Glossary
Glossary
Working terminology used across the DrKu.net research corpus.
Unless a term is an explicitly established external industry definition with a cited source, the definitions below are labelled as DrKu.net working definitions. They are not represented as formal standardised definitions adopted by standards bodies or industry.
29 of 29 terms
- Claim boundaryDrKu.net working definition
- The explicit limit of what a body of evidence actually supports, beyond which claims are not defensible.
- Configuration driftDrKu.net working definition
- Gradual divergence between the documented configuration of a system and its actual operating state.
- Context validityDrKu.net working definition
- The degree to which the conditions under which evidence was produced still match the current decision context.
- Continued-service evidenceDrKu.net working definition
- The evidence that supports a claim that an asset may continue in service under current conditions.
- Custody transitionDrKu.net working definition
- A change in responsibility for an asset or its evidence between parties or lifecycle phases.
- Decision contextDrKu.net working definition
- The specific decision an item of evidence is intended to support, including its assumptions and constraints.
- Defensible evidenceDrKu.net working definition
- Evidence that is traceable, contextualised and bounded enough to withstand engineering scrutiny.
- Digital evidenceDrKu.net working definition
- Evidence held in digital form that describes a physical asset or its condition.
- Digital twin claim boundaryDrKu.net working definition
- The explicit limit of what a digital twin can claim, bounded by the evidence behind its model.
- Engineering evidenceDrKu.net working definition
- The recorded information — measurements, documents, data and analyses — that supports an engineering claim or decision.
- Evidence boundaryDrKu.net working definition
- The point at which evidence stops supporting a further inference or claim.
- Evidence caseDrKu.net working definition
- A structured body of evidence assembled to support a specific claim or decision.
- Evidence continuityDrKu.net working definition
- The preservation of traceable, usable evidence across transitions in custody, context, condition, technology and decision purpose.
- Evidence dependencyDrKu.net working definition
- A relationship where one item of evidence relies on another for its validity or interpretation.
- Evidence provenanceDrKu.net working definition
- The recorded origin and history of a piece of evidence — where it came from and how it has been handled.
- Evidence reassessmentDrKu.net working definition
- A renewed evaluation of existing evidence when condition, context or requirements have changed.
- Historical evidenceDrKu.net working definition
- Evidence produced at an earlier point in the lifecycle that is relied upon for a current decision.
- Integrity baselineDrKu.net working definition
- The reference state of evidence and condition against which later changes are assessed.
- Lifecycle evidenceDrKu.net working definition
- Evidence considered across the full asset lifecycle rather than at a single phase.
- Lifecycle transitionDrKu.net working definition
- A change of lifecycle state — such as repurposing, life extension or end of life — that may require a new evidence case.
- Live-asset evidenceDrKu.net working definition
- Evidence associated with an asset in operational service, including sensor, integrity and operational data.
- Measurement evidenceDrKu.net working definition
- Evidence derived from a measurement process, including the conditions and uncertainty of that process.
- Operational integrity baselineDrKu.net working definition
- The initial integrity baseline established when a project transfers into operation.
- Qualification basisDrKu.net working definition
- The set of evidence and assumptions that qualifies a material or system for a stated service.
- Research synthesisDrKu.net working definition
- A DrKu.net work that draws together evidence across multiple papers into a connected architecture.
- TraceabilityDrKu.net working definition
- The ability to follow evidence back to its origin and forward through each handling step.
- UncertaintyDrKu.net working definition
- The degree to which a measurement or evidence-based conclusion is not precisely known.
- Vendor qualificationDrKu.net working definition
- The evidence that establishes a vendor’s capability to supply to a stated basis.
Why it matters
Keeps engineering conclusions bounded by evidence and prevents overclaiming.
Framework stage(s)
Why it matters
Drift can silently invalidate the evidence basis for operational decisions.
Framework stage(s)
Related white papers
Why it matters
Evidence loses value when its original context no longer applies.
Framework stage(s)
Related white papers
Why it matters
Determines whether historical evidence still justifies ongoing operation.
Framework stage(s)
Related white papers
Why it matters
Transitions in custody are common points where evidence continuity weakens.
Framework stage(s)
Related white papers
Why it matters
Evidence is only meaningful relative to the decision it serves.
Framework stage(s)
Why it matters
Defensibility is the standard for evidence used in significant decisions.
Framework stage(s)
Related white papers
Why it matters
Digital evidence must retain the provenance and context of the physical record it represents.
Framework stage(s)
Related white papers
Why it matters
Prevents a twin from implying support for decisions its evidence does not justify.
Framework stage(s)
Related white papers
Why it matters
The foundational concept of the DrKu.net corpus.
Framework stage(s)
Why it matters
Identifying the boundary prevents conclusions extending beyond the evidence.
Framework stage(s)
Related white papers
Why it matters
A lifecycle transition may require a new evidence case rather than reusing the old one.
Framework stage(s)
Related white papers
Why it matters
The central concern of the DrKu.net research programme.
Framework stage(s)
Why it matters
Dependencies can propagate failure when upstream evidence is lost or changed.
Framework stage(s)
Related white papers
Why it matters
Provenance is what makes evidence traceable and trustworthy.
Framework stage(s)
Related white papers
Why it matters
Ensures evidence remains valid for current decisions rather than stale ones.
Framework stage(s)
Related white papers
Why it matters
Historical evidence may no longer support a claim once context or condition has changed.
Framework stage(s)
Related white papers
Why it matters
A defensible baseline is required to detect and interpret later change.
Framework stage(s)
Related white papers
Why it matters
Supports decisions that depend on continuity from manufacture to end of life.
Framework stage(s)
Why it matters
Transitions are points where old evidence may cease to apply.
Framework stage(s)
Related white papers
Why it matters
The basis for ongoing integrity and operational decisions.
Framework stage(s)
Why it matters
Measurements only become evidence when their context and uncertainty are known.
Framework stage(s)
Why it matters
Anchors all subsequent operational integrity assessment.
Framework stage(s)
Related white papers
Why it matters
A change of service can invalidate the qualification basis.
Framework stage(s)
Why it matters
Synthesis works provide the lifecycle view that individual papers build toward.
Framework stage(s)
Why it matters
Traceability is what makes evidence verifiable and defensible.
Framework stage(s)
Related white papers
Why it matters
Uncertainty limits the claims evidence can support and must be quantified, not ignored.
Framework stage(s)
Related white papers
Why it matters
Qualification evidence extends beyond a list entry to the records behind it.
Framework stage(s)
Related white papers
- 01ORIGIN
Where did the evidence come from?
Test provenance, source, method, measurement origin and responsible party.
- 02BINDING
What exactly is the evidence tied to?
Test asset identity, component, heat, pipe, location, configuration, revision, condition and claim boundary.
- 03CONTEXT
Under what conditions was it valid?
Test intended service, environment, assumptions, standards, operating envelope and decision purpose.
- 04CONTINUITY
What happened to the evidence between then and now?
Test custody, transformation, migration, aggregation, interpretation, data lineage and missing links.
- 05CURRENCY
What has changed since the evidence was created?
Test asset condition, degradation, repair, operating history, configuration, standards, service and new observations.
- 06SUFFICIENCY
Is it enough for the decision being made now?
Test completeness, uncertainty, confidence, limitations, conflicting evidence and decision relevance.
Origin → Binding → Context → Continuity → Currency → Sufficiency
These are DrKu.net Evidence Continuity Questions — a research lens, not an industry standard.