Glossary · Collecting
Source-critical comparison
Comparing claims while evaluating how each source knows what it reports.
Explanation
A source-critical comparison asks whether a claim is based on the object itself, a contemporary document, a later scholarly analysis or a sales description. Repetition across websites is not necessarily independent confirmation: they may copy the same earlier catalogue. For a disputed watch date, retain each source's wording and explain whether it dates the movement, case, hallmark or sale. A photograph can corroborate an inscription but cannot by itself establish an undocumented provenance chain. This is a research method rather than a scoring system for authenticity.