Use lessons 01–01 or equivalent skills before this exercise. You can revisit them from the lesson list.
A browser and text editor. Live source discovery needs browsing; all supplied exercises also work offline.
Start with the idea
Choose the source that actually applies, not just the newest-looking page.
Record who issued a source and which period and people it covers. Publication date is different from effective date. Keep conflicting records and explain which applies.
Source register: A list of sources with their dates, scope and the passages used.
See the example and check your understanding
A made-up teaching example
The applicable program notice says applications close on 30 June for local residents. An archived flyer has an older deadline. A recent blog expands eligibility without original evidence.
Ask yourself
Does the newest blog automatically override the notice?
Show the explanation
No. Authority and applicability matter too. Keep the blog’s expanded eligibility unsupported.
Start with these checks
- Check scope and effective period.
- Preserve contradictory records.
- Explain which passage controls the answer.
Use the different practice case below and check every requirement in its full instructions.
Full learning objectives
- Record provenance and applicability.
- Separate publication date from effective date.
- Preserve disagreements that cannot be resolved.
Captions appear here during playback.
Build a source register and resolve conflicting versions
Choose the source that actually applies, not just the newest-looking page.
Video playback is unavailable. Read the descriptive transcript below, go directly to practice, or open the video file.
Source-based teaching example · Fictional data · Reviewed 2026-10-03. Microsoft Mark · locally synthesized. On a small screen, use fullscreen for diagram details or read the transcript.
Read the descriptive transcript
0:00 · What you will learn
Choose the source that actually applies, not just the newest-looking page.
What appears on screen
Choose the source that actually applies, not just the newest-looking page.
0:07 · The idea
Record who issued a source and which period and people it covers. Publication date is different from effective date. Keep conflicting records and explain which applies.
What appears on screen
Record who issued a source and which period and people it covers. Publication date is different from effective date. Keep conflicting records and explain which applies.
0:20 · One useful term
Source register. A list of sources with their dates, scope and the passages used.
What appears on screen
A list of sources with their dates, scope and the passages used.
0:29 · A worked example
The applicable program notice says applications close on 30 June for local residents. An archived flyer has an older deadline. A recent blog expands eligibility without original evidence.
What appears on screen
The applicable program notice says applications close on 30 June for local residents. An archived flyer has an older deadline. A recent blog expands eligibility without original evidence.
0:45 · Your turn to think
Does the newest blog automatically override the notice? Pause and decide before continuing.
What appears on screen
Does the newest blog automatically override the notice? Pause the video if you need more time.
1:02 · Why this answer works
No. Authority and applicability matter too. Keep the blog’s expanded eligibility unsupported.
What appears on screen
No. Authority and applicability matter too. Keep the blog’s expanded eligibility unsupported.
1:12 · Check 1
Check scope and effective period.
What appears on screen
Check scope and effective period.
1:17 · Check 2
Preserve contradictory records.
What appears on screen
Preserve contradictory records.
1:23 · Check 3
Explain which passage controls the answer.
What appears on screen
Explain which passage controls the answer.
1:28 · Now try a different case
Open the lesson and try its different practice case. Use every check in the full task. Watching alone does not mark the lesson complete.
What appears on screen
Open the lesson Try the new case Check and revise The full task and its requirements are in the linked lesson.
Watching explains the example. Complete the lesson practice to check what you can do. Explore all visual lessons →
The method
Create a source register before synthesis: source ID, author or issuer, title, location, publication date, effective date, scope, access date and the passage used. Prefer original evidence for consequential claims, but inspect what it actually covers. An official source may be out of date or apply to a different population.
Resolve conflicts by authority, scope and effective period, rather than selecting whichever result appears first. Ask the assistant to compare passages and identify what it cannot resolve. Retain the superseded version when it explains a discrepancy, and label it. An extraction tool can help locate text; open the original and check tables, notes and attachments yourself.
Choose your model, harness and offline route
Text-only assistant
Use supplied text. Ask for a plan or draft; do not claim browsing, code execution or file access that was unavailable.
Tool-enabled application or harness
Record which tools actually run, allowed files and actions, approval boundaries and observable results. Tools are optional unless the task needs them.
Local or cloud deployment
Inspect inference, retrieval, connectors, logs and storage separately. Use only authorized environments for real data; training fixtures are fictional.
Higher-capability or frontier model
Evaluate the exact task and configuration. Capability does not supply missing evidence or grant permission. No provider ranking or guarantee is implied.
Offline alternative
Use the supplied inputs and inspect the worked example manually. Builder exercises use local deterministic Python. No paid account or live model call is required.
Record the exact product/model label when available, tools actually used, inputs, permitted actions, observed output and checks. Live accounts or APIs may have external costs; they are optional and are not used by this page.
Read the general workflow guide →Worked example
Supplied input
Fictional S1: Program notice, published 1 March, effective 1 April: applications close 30 June for local residents. S2: archived February flyer: closes 15 June. S3: partner blog dated 10 April: everyone is eligible; no original source linked.
A checked result
Use S1 for the current fictional deadline and local-resident scope. Mark S2 superseded for this period. Mark S3’s expanded eligibility unsupported. Preserve all three entries and the passages explaining the decision.
Why this works
A recent blog does not override the applicable original notice. Publication recency and governing authority are separate checks.
Try a different case
Independent sources: T1 venue terms effective 1 August allow groups up to 24; T2 old flyer says 30; T3 new email from an unidentified sender says 40. Make a register and a defensible capacity statement.
Download this task and checklist →Interactive practice / Fictional fixture
Resolve the source conflict
Use the supplied independent case above. Check the bounded decisions, then review your written artifact against the full acceptance criteria.
Everything runs in this browser. No AI model is called and no work is uploaded. Bounded checks cover specific facts and rules. Your writing is not graded: you review it yourself. Practice never marks a lesson complete automatically.
Include source IDs, scope, known metadata, missing metadata and a next confirmation step.
Try the task, run the checks, then revise. Checks are teaching feedback, not an instructor grade.
Observed browser simulation
This trace comes from the bounded local checker. It is not a Python run, model result or production tool execution.
Self-review
Locked. Write every written part, then run the checks. A few words is not an attempt.
This is self-review, not grading. Read our answers, then tick what your own work does. Ticks are optional. They stay on this page and are not saved or sent anywhere. A different answer can be just as good if it meets the lesson criteria.
Source register and conflict note
A strong answer
T1: venue terms, effective 1 August. Groups up to 24. This is the governing document for bookings from that date. Missing: who issued it and whether a later version exists. T2: old flyer. Says 30. No date. Treat as superseded, but keep the entry. T3: email. Says 40. Sender not identified, no link to the terms. Unverified. Conflict: three capacities, 24, 30 and 40. Statement: under the supplied terms, capacity is 24. Next step: ask the venue who sent T3 and whether the terms changed.
A flawed answer
T1 says 24, T2 says 30, T3 says 40. T3 is the newest, so capacity is now 40. Deleted T2 because it is out of date.
What is wrong with it: Newest is not the same as authoritative: nobody knows who sent T3. Deleting T2 also removes the record that a conflict existed.
Keep or restore your work
Drafts are not saved automatically. Save only fictional practice data. A browser draft may be lost if storage is cleared; download a copy to keep it.
Your steps
- Assign source IDs and copy the relevant passages.
- Record authority, scope and missing metadata.
- State which capacity you can support and what requires confirmation.
Check your work
- Use 24 under the supplied applicable terms.
- Flag the email’s identity and authority as unresolved.
- Do not erase contradictory evidence or claim a real venue policy.
After your attempt: review notes and a common mistake
“The supplied terms support 24; the unverified email requires confirmation” is defensible. Averaging 24, 30 and 40 is not a method for resolving rules.
Different wording or a different justified decision can pass. Check your work against every requirement; these notes are not an automated grade.
Explain your approach
When would newer evidence legitimately supersede the terms?
Keep your artifact, one correction or decision, its evidence and one remaining limitation. Nothing on this page sends or uploads your work.
Check your understanding
Choose an answer to see feedback. This is a knowledge check, not instructor assessment.
Review your independent practice
Complete the supplied task before recording progress. Use the acceptance criteria and reveal the review notes after your attempt. Keep your artifact yourself; nothing is uploaded.
Not yet self-reviewed. Completion stays in this browser and does not issue a badge.
Optional deeper study
Explore the related general-course lesson → This opens the existing canonical lesson; it is optional depth, not another copy of this focused task.
Primary references
Revision 2026-10-03. Fictional examples, not observed provider results. Knowledge checks and completion records are self-study aids.