research: establish global network address book baseline

2026-07-20 18:18:54 +00:00
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+# Scope and method
+
+## Research question
+
+Who coordinates, standardizes, operates, measures, interconnects, and protects the global Internet, and where can authoritative information about those actors be found?
+
+## Round 1 boundary
+
+This round establishes an ecosystem-level address book. It does **not** claim to catalog:
+
+- every autonomous system, ISP, carrier, cloud, CDN, IXP, cable, landing station, or data center;
+- every national regulator or ministry;
+- private individuals or non-public incident contacts;
+- commercial rankings or market share.
+
+## Method
+
+1. Define a functional taxonomy rather than a single organizational hierarchy.
+2. Select globally or regionally significant coordinating bodies and public directories.
+3. Prefer official homepages, registries, and operator-maintained datasets.
+4. Check that listed URLs resolve on the verification date.
+5. Capture scope, category, region, relevance, and provenance in `data/entities.csv`.
+6. Mark limitations and queue deeper enumeration as explicit future work.
+
+## Evidence levels
+
+| Status | Meaning |
+|---|---|
+| `verified` | Official source was reachable and the entity/category relationship is established by its public role. |
+| `partial` | Core identity is established, but contacts, coverage, or details need more work. |
+| `lead` | Candidate for investigation; not yet suitable for the canonical address book. |
+| `stale` | Previously valid entry whose source or role can no longer be confirmed. |
+
+Round 1 canonical entries are `verified`; this does not mean their datasets are complete or independently audited.
+
+## Contact policy
+
+This address book stores institutional links and public, role-based directories. It avoids personal phone numbers, personal email addresses, credentials, member-only data, and inferred contacts.
+
+## Update policy
+
+Every material change should include:
+
+- a primary source URL;
+- a UTC verification date;
+- a concise explanation in the commit message;
+- a move to `partial` or `stale` if the claim can no longer be verified.