Help, limitations, and terminology
What this chapter does
When you cannot find or open something, it helps to know which part stopped working. A missing search result is different from an inaccessible document; a Check with unresolved evidence is different from a Check that never executed.
This chapter starts with the visible symptom and gives you a next step without pretending an unknown result is a negative finding.
Reader outcome
Classify the problem, try one appropriate recovery, and retain enough non-sensitive details to reproduce or report it.
1. A search returns no matches
Check spelling, alternative names and filters. Confirm which collection or release was searched. A query for an abbreviated institution may work differently from its formal name.
Expected result: either a more specific result or an accurate description of which search scope returned no match. No match in one index does not establish that the subject or document does not exist.
2. A reference exists but the document is unavailable
An entry may cite a publisher document even where Counterpedia has no Source Record or retained copy. Follow the documented original or archive destination when permitted. If the publisher link is unavailable, keep its bibliographic details and note that you could not inspect the passage.
Do not replace inaccessible source text with an AI-generated summary and then cite the summary as the original.
3. A private result will not open
Check whether you are signed out, using the wrong owning identity, missing authorized retrieval material, or receiving an explicit permission refusal. Try the documented sign-in or retrieval path for that particular status. Do not paste access tokens, private retrieval keys or receipts containing confidential material into a public issue.
A copied URL does not bypass the result’s access boundary.
4. A Check is unresolved, refused or failed
| What you observe | What it means | Appropriate next step |
|---|---|---|
| Not evaluated | No recorded assessment for the question | Decide whether an authorized assessment is needed |
| Unresolved | Evaluated evidence did not establish a conclusive outcome | Inspect the reasons and potentially refine the statement/source |
| Refused | The action was denied under access or policy rules | Read the reason and use an authorized route |
| Execution failed | The requested operation did not complete technically | Preserve error context; retry only as documented |
| Source inaccessible | The relevant document could not be read | Find a lawful original or edition; do not invent its text |
A receipt can establish particular content identity properties when correctly verified; it does not convert a refusal or execution error into a completed assessment.
5. A list ends early or an operation times out
Check the displayed page size, neighborhood depth, continuation or cursor. Preserve the selected collection and version when requesting the next page. A bounded graph neighborhood is not an exhaustive census of relationships. For interrupted downloads, retain the expected identity and compare a completed permitted file before citing its bytes.
6. Terms you will see
| Term | Plain-language meaning |
|---|---|
| Subject or entry | An identified object and a readable account or observation about it |
| Relationship | A recorded connection with direction and origin |
| Observed reference | A pointer to material that may or may not be retained |
| Source Record | Registered documentary identity and its recorded destinations |
| Retained copy | Material held as a specific capture or edition |
| Check | An authorized assessment of specified questions about a statement and context |
| Receipt | A record of a bounded operation or result, interpreted under its own contract |
| Edition or version | The particular recorded state you read or cite |
| Coverage | Which collection and units an operation actually examined |
A source label or provider name is not automatically the source’s original publisher or proof that a quoted claim is true.
7. Report a reproducible issue
Record the route or public record identity, approximate time, operation, selected input type, expected behavior and exact visible error. Redact credentials and private content. Use the release’s designated support or reporting destination; do not invent a support address from a general homepage.
Expected result: someone can reproduce the problem without needing your private key or guessing which version you saw.
8. Choose the next task
For a search problem, return to Searching or Coverage. For document or provenance issues, read Sources. For Check and access states, see Using Check, Evidence and uncertainty, and Saving and retrieval.
Corresponding overview
Understand coverage and availability