Protocol

Source content

{

"schema": "https://epistemedia.org/research/agent-citation-trace-protocol-v1.json",

"protocol_id": "em-0026-agent-citation-trace-v1",

"task_id": "EM-0026",

"status": "frozen-before-traces",

"frozen_at": "2026-08-23T02:25:00Z",

"evidence_cutoff": "2026-08-22",

"target_decision_path": "research/how-we-know/agent-citation-lineage/target-decision.json",

"target_decision_sha256": "ce37c73dddfe4182a399f0a73657fd2349ce247bcc300ce6d5353a98b79ce9e5",

"target_decision_bytes": 3825,

"prompt_path": "research/how-we-know/agent-citation-lineage/frozen-prompt.md",

"prompt_sha256": "8c1098fdf8b5e524c6276779868ff3b330c63260f36756389534004b8a6309c6",

"prompt_bytes": 2808,

"prompt_transport": "entire UTF-8 file byte-for-byte, including its Markdown heading",

"capture_matrix": [

{

"run_id": "SOL-01",

"requested_model_profile": "gpt-5.6-sol",

"requested_reasoning_effort": "high"

},

{

"run_id": "SOL-02",

"requested_model_profile": "gpt-5.6-sol",

"requested_reasoning_effort": "high"

},

{

"run_id": "SOL-03",

"requested_model_profile": "gpt-5.6-sol",

"requested_reasoning_effort": "high"

},

{

"run_id": "SOL-04",

"requested_model_profile": "gpt-5.6-sol",

"requested_reasoning_effort": "high"

},

{

"run_id": "TERRA-01",

"requested_model_profile": "gpt-5.6-terra",

"requested_reasoning_effort": "high"

},

{

"run_id": "TERRA-02",

"requested_model_profile": "gpt-5.6-terra",

"requested_reasoning_effort": "high"

},

{

"run_id": "TERRA-03",

"requested_model_profile": "gpt-5.6-terra",

"requested_reasoning_effort": "high"

},

{

"run_id": "TERRA-04",

"requested_model_profile": "gpt-5.6-terra",

"requested_reasoning_effort": "high"

}

],

"run_controls": {

"inherited_conversation_turns": 0,

"same_prompt_for_every_run": true,

"permitted_retrieval": "credential-free public web retrieval only",

"requested_tool_surface": "public read-only web retrieval; no browser session or account connector",

"provider_system_context": "unknown",

"provider_sampling_parameters": "unknown unless exposed by the runtime receipt",

"replacement_runs": "forbidden",

"failed_run_treatment": "retain the assigned run record with its exact terminal status and no substitute"

},

"public_capture_boundary": {

"include": [

"frozen prompt identity",

"requested runtime profile and reasoning effort",

"capture time and terminal status",

"final answer bytes and digest",

"citation URLs and declared public retrieval receipts",

"quote-minimal source spans needed for warrant review"

],

"exclude": [

"hidden reasoning",

"provider-restricted system or developer context",

"credentials, cookies, account identifiers, or logged-in state",

"personal data and inherited private conversation",

"full copyrighted source artifacts without redistribution permission"

]

},

"citation_resolution_fields": [

"requested_url",

"redirect_chain",

"resolved_url",

"retrieval_status",

"http_status",

"media_type",

"captured_bytes",

"captured_sha256",

"source_work_id",

"edition_id",

"span_id",

"supported_proposition_id",

"license_treatment"

],

"warrant_checks": [

"modality",

"causality",

"scope",

"time",

"population",

"metric_definition",

"numerical_strengthening",

"comparison_class",

"source_versus_agent_wording"

],

"dependence_dimensions": [

"model_profile",

"prompt",

"retrieval_infrastructure",

"requested_url",

"source_work",

"edition",

"exact_span",

"upstream_citation",

"data",

"method",

"derivation"

],

"derived_counts": [

"captured_reports",

"cited_urls",

"resolving_url_roots",

"source_work_roots",

"examined_edition_roots",

"exact_span_roots",

"warrant_roots",

"non_resolving_citations",

"inaccessible_citations",

"unsupported_or_force_raised_citations",

"unresolved_citations"

],

"independence_rule": "No run, agent label, runtime profile, URL, or citation receives independent warrant credit merely because its surface identity differs.",

"review_rule": "A fresh-clone reviewer must independently bind trace bytes, re-retrieve authoritative source editions, match exact spans, inspect dependence relations, and reproduce every displayed count before a dossier can be proposed.",

"stop_conditions_path": "research/how-we-know/agent-citation-lineage/target-decision.json"

}