Agent skill

Provenance Methodology

by prime-radiant-inc in prime-radiant-inc/greenfield

Cross-cutting provenance discipline. An agent skill from prime-radiant-inc/greenfield.

Apache-2.0Auto-check passedResearch & Science

Install Provenance Methodology

skills CLI
$ npx skills add prime-radiant-inc/greenfield --skill provenance-methodology -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install prime-radiant-inc/greenfield provenance-methodology --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/prime-radiant-inc/greenfield.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/provenance-methodology .claude/skills/provenance-methodology && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
provenance-methodology
GitHub stars
292
Token cost
~2.5k tokens
SKILL.md length
840 words
Files
1
Skills in repo
21
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
Apache-2.0

At a glance

Cross-cutting provenance discipline. An agent skill from prime-radiant-inc/greenfield.

  • Works in 4 steps: Copies the session JSONL to… → Records the agent run in workspace.json → Appends to the audit log at… → …
  • Tasks that involve Citation management
  • SKILL.md covers The Citation Rule, Citation Format, Source Types (Strongest to… and Confidence Levels, plus 5 more sections
  • Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md

What it does

Provenance Methodology is an agent skill from prime-radiant-inc/greenfield. Cross-cutting provenance discipline. Citation format, confidence levels, source hierarchy, session capture. Loaded by every analysis agent.

Its SKILL.md is about 2.5k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. It is a single SKILL.md file with no bundled scripts.

It sits in Research & Science, covering Citation management. The repository describes itself as: A Claude Code plugin that reverse-engineers clean behavioral specs, test vectors, and acceptance criteria from any codebase, producing a provenance trail so a fresh team can… The licence is Apache-2.0.

When your agent uses it

  • Tasks that involve Citation management

Example prompts

  • “/provenance-methodology”

Workflow steps

4 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.

  1. Copies the session JSONL to workspace/provenance/sessions/{agent-name}-{agent-id}.jsonl
  2. Records the agent run in workspace.json
  3. Appends to the audit log at workspace/provenance/audit-log.md
  4. Creates a git commit containing all output files, session log, and updated metadata

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 6e6d4b4. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md (its code samples are dot and markdown).

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    No URLs in SKILL.md.

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Provenance Methodology loads about 2.5k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 41 tokens; SKILL.md has 840 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~41
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~2.5k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from prime-radiant-inc/greenfield at commit 6e6d4b4, republished under its Apache-2.0 licence (© prime-radiant-inc). 840 words, ~2,460 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/provenance-methodology/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).
name
provenance-methodology
description
Cross-cutting provenance discipline. Citation format, confidence levels, source hierarchy, session capture. Loaded by every analysis agent.

Provenance Methodology

Every behavioral claim you write MUST have a citation. No exceptions.

The Citation Rule

A "behavioral claim" is any assertion about what the target system does, how it responds, what data it accepts or produces, what errors it raises, what limits it enforces, or how it transitions between states.

Cite as you go. Do NOT batch citations at the end of your analysis. Every time you write a behavioral claim, the very next thing you write is the citation.

Citation Format

Inline HTML comment, immediately after the claim:

markdown
- Sessions expire after 30 minutes of inactivity
  <!-- cite: source=official-docs, ref=https://docs.example.com/sessions#timeout, confidence=confirmed, agent=doc-researcher, corroborated_by=runtime-observation -->
Required Fields
FieldTypeDescription
sourceenumThe type of source (see Source Types below)
refstringSpecific location: URL, workspace/ file path with optional :line, or session timestamp
confidenceenumconfirmed, inferred, or assumed (see Confidence Levels below)
agentstringYour agent name
Optional Fields
FieldTypeDescription
corroborated_bycomma-separated listOther source types that independently confirm this claim
sessionstringAgent ID for session log in workspace/provenance/sessions/
Placement Rules
  • The <!-- cite: --> comment MUST appear on the line immediately following the claim it supports, or on the same line after the claim text.
  • If a single claim is supported by multiple independent sources, use a single citation with corroborated_by listing the additional sources.
  • If a paragraph contains multiple claims, each claim gets its own citation. Break compound sentences into separate cited items.
  • Block-level claims (tables, code blocks, decision trees) place the citation comment immediately after the closing block.

Source Types (Strongest to Weakest)

RankSource TypeWhen to UseOrigin
1official-docsPublished documentation, README, man pages, API references, changelogsPUBLIC
2public-apiObserved behavior of public API endpoints, CLI commandsPUBLIC
3sdk-analysisPublished SDK, client library, or plugin source codePUBLIC
4community-knowledgeStack Overflow, blog posts, conference talks, third-party tutorialsPUBLIC
5runtime-observationBehavior observed by running the product in a containerRAW
6source-codeProprietary source code, bundles, minified JSRAW
7binary-analysisDisassembly, decompilation, binary instrumentationRAW
8inferredReasoning, convention, analogy. No direct observation.N/A
Agent Source Type Guide
AgentPrimary Source Type
doc-researcherofficial-docs or community-knowledge
sdk-analyzer, integration-test-minersdk-analysis
bundle-splitter, chunk-analyzer, function-analyzer, targeted-extractorsource-code
cli-explorer, web-ui-explorer, behavior-observer, ux-documenterruntime-observation
binary-surveyor, binary-deep-analyzerbinary-analysis
Layer 2 synthesis agentsCite upstream agent output files
Layer 3 documentation agentsCite all supporting evidence from any source

Confidence Levels

confirmed

Two or more independent sources agree, OR a single runtime observation with reproducible steps.

Use when:

  • Official docs state X AND source code confirms X
  • Runtime observation shows X AND SDK client handles X
  • Two independent community sources describe X consistently
  • A single reproducible runtime observation (documented input, steps, output)
inferred

One authoritative source, no contradictions.

Use when:

  • Official docs state X but no second source confirms it
  • Source code clearly implements X but no docs mention it
  • A single well-regarded community source describes X, consistent with known behaviors
assumed

Convention, pattern matching, or reasoning. No direct source.

Use when:

  • Following a common convention (e.g., "REST API probably returns JSON") but no source confirms
  • A pattern in one module is assumed to apply in another
  • Evidence is partial and the claim is the most plausible interpretation
  • Filling a spec gap where behavior must exist for the system to function
Show full SKILL.md (310 more words)Show less

How to Determine Confidence

dot
digraph confidence_determination {
    rankdir=TB;

    "Determine confidence level" [shape=doublecircle];
    "How many independent sources?" [shape=diamond];
    "Is the source authoritative?" [shape=diamond];
    "Any contradicting evidence?" [shape=diamond];
    "Use confirmed" [shape=box];
    "Use inferred" [shape=box];
    "Use assumed" [shape=box];
    "STOP: Record the contradiction" [shape=octagon, style=filled, fillcolor=red, fontcolor=white];

    "Determine confidence level" -> "How many independent sources?";
    "How many independent sources?" -> "Any contradicting evidence?" [label="2 or more"];
    "How many independent sources?" -> "Is the source authoritative?" [label="1"];
    "How many independent sources?" -> "Use assumed" [label="0"];
    "Is the source authoritative?" -> "Use inferred" [label="yes"];
    "Is the source authoritative?" -> "Use assumed" [label="no"];
    "Any contradicting evidence?" -> "STOP: Record the contradiction" [label="yes"];
    "Any contradicting evidence?" -> "Use confirmed" [label="no"];
}

Authoritative sources: official docs, source code, runtime observation, specific community content. Not authoritative: your own reasoning (always assumed unless corroborated).

Confidence Escalation

Confidence can be upgraded but never downgraded without new contradicting evidence.

FromToTrigger
assumedinferredA single authoritative source confirms the claim
assumedconfirmedTwo independent sources found, OR reproducible runtime observation
inferredconfirmedA second independent source found, OR reproducible runtime observation

When escalating, update the <!-- cite: --> comment with the new confidence level and add the confirming source to corroborated_by.

Handling Contradictions

dot
digraph contradiction_handling {
    rankdir=TB;

    "New source contradicts existing claim" [shape=ellipse];
    "Record both claims with citations" [shape=box];
    "Does runtime observation contradict docs?" [shape=diamond];
    "Does source code contradict docs?" [shape=diamond];
    "Higher-ranked source wins" [shape=box];
    "Runtime observation wins (docs may be stale)" [shape=box];
    "Source code wins for implementation details" [shape=box];
    "Preserve all conflicts in citations for audit" [shape=box];

    "New source contradicts existing claim" -> "Record both claims with citations";
    "Record both claims with citations" -> "Does runtime observation contradict docs?";
    "Does runtime observation contradict docs?" -> "Runtime observation wins (docs may be stale)" [label="yes"];
    "Does runtime observation contradict docs?" -> "Does source code contradict docs?" [label="no"];
    "Does source code contradict docs?" -> "Source code wins for implementation details" [label="yes"];
    "Does source code contradict docs?" -> "Higher-ranked source wins" [label="no"];
    "Higher-ranked source wins" -> "Preserve all conflicts in citations for audit";
    "Runtime observation wins (docs may be stale)" -> "Preserve all conflicts in citations for audit";
    "Source code wins for implementation details" -> "Preserve all conflicts in citations for audit";
}

Common Mistakes

Citing everything as "confirmed" because you feel confident. confirmed requires 2+ independent sources. Your confidence in your own analysis is not a second source. One source = inferred. Period.

Using source=inferred for everything you cannot directly cite. source=inferred means the claim was derived by reasoning. If you read it in docs, source=official-docs. If you saw it in code, source=source-code. Source type = where the evidence came from. Confidence = how sure you are.

Omitting the ref field or using vague references. "ref=docs" is useless. "ref=source code" is useless. Use specific references:

  • ref=https://docs.example.com/auth#tokens (specific URL)
  • ref=workspace/raw/source/analysis/chunk-023.md:45 (file:line)
  • ref=provenance/sessions/cli-explorer-abc123.jsonl:2026-03-01T10:30:00Z (session:timestamp)

Not recording assumed claims. Unrecorded assumptions look like confirmed facts to downstream agents and the implementer. Always cite assumed claims with confidence=assumed. List them in an Assumptions section. This is honesty, not weakness.

Batching citations at the end. You forget sources. You guess at confidence. Citations become decoration instead of evidence. Cite as you go.

Session Capture

After each subagent completes, the orchestrator:

  1. Copies the session JSONL to workspace/provenance/sessions/{agent-name}-{agent-id}.jsonl
  2. Records the agent run in workspace.json
  3. Appends to the audit log at workspace/provenance/audit-log.md
  4. Creates a git commit containing all output files, session log, and updated metadata

The session log contains every tool call, search result, and file reading that the agent performed. It is the deepest layer of provenance evidence.

© prime-radiant-inc, Apache-2.0. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

Just SKILL.md in skills/provenance-methodology of prime-radiant-inc/greenfield.

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 6e6d4b4

Compare with similar skills

Provenance Methodology next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Provenance Methodology compared with similar skills
SkillStarsUsed inTokensAuto-checkLicenceRepo updated
Provenance Methodology this skillprime-radiant-inc/greenfield292—~2.5kAutomated safety check: PassApache-2.0
Content Research Writerweapp-tailwindcss/weapp-tailwindcss1.9k25 repos~3.5kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Systematic Review ScreenerImbad0202/academic-research-skills51k—~8.4kAutomated safety check: PassCustom licence
NetworkxzLanqing/codex-claude-academic-skills4.7k15 repos~3.2kAutomated safety check: PassBSD-3-Clause
Literature Reviewneflibata-feng/MyArxiv-Agent12620 repos~5.9kAutomated safety check: NotesMIT
Openalex Databaseneflibata-feng/MyArxiv-Agent12612 repos~3kAutomated safety check: PassCustom licence

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Questions about Provenance Methodology

What does Provenance Methodology do?

Cross-cutting provenance discipline. An agent skill from prime-radiant-inc/greenfield. Provenance Methodology is an agent skill from prime-radiant-inc/greenfield. Cross-cutting provenance discipline.

When should I use Provenance Methodology?

Provenance Methodology fits situations like: tasks that involve Citation management.

How do I install Provenance Methodology in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add prime-radiant-inc/greenfield --skill provenance-methodology -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/provenance-methodology in prime-radiant-inc/greenfield) into .claude/skills/provenance-methodology in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Provenance Methodology in Codex?

Run `npx skills add prime-radiant-inc/greenfield --skill provenance-methodology -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/provenance-methodology in prime-radiant-inc/greenfield) into .agents/skills/provenance-methodology in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Provenance Methodology in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add prime-radiant-inc/greenfield --skill provenance-methodology -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/provenance-methodology, .gemini/skills/provenance-methodology, .github/skills/provenance-methodology and .opencode/skills/provenance-methodology in your project.

What does Provenance Methodology need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Provenance Methodology is instructions for the agent only.

Does Provenance Methodology access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Provenance Methodology safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Provenance Methodology use?

Provenance Methodology is published under the Apache-2.0 licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Provenance Methodology use?

About 2.5k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 9.8k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.

What are the alternatives to Provenance Methodology?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Provenance Methodology: Content Research Writer (weapp-tailwindcss/weapp-tailwindcss, 1.9k stars), Systematic Review Screener (Imbad0202/academic-research-skills, 51k stars), Networkx (zLanqing/codex-claude-academic-skills, 4.7k stars) and Literature Review (neflibata-feng/MyArxiv-Agent, 126 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Provenance Methodology?

prime-radiant-inc (a GitHub organization) maintains it in prime-radiant-inc/greenfield, which has 292 GitHub stars. The repository holds 21 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on August 6, 2026.

Source: prime-radiant-inc/greenfield on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.