Resolution Decision Framework

Not every contradiction should be resolved. The resolution decision depends on three factors: analytical impact (does the contradiction change your conclusions?), resolution cost (how much effort is required to determine which source is correct?), and resolution confidence (can you actually determine the truth, or will you just be guessing with more sophistication?). High impact, low cost, high confidence: resolve immediately. High impact, high cost, low confidence: acknowledge the contradiction, present both values, and flag for future verification. Low impact: document and move on.

## Contradiction Resolution Decision Matrix

                          RESOLUTION CONFIDENCE
                          High            Low
ANALYTICAL    High  │ RESOLVE NOW    │ PRESENT BOTH  │
IMPACT              │ Trace to       │ Flag for      │
                    │ primary source │ future verify  │
              ──────┼────────────────┼───────────────│
              Low   │ DOCUMENT       │ DOCUMENT      │
                    │ Note for       │ Ignore safely │
                    │ reliability    │               │
                    │ tracking       │               │

COST MODIFIER: If resolution cost exceeds 30 minutes
for a non-critical contradiction, document and defer.
Analyst time is the scarcest resource.