Identify the originating process
Ask what business activity produced the records and which system exported them. A public annual report, an internal draft, and an operational invoice carry different context. Describe whether files are authentic operational artifacts, examples produced for testing, or synthetic documents created from templates.
Record collection boundaries
Document the collection period, included organizations, selection criteria, and known omissions. A dataset assembled from successful completed transactions may exclude abandoned workflows and exceptions. Buyers need this context to understand what model behavior the records can reasonably support and which conclusions would exceed the collection’s coverage.
Track transformations explicitly
Keep a processing history for format conversion, OCR, redaction, deduplication, and annotation. Preserve references that connect derived text or tables to the relevant original artifact where permitted. A cleaned export should not quietly erase whether a value came from source text, a normalization rule, or a reviewer.
Review use for the actual project
Request the documentation needed to assess permitted use, access restrictions, and sensitive information for the specific proposed workflow. A visible document or an available download is not a substitute for that review. Fiund sourcing conversations should establish the intended use and evidence expectations before treating a source as suitable. One practical trace should follow a single extracted value backward through its annotation file, converted text, original document, and source collection description. Any broken link becomes a question for the review log. Repeat the exercise for a difficult example as well as a clean demonstration file before deciding what documentation is sufficient.
Review checklist
- Name the original business process
- Describe selection and exclusions
- Keep a transformation history
- Review source and use documentation per project