Source Trace Ladder
Trace an article through citations to the earliest attributable evidence.
What this tool is for
How to use it
The source-trace ladder is for citation chains. Begin with the article or post in front of you, move to its cited source, then keep stepping backward until you reach the document, data, interview, observation or original statement that introduced the information.
What it does not prove
The ladder exposes citation laundering: a weak claim can gain authority as each new page cites the previous one. Stop calling a source “independent confirmation” when its information path ultimately returns to the same origin.
When to escalate
Use this tool for statistics, quotes and technical claims that appear everywhere but are hard to source. A five-minute trace often reveals that a supposedly broad consensus is one old study, one press release or one misquoted interview.