Research Method

Research Method

Issue, authority, validation, updating, and abstention workflow.

Structured Visual

Jurisdiction: US; as of 2026-08-28; not legal advice; Render structure, refuse interpretation, cite, abstain, and hand off.

RENDER STRUCTURE · REFUSE INTERPRETATION · CITE · ABSTAIN · HAND-OFF: render structure, refuse interpretation, cite provenance, abstain when unsupported, and hand off to human review.

Research Method: selected questionsSelected questionsBounded issue statementTerms and jurisdiction fieldsOrientation sources
highlighted = computed this step

Scope and honesty note

Jurisdiction: United States structural overview; as of 2026-08-28; jurisdictions vary; not legal advice. This lesson renders source and process structure, refuses interpretation, cites, abstains, and hands off.

US structural model as of 2026−08−28\text{US structural model as of }2026-08-28

See the essential structure first

Start with this deliberately incomplete structure, then use the pinned authorities, worked application, exceptions, and handoff below. This deliberately incomplete preview has 4 nodes; exceptions and legal consequences remain in the sourced prose below.

glance nodes=4\text{glance nodes}=4

Jurisdiction: US; as of 2026-08-28; not legal advice; Render structure, refuse interpretation, cite, abstain, and hand off.

RENDER STRUCTURE · REFUSE INTERPRETATION · CITE · ABSTAIN · HAND-OFF: render structure, refuse interpretation, cite provenance, abstain when unsupported, and hand off to human review.

Research Method: selected questionsSelected questionsBounded issue statementTerms and jurisdiction fieldsOrientation sources

State the source method

Legal research is iterative: state a bounded issue, extract jurisdiction and terminology, orient with secondary sources, retrieve primary authority, validate exact records, update for amendments and later treatment, and document uncertainty.

source method before interpretation\text{source method before interpretation}

Federal-question research path

This pinned source supplies verbatim text and a reproducible source coordinate. Verbatim snapshot text: “The district courts shall have original jurisdiction of all civil actions arising under the Constitution, laws, or treaties of the United States.” Source: 28 U.S.C. § 1331; https://www.neochart.com/catalog/federal/judiciary/title_28/chapter_85/section_1331/title28_sec1331_c56e38574c6b/1331_federal_question_the_district_courts_shall_have_origina_0001/index.html; data via neochart.com, snapshot 2026-08.

pinned authority: 28U.S.C.§1331\text{pinned authority: }28 U.S.C. § 1331

Diversity research path

This pinned source supplies verbatim text and a reproducible source coordinate. Verbatim snapshot text: “(a) The district courts shall have original jurisdiction of all civil actions where the matter in controversy exceeds the sum or value of $75,000, exclusive of interest and costs, and is between- (1) citizens of different States;” Source: 28 U.S.C. § 1332(a)(1); https://www.neochart.com/catalog/federal/judiciary/title_28/chapter_85/section_1332/title28_sec1332_9ba7ff685cb2/1332_diversity_of_citizenship_amount_in_controversy_costs_0001/index.html; data via neochart.com, snapshot 2026-08.

pinned authority: 28U.S.C.§1332(a)(1)\text{pinned authority: }28 U.S.C. § 1332(a)(1)

Pin the example data

The method example uses the federal-question and diversity fixtures as separate candidate paths. A tri-state check preserves missing scope fields instead of forcing a yes-or-no answer.

pinned fields and provenance\text{pinned fields and provenance}

Explain the artifact

The workflow exposes where orientation ends, primary-source verification begins, and an unresolved field routes to abstention. The artifact contains 8 structural nodes. Node count is a recomputed display fact, not authority weight.

structural nodes=8\text{structural nodes}=8

Jurisdiction: US; as of 2026-08-28; not legal advice; Render structure, refuse interpretation, cite, abstain, and hand off.

RENDER STRUCTURE · REFUSE INTERPRETATION · CITE · ABSTAIN · HAND-OFF: render structure, refuse interpretation, cite provenance, abstain when unsupported, and hand off to human review.

Issue to updated authority workflowIssue to updated authority workflowscope: US | Bounded legal research process model | as of 2026-08-28Simplified structural model; jurisdictions vary; not legal advice; cite, abstain, and handoff for interpretation.Bounded issue statementTerms and jurisdictionfieldsOrientation sourcesPrimary authority retrievalSource and scope validatedAbstain and hand offLater treatment andamendmentsCited research packetedge=issue->terms label=extract research fieldsedge=terms->secondary label=learn vocabularyedge=secondary->primary label=follow citationsedge=primary->validate label=check exact recordedge=validate->update label=validatededge=validate->abstain label=missing or conflictingedge=update->write label=document status and sourcesSCC: scc7:issue; scc6:terms; scc5:secondary; scc4:primary; scc3:validate; scc0:abstain; scc2:update;scc1:write

Read the complete record

The complete record keeps sources, stated facts, and questions for review separate. Issue to updated authority workflow: Jurisdiction US; model Bounded legal research process model; as of 2026-08-28; Simplified structural model; jurisdictions vary; not legal advice; cite, abstain, and hand off for interpretation.; loops allowed false. Bounded issue statement: Node issue; role start. Terms and jurisdiction fields: Node terms; role step. Orientation sources: Node secondary; role step. Primary authority retrieval: Node primary; role step. Source and scope validated: Node validate; role decision. Abstain and hand off: Node abstain; role terminal. Later treatment and amendments: Node update; role step. Cited research packet: Node write; role terminal. issue to terms: Transition: extract research fields; loop false. terms to secondary: Transition: learn vocabulary; loop false. secondary to primary: Transition: follow citations; loop false. primary to validate: Transition: check exact record; loop false. validate to update: Transition: validated; loop false. validate to abstain: Transition: missing or conflicting; loop false. update to write: Transition: document status and sources; loop false.

sources, stated facts, and open questions\text{sources, stated facts, and open questions}

Narrow summary

Move from issue to vocabulary to primary authority to validation and updating; preserve uncertainty and hand off unresolved legal judgments.

cite, verify, update, hand off\text{cite, verify, update, hand off}