OSINT-6 CHANGELOG 260226

Replacing The World Factbook with another single reference would recreate the same weakness. No source has equal authority over constitutional law, population estimates, transport infrastructure, military organization, communications access, election results, and current security conditions. We decided to update the archived baseline claim by claim.

The source depends on the subject. Constitutions, statutes, ministries, election authorities, and national statistical offices control many official facts. International organizations provide comparable demographic, economic, health, migration, and development data. Regulators and technical bodies can supply communications, energy, aviation, shipping, and infrastructure records. Reputable academic and local reporting can explain disputed events or conditions that official material omits.

Authority alone doesn't settle every conflict. Two sources may use different reporting years, boundaries, definitions, currencies, or estimation methods. A population figure can refer to a census, an official projection, or an international estimate. Military strength can count authorized personnel, active personnel, reserves, or a broader security establishment. Copying the newest number without its definition would create false precision.

Our source register will preserve the claim, publisher, publication date, access date, definition, and any material disagreement. Each time-sensitive claim receives a verification date. When sources conflict, the text will identify the difference or select one figure for a stated reason. Editorial inference will remain separate from reported fact.

The research cutoff gives that process an end point. It states how current the volume intends to be and prevents a manuscript from remaining open forever while statistics continue to change. A later revision can reopen affected claims without forcing a complete rewrite of stable material.

This decision produces more work than importing a country profile. It also produces a source record that can be audited and revised. The archived Factbook tells us which subjects need attention. Current sources establish what we can responsibly say at publication.