# 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.