Term
Evidence ledger
An evidence ledger is a claim-level register: what was asserted, which source supports it, how strong that source is, and what would retire the claim. It is not a bibliography dumped at the end. Operators use it so a number cannot wander between chapters, books, or a back-cover line. If the claim cannot point at a row, it is not ready to print, pitch, or paste into an answer. The ledger is the product. The reference list is a rendering.
When to use it
Use it the moment a manuscript, article, or strategy memo starts quoting numbers. If two chapters cite the same figure with different N, the ledger is missing or ignored.
Do not confuse with
Not a bibliography, not a reading list, and not a pile of PDFs in a folder. The unit is one claim with a source grade.