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Research Gate

REFERENCECONTEXT
📖4 min read

Pass/Fail

Every item must be satisfied (or documented as N/A with reason) before the research moves forward.

Lifecycle Ordered

Define → Collect → Preserve → Process → Analyze → Validate & Report. One clean path.

Consolidated

This checklist consolidates guidance spread across the Data section. Each item links to the deeper page.

The Research Gate is a single, pass/fail checklist that every BVI project must satisfy before it is published, handed over, or presented. It is a gate, not a tutorial — each item links to the deeper Data page that explains the why and how. Passing the gate means the research is defensible (a sound method), regardless of any one court's admissibility rules.

Work through the stages in order. Do not proceed to the next stage until the current one passes.

Stage 0 — Define (before you start)​

→ data/define

  • Research question written as one specific, answerable sentence.
  • Approach declared: confirmatory, exploratory, or mixed.
  • Blender justified (why 3D reconstruction for this question; alternatives considered/rejected).
  • Scope defined: what is in, what is out, the boundaries of the investigation.

Stage 1 — Collect (acquire + document sources)​

→ data/collect

  • Source registry started: a spreadsheet or document listing every source.
  • For each source: type, location/URL, access date, technical specs, and what you extracted from it.
  • Provenance recorded: who provided it, which repository, original URL.
  • Authenticity gate: for key evidence, how did you confirm it's authentic/unmanipulated? Flag any source you cannot authenticate.
  • Sources characterized for suitability: optics (distortion), artifacts, perspective lines.
  • Metadata handled: extracted where present; estimated camera parameters where absent.
  • Relevance confirmed: each source demonstrably supports the research question.

Stage 2 — Preserve & Store (protect + verify)​

→ data/preserve-store

  • Origins sanctuary created: a read-only folder for pristine originals.
  • Hashes generated and logged (SHA-256) for all originals; stored in an evidence log.
  • Working copies separated from originals; originals never edited directly.
  • Folder structure chosen and applied consistently (Forensic / Workflow / Hybrid).
  • Naming convention fixed (ISO dates, project, description, version).
  • Version control plan in place (incremental + milestone saves).
  • Durability: where is this stored, and is it preserved against loss or tampering?

Stage 3 — Process (transform + document every change)​

→ data/process

  • All processing on working copies only.
  • Every transformation logged: each filter, enhancement, crop, with settings.
  • Segmentation: clips split, frames extracted, sources grouped by device.
  • Temporal alignment: video synced to a single master timeline; anchors recorded.

Stage 4 — Analyze (method + measurement)​

→ data/analyze

  • Ground truth established: fixed spatial framework (satellite, structural measurements).
  • Key objects identified and catalogued: vehicles, actors, vegetation, street furniture.
  • Reconstruction decisions logged in the decision log: with evidence, alternatives, confidence.
  • Uncertainty quantified, not guessed: error sources listed, method chosen (RSS vs Monte Carlo), reported as value ± uncertainty (method, confidence).
  • Gap-filling explicit: any inference or interpolation flagged, with rationale.
  • Verification against independent sources where possible.

Stage 5 — Validate & Report (assemble + prove + communicate)​

→ data/validate-report

  • Scene assembled from verified layers.
  • Projection verification: source footage projected onto geometry, alignment confirmed.
  • Geometric validation: scale, angles, distances measured vs. ground truth.
  • Confidence map produced: color-coded output showing fact vs. inference.
  • Analytical report written: methodology, findings, conclusions, limitations.
  • Comparison charts / exhibits produced where relevant.
  • Limitations stated honestly: margin of error, what remains uncertain/speculative.
  • Boundary awareness: report states what can and cannot be claimed from this analysis.

Collaboration & independent check (cross-cutting)​

→ data/collaborate

  • An independent reviewer (or peer) checked the log, sources, and reconstruction decisions.
  • Disagreements and how they were resolved are recorded.

Summary​

The Research Gate turns the defensibility baseline into an actionable workflow: seven stages, one pass/fail checklist, links to the evidence-backed methodology behind each item. It exists so that a BVI reconstruction is not just a compelling visualization but a defensible piece of analysis.

Key Takeaways:

  • A gate, not a tutorial — each item links to the deeper page for the why/how.
  • Strictness is proportional: a forensic reconstruction requires the full gate; a historical exploration may document N/A with reason.
  • Passing the gate = a sound, defensible method, independent of jurisdiction-specific admissibility.