Evidence Standards
The authoritative reference for acceptable evidence submission, quality requirements, and verification protocols for the public repository.
1. Purpose
Evidence standards define what constitutes acceptable, verifiable, and relevant information for inclusion in the State of Kashmir Crafts public repository.
These strict standards protect the assessment from misinformation, prevent institutional capture, and ensure that all published findings are grounded in authentic, traceable reality. By establishing clear rules for submission, the HCRF ensures that the repository remains a globally credible baseline for policy and research.
2. Accepted Evidence Types
3. Evidence Quality Requirements
Authenticity & Provenance
The origin of the evidence must be verifiable. Anonymous submissions are generally not accepted unless specifically authorized for whistleblower protection. Chain of custody must be demonstrated for historical or physical claims.
Accuracy & Completeness
Evidence must not be deceptively cropped, edited, or presented out of context. Statistical data must include methodology and sample sizes. Incomplete forms may be held in review until clarified.
Date & Context
All submissions must carry a verified timestamp or established date of creation to differentiate current realities from historical baselines.
Source Attribution
Clear attribution to the original author, photographer, or institutional source is required to prevent plagiarism and verify intellectual property rights.
4. Verification Levels
Submitted
Evidence uploaded to the secure portal. Awaiting triage.
Initial Review
Secretariat confirms files are readable, complete, and within scope.
Technical Verification
Subject matter experts verify provenance, translation, and technical accuracy.
Authenticity Confirmed
Evidence meets all core quality standards and is admitted to the internal database.
Public Release Approved
Cleared of privacy or copyright concerns and published to the live repository.
Restricted Archive
Admitted to the assessment but withheld from public view due to confidentiality.
5. Confidentiality & Privacy
Public Evidence
Default classification for institutional submissions, hearing transcripts, and public testimony. Fully accessible in the repository.
Restricted Evidence
Commercially sensitive data (e.g., specific pricing contracts) or culturally sensitive heritage maps that are used for internal assessment but shielded from public download.
Confidential Evidence & Anonymization
Testimonies involving vulnerable individuals or whistleblowers. Names and identifying metadata are stripped via a strict redaction policy before any aggregated use.
6. File Requirements
- Supported Formats: PDF, DOCX, JPG, PNG, MP4, MP3, CSV.
- Maximum Size: 50MB per standard file. (Video submissions may use external verified links).
- Naming Conventions: Clear, descriptive titles avoiding generic names (e.g., "Pashmina_Loom_Condition_2026.jpg" instead of "IMG001.jpg").
- Metadata: EXIF data is preferred for photography to verify location and date.
7. Rejection Criteria
Submissions may be rejected if they are:
- Duplicate of existing record
- Fabricated or manipulated
- Unverifiable provenance
- Copyright or intellectual property violation
- Major privacy concerns without consent
- Grossly incomplete metadata
- Outside geographic or sector scope
8. Referencing & Citation
Every piece of accepted evidence is assigned a unique cryptographic Reference Number (e.g., `SKC-2026-EV-9402`).
This reference number ensures absolute traceability. It is used to cite the evidence in:
- Draft Findings reports
- The Final Assessment Report
- Public Hearing determinations
Readers of the final report can input this reference number into the public Evidence Repository to view the exact source material underlying a specific conclusion.
9. Transparency Policy
The HCRF operates the State of Kashmir Crafts assessment on the principle of maximum defensibility. Evidence is reviewed objectively without institutional bias, classified strictly by standard rules, and archived permanently. Except where strict confidentiality protects vulnerable individuals, the evidence base supporting all policy conclusions is published in the open repository for global review.