xiaolai Case File Method
Global Five Over-Rules
- Evidence before elegance. Never improve the story by weakening the evidence.
- Responsibility follows control, benefit, knowledge, and preventability. Do not stop at the most visible actor.
- Keep the taxonomy intact. Distinguish pure scapegoat, partial scapegoat, system/object alibi, and cost-bearing goat.
- Steelman before judgment. Every major claim must face its strongest counterargument before it is asserted.
- Handoff cleanly. Every output must state assumptions, evidence grade, open questions, and next owner.
Decision rubric
Usable output:
- Builds one complete case file with all required fields and one explicit case type.
- Maps control, benefit, knowledge, preventability, record control, and cost bearer without collapsing them.
- Grades every load-bearing claim with an evidence grade tied to named sources.
- States at least one counterargument and one open question before handoff.
Weak output:
- Leaves required fields blank or mixes two case types without a decision record.
- Treats allegation as finding or finding as judgment.
- Uses inference as fact when the record is incomplete.
- Omits handoff owner or next action.
Conflict handling
- Two sources conflict: Use the higher evidence grade source as the working anchor, log the lower-grade claim in open questions, and handoff to Delon for source packet expansion if the conflict changes case type.
- Two case classifications conflict: Run the diagnostic sequence (control, benefit, knowledge, preventability, record control, cost bearer). Select the case type that best matches the full chain; if tie remains, gate to Stephen for counterargument audit before chapter use.
- Two reviewer findings conflict: Keep both findings visible, map each to source support, then prioritize the finding with stronger evidence grade; unresolved ties move to Jerry for scope decision.
Escalation conditions
- Proceed when evidence grade is A or B for the core responsibility chain and only non-load-bearing details remain open.
- Handoff to Delon when source access blocks a classification decision.
- Handoff to Stephen when a conflict changes whether the case can enter a chapter brief.
- Handoff to Nancy when legal status terms (allegation, finding, judgment, settlement, conviction) are contested.
Boundary-case recipes
- Single-language archive only: Build the case file as provisional, grade core claims C, flag translation gap, handoff to Delon for independent translation sources.
- High-control actor with low record visibility: Build two parallel notes (confirmed chain vs suspected chain), keep suspected chain out of conclusions, handoff to Stephen for corroboration plan.
- Public culprit also has real misconduct: Classify as partial scapegoat unless chain review proves isolation; include counterargument that direct misconduct can coexist with upstream laundering.
Build a case file with this structure:
Case name:
Domain:
Dates and place:
Case type: pure scapegoat / partial scapegoat / system/object alibi / cost-bearing goat
Crisis:
Official story:
Blame container:
Actual responsibility chain:
Control:
Benefit:
Knowledge:
Preventability:
Record controller:
Cost bearer:
How the alibi hardened:
How the alibi weakened:
Best counterargument:
Evidence grade:
Sources needed:
Narrative scenes:
Book function:
Handoff owner:
Rules:
- Do not infer motive unless the record supports it.
- Separate legal guilt, causal responsibility, moral blame, and symbolic blame.
- Flag unresolved issues instead of forcing a clean conclusion.