A useful chronology is a table of sourced events, not a narrative assembled from memory. Give each event an ID and cite the exact source location that supports it.
Minimum event fields
- Event date and time, preserving uncertainty where necessary
- Neutral event description
- People and organizations involved
- Amount, when the source records one
- Source ID and page, line, row, or timestamp
- Evidence grade and reviewer confidence
Keep interpretation in its own field
“Invoice dated March 3” is a source-backed event. “The invoice was deliberately delayed” is an interpretation requiring separate evidence. Storing both in one sentence makes later verification difficult.
Handle conflicting dates visibly
When two sources conflict, log both events and create a gap or claim-assessment row. Do not overwrite the weaker date simply because the stronger record arrived later.