A proposed architecture
for reviewable decisions.
The design question is what a person needs to see before relying on a suggested choice. These stages describe that question; they are not a connected system.
- 01Permitted inputs
- 02Comparison criteria
- 03Unresolved facts
- 04Human review
- 05Readable explanation
Read the shared decision vocabulary
Permitted inputs
A future implementation would need to record the source, freshness and permitted use of each input. A preference supplied by a person is different from a provider's current terms.
- Source
- Illustrative source
- Provided information
- Fictional example conditions
- Permission
- No actual permission granted
- Last checked
- Not checked against a live provider
Comparison criteria
List the criteria before comparing options. Cost, delivery, eligibility and flexibility can point in different directions. The record should make those trade-offs visible.
Unresolved facts
Missing information should remain visible. An unknown fee, deadline or authority cannot be replaced with a confident-looking score.
Human review
Name the question that needs a person's decision. Any future action would require its own explicit authority and limits; this website carries out no transactions or account changes.
Readable explanation
Keep the supplied facts, assumptions and review questions together so the reasoning can be checked. A proposed explanation is not evidence that a decision is correct.
A shared decision vocabulary.
- Input/source
- Information supplied for a decision, with its origin, date and permitted use distinguished from assumptions.
- Assumption
- A stated condition used in the example; it is not a verified fact about a real provider.
- Criterion
- A named basis for comparison, such as cost, timing or flexibility.
- Unresolved fact
- Missing or conflicting information that remains a question for review.
- Human approval
- A person’s explicit authority for a particular action, with limits; viewing a comparison grants none.
- Calculated result
- The output of stated arithmetic under the supplied assumptions; it is not a recommendation or an observed outcome.
- Observed outcome
- What was recorded after an actual decision. An observation alone does not establish causation or transferability.
Evidence a working service would need.
- Access
- Permission to obtain and use the relevant information.
- Accuracy
- A way to check current terms, missing facts and conflicting sources.
- Review
- Clear responsibility for approving or declining an action.
- Consequences
- Known failure paths, provider constraints and any limits on reversal.
These are research requirements, not certifications or implemented safeguards.