research-audit

name	research-audit
description	Audit research corpus for a district before promoting to live data. Use when: reviewing coverage quality, checking source reliability, identifying weak seats, preparing for district migration, assessing publish readiness.

Research Audit

When to Use

• Before running the district-migration skill
• When assessing which districts are ready for promotion
• When refreshing data after new party lists or withdrawal deadlines

Research Corpus Location

research/constituency-coverage/<district>.md        — raw coverage
research/constituency-coverage-reviews/<district>-review.md  — editorial review
research/constituency-coverage-verification/<district>-verification.md  — source verification

Procedure

1. Read the coverage file — note which seats have candidate names
2. Read the review file — note which seats are flagged as weak, overcalled, or unsupported
3. Read the verification file — note source grades and specific corrections
4. Classify each seat into one of three tiers

Seat Classification

Tier 1: Promotable

• Candidate name directly confirmed by official party list or verified news source
• No conflicting names across sources
• Assign High confidence

Tier 2: Promotable with Caution

• Single credible source or sitting-MLA retention logic
• Minor name spelling uncertainty but identity is clear
• Assign Medium confidence

Tier 3: Promote as Placeholder

• Only compiled-table or Wikipedia backing
• Conflicting names, expected succession, or stale incumbent
• Assign Low confidence with explicit sourceNote explaining the uncertainty

Source Reliability Hierarchy

1. Official party lists with dates (Congress, BJP, CPI(M), IUML, CPI)
2. Named journalist byline articles in Manorama, Mathrubhumi, The Hindu, TNIE, Onmanorama
3. Wire reports (PTI/ANI via ThePrint, NDTV)
4. Compiled tables in Times of India, India Today district roundups
5. Wikipedia / News Minimalist — not verification-grade, Low confidence only

Red Flags

• Coverage file names a candidate but review says "not supportable"
• Verification finds the source doesn't actually name the candidate claimed
• Seat-swap flux between alliance partners (e.g. Congress-IUML seat negotiations)
• "Sitting MLA expected to step aside" with no confirmed successor

Output

After auditing, summarize: how many seats per tier, which seats have red flags, and whether the district is ready for the district-migration skill.