A claim is only the beginning of the record.

The evidence record

Every public evidence surface is intended to distinguish six connected facts. Keeping them separate helps prevent a verified purchase from being mistaken for a successful outcome, or a small sample from being mistaken for a broad conclusion.

• Claim — the measurable result someone expects, the intended context, the time window, and any disclosed commercial relationship.
• Decision — a participant’s recorded choice, including what or who influenced it and what would make it worthwhile.
• Verification — the support available for the recorded decision or use.
• Time — the stated follow-up window, such as day 7, day 30, day 90, or day 180.
• Outcome — the participant’s assessment of whether the original claim held up.
• Evidence strength — the coverage, sample, completion, and limitation context for interpreting the record.

Verification states

Verification describes what supports a record. It does not confirm that the product worked, and it is not an endorsement.

• Unverified — no supporting material has been assessed.
• Evidence submitted — a participant has supplied receipt, order, usage, or other supporting material; assessment may still be pending.
• Purchase verified — available evidence supports that the relevant product or service was purchased.
• Usage verified — available evidence supports meaningful use or participation after purchase.
• Longitudinally verified — available evidence supports a record across more than one scheduled point in time.
• Rejected — the submitted evidence could not be accepted, was materially inconsistent, duplicated, outside scope, or otherwise failed review.

Outcome states

Outcomes are participant-reported assessments against the recorded claim and follow-up period. They are not medical, financial, safety, or professional advice.

• Claim held up — the participant reports that the stated result was achieved in the recorded context.
• Partly held up — the participant reports that some, but not all, of the stated result held up.
• Did not hold up — the participant reports that the stated result was not achieved in the recorded context.
• Unable to assess — the participant cannot fairly assess the claim, for example because use was too limited, the item was returned, or relevant circumstances changed.

Evidence strength and confidence

Evidence labels are intended to communicate how much applicable follow-up is available, not to declare a product universally good or bad. Each label should be shown with its sample size, applicable follow-up window, verification mix, and completion rate.

• Under 25 completed applicable follow-ups — insufficient evidence. No product conclusion should be presented.
• 25–99 completed applicable follow-ups — emerging evidence. Results may be directional and should be read cautiously.
• 100–499 completed applicable follow-ups — established evidence. A clearer observed pattern may be described with its limits.
• 500 or more completed applicable follow-ups — strong evidence. The pattern may be more stable, but it remains contextual rather than guaranteed.

Sample, completion, and versioning

Sample size counts applicable completed outcomes, not impressions, followers, clicks, or purchases alone. Completion rate is the completed applicable check-ins divided by eligible check-ins for the stated window. A result should show both so readers can see how much follow-up was captured.

AFTELO intends to version material methodology changes. Version 0.1 is the current founding-pilot design. A record should retain the methodology version used when it was prepared; later changes should be documented rather than silently rewriting prior rules.

Limits of the record

Outcomes can be self-reported, incomplete, affected by context, and subject to selection bias. Verification can support a decision or use record without proving causation. Short follow-up periods cannot answer long-term questions, and aggregate evidence cannot predict what will happen for a particular person.

AFTELO does not present founding-pilot material as traction, certification, independent testing, or live consumer evidence unless that status is expressly supported and labelled. Regulated, medical, therapeutic, weight-loss, financial, and other unsafe categories are excluded from the initial launch scope.