Synthesis Update Mechanism

Core principle

Synthesis pages are living documents.

They should have one readable current view, but they should also preserve the history of how that view changed.

The wiki should not accumulate endless appended mini-summaries at the top. That would make the page worse over time.

Instead:

Current synthesis = best current understanding
Synthesis history = preserved prior states
Evidence/source sections = append-only provenance

Page structure

A Big Idea or major synthesis page should include these sections:

# Big Idea Title
 
## Short version
 
One-paragraph stable definition.
 
## Current synthesis
 
The wiki's best current synthesis.
 
## Confidence
 
Low / medium / high, with one sentence explaining why.
 
## What changed recently
 
Short bullet list of recent synthesis-impacting updates.
 
## Supporting claims
 
- [[Claim: ...]]
- [[Claim: ...]]
 
## Tensions and disagreements
 
Durable unresolved tensions.
 
## Practical implications
 
Especially for Clay / K-12 / edtech / district policy where relevant.
 
## Source trail
 
Articles and sources that shape this synthesis.
 
## Synthesis history
 
Archived prior synthesis snapshots.

Update decision tree

When a new article is ingested and linked to a synthesis page, decide whether the page needs:

1. no synthesis update,
2. append-only source/evidence update,
3. minor synthesis edit,
4. major synthesis rewrite,
5. new synthesis branch or separate page.

Step 1: Does the new article touch the synthesis page?

If no:

Do nothing to the synthesis page.

If yes:

Continue.

A new article touches a synthesis page if it:

• supports one of its claims,
• challenges one of its claims,
• introduces an important caveat,
• changes a practical implication,
• adds a new frame or vocabulary,
• connects the idea to a new domain,
• or is directly about the Big Idea.

Step 2: Does the article add evidence without changing the synthesis?

If the article merely adds another example, source, quote, or supporting instance for something already represented:

Do not rewrite Current synthesis.
Append the article to the relevant Source trail / Supporting claims / Evidence section.
Optionally add one bullet to What changed recently.

This is the default for most articles.

Prior synthesis text remains unchanged.

Step 3: Does the article add nuance but not change the main conclusion?

If the article complicates the existing synthesis but does not overturn or materially shift it:

Lightly edit Current synthesis.
Preserve the prior paragraph only if the edit changes meaning, not if it is just wording cleanup.
Add an entry to Synthesis history if meaning changed.

Minor wording improvements do not need history snapshots.

Meaning-changing edits do.

Step 4: Does the article materially shift the synthesis?

If yes:

Archive the prior Current synthesis in Synthesis history.
Rewrite Current synthesis.
Add a What changed recently entry.
Link the article or claim that caused the shift.

A material shift happens when the new article changes one or more of these:

• the page’s central conclusion,
• the relative weight of support vs. dissent,
• the explanation of the main tension,
• the practical implication,
• the scope of the idea,
• the confidence level,
• the relationship between major claims,
• or the framing vocabulary used to understand the idea.

Step 5: Does the article introduce a competing synthesis rather than a simple update?

Sometimes the new article does not just update the existing synthesis. It reveals a major unresolved split.

In that case:

Do not force one synthesis to absorb the other.
Keep Current synthesis as a balanced overview.
Add or update a Tensions and disagreements section.
Possibly create a related claim or Big Idea page if the competing frame passes anti-sprawl rules.
Archive the prior synthesis if the Current synthesis meaning changes.

This matters when the wiki’s understanding becomes:

There are two serious interpretations here.

rather than:

The old interpretation was incomplete.

Exact rule for rewrite vs append vs version

Append only

Use append-only updates when the new article:

• supports an existing claim,
• provides another example,
• adds a useful quote,
• adds a source to an already-known position,
• or reinforces the current synthesis without changing its meaning.

Action:

Append source/evidence.
Do not alter Current synthesis.
Do not create Synthesis history entry unless the Current synthesis text changes.

Light rewrite

Use a light rewrite when the new article:

• adds nuance,
• expands scope,
• adds a caveat,
• improves the wording of the current synthesis,
• or slightly changes the confidence level.

Action:

Edit Current synthesis.
If the meaning changed, archive the previous Current synthesis.
If only wording changed, no archive required.
Add a short What changed recently bullet.

Major rewrite

Use a major rewrite when the new article:

• changes the main conclusion,
• introduces strong dissent,
• reveals that prior synthesis was too narrow,
• shifts from mostly support to contested,
• changes practical implications,
• or changes the organizing frame of the idea.

Action:

Move the prior Current synthesis into Synthesis history.
Write a new Current synthesis.
Update Confidence.
Add What changed recently.
Add/update related claims.
Preserve source links.

Versioned branch / separate page

Use a separate page or explicit branch only when:

• two frames are both durable,
• neither should dominate the other,
• both are likely to recur,
• and separating them would help the reader.

Action:

Keep parent synthesis page as overview.
Create or link separate Big Idea / Claim pages if they pass anti-sprawl thresholds.
Use related links instead of forcing a merge.

What happens to the prior synthesis text?

The prior Current synthesis text gets moved into the same page under:

## Synthesis history

Each entry should preserve:

• date of replacement,
• prior synthesis text,
• reason it changed,
• source/article/claim that caused the update,
• update type,
• optional confidence before/after.

Suggested format:

## Synthesis history
 
### 2026-05-24 — Reframed after [[Article Title]]
 
**Update type:** Major rewrite  
**Reason for change:** New source introduced substantial dissent and shifted the page from a mostly supportive synthesis to a contested one.  
**Changed by:** [[Article Title]]  
**Prior confidence:** Medium  
**New confidence:** Low-medium  
 
**Previous synthesis:**
 
> Previous synthesis text goes here.

This keeps the visible page clean while preserving intellectual history.

Current synthesis edit protocol

When updating a synthesis page, follow this protocol:

1. Read the current page, including current synthesis, synthesis history, related claims, and source trail.
2. Classify the update type:

no_change
append_only
light_rewrite
major_rewrite
branch_or_related_page

3. State the proposed update in review-first mode.
4. Preserve prior synthesis if meaning changes by copying it exactly into Synthesis history.
5. Replace the live synthesis with concise, readable, evidence-linked text.
6. Update metadata if applicable.
7. Update What changed recently.

Recommended page metadata

---
type: big_idea
synthesis_status: emerging
synthesis_confidence: medium
last_synthesis_update: 2026-05-24
last_major_synthesis_update: 2026-05-24
history_policy: archive_prior_current_synthesis_on_meaning_change
---

Suggested statuses:

emerging
stable
contested
superseded
needs_review

Suggested confidence levels:

low
medium
high

Governing rule

Append new evidence by default; rewrite the Current synthesis only when the meaning changes; whenever meaning changes, archive the exact prior Current synthesis in Synthesis history before replacing it.