Term
TRACE
TRACE is a five-step research loop: Target, Retrieve, Assess, Cross-check, Export. Target writes the research brief before any search runs. Retrieve obtains the source bodies, not one confident pass. Assess appraises what each body can bear per claim; tiers are source roles, not credibility weights. Cross-check records what each source supports or contradicts, and maps shared origins. Export is a versioned decision memo a co-founder can act on. Fluent collection is not research. TRACE is the verification structure. The book that owns this name is available now in English and Dutch.
When to use it
Use it when a clean, confident answer is about to move a market, a hire, a regulation check, or a deal, and nobody can point at the source behind the number.
Do not confuse with
Not a vendor research product, not RAG, and not a generic “research loop” slogan. TRACE is the named system in The Verified Research Loop, available now in English and Dutch paperback, hardcover, and Kindle.