---
title: "Set the scope of your review."
description: "Choose the subject, period, and permitted sources. Start with a question to investigate, not an answer to confirm."
updated: "27 August 2026"
candidate_route: "/docs/harbinger/guides/choose-an-area"
---

# Set the scope of your review.

Choose the subject, period, and permitted sources. Start with a question to investigate, not an answer to confirm.

## Write the boundary first

- Object or area of interest
- Relevant time window
- Permitted evidence sources
- Included relationships
- Explicit exclusions and stopping conditions

## Treat identity as a claim

Similar names do not establish that two records describe the same real-world object. Compare stable identifiers, address, source, and validity period before linking them.

> **Identity:** An unresolved match remains a candidate. Do not merge away its provenance.

---

Published route: /docs/harbinger/guides/choose-an-area