provisional interpretation of the evidence.
• Uncertainty: something still unknown or out of reach.

For example, a course website listing evening classes is existing information. One learner saying the commute was difficult is a secondhand report. “The schedule will fit my life” is an assumption until you check the actual hours and your own constraints. A page may also be outdated, so note its date and whether the detail needs confirmation.

One conversation tells you what that person reported. It does not establish how common an experience is or whether there is demand for an offer.

Ask permission before taking notes, quoting, recording, or sharing. Do not seek trauma stories, unpaid emotional labour, or free consulting. No response, refusal, and limited access are outcomes to record—not gaps to fill with guesses.

Journal minimum: Save at least one short note in a Try or Reflect box for this lesson. You do not have to answer every question. Write what you noticed, a question, or what you still do not know. If you have not tried the activity, say so. You can use the example instead of personal details. This leaves something to return to in later lessons. Saving is not sharing.