Specimen Dossier
The first checkpoint — proof you've chosen a workable specimen and gathered enough primary evidence to build a case, before any theory.
Due: 19 August 2026 · Weight: 15%
The brief#
Prove you have a real specimen and enough evidence to work with — not yet an explanation.
This is the checkpoint that stops the semester from being built on a restaurant nobody can actually investigate. A strong dossier has more sources than you think you need and resists the temptation to already know why the place closed; that temptation is what week 9’s peer cross-examination exists to catch if you don’t catch it yourself first.
What you submit#
A dossier containing: the specimen’s name, address and closure date; the sourced, dated timeline from weeks 1–2; the location-viability numbers from week 3; and the menu cost reading from week 4. Everything traces to a public source a marker can check.
The spec
The brief poses the problem and leaves room for a response. The spec is the fixed part: what a marker checks. Some lines can be checked mechanically; the rest call for judgement.
- submitted by the deadline, as a single document or linked page
- names one specific, verifiably closed restaurant by address
- cites at least three independently sourced, dated pieces of evidence
- contains no stated theory of the cause of closure yet
How it is marked
| Criterion | Weight |
|---|---|
| Specimen meets the eligibility rules | 30% |
| Breadth and dating of primary sources | 40% |
| Location and menu readings are shown, not just asserted | 30% |